But I\u2019ve been rethinking that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not because I don\u2019t work hard (I do). Not because I\u2019m avoiding the hard parts of building a business (I\u2019ve wrestled with bookkeeping systems, trademark filings, legal structures, shipping logistics, and spreadsheets that made me want to cry).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m rethinking it because joy is more than pleasure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joy is a mindset.
It\u2019s a muscle.
It\u2019s a way of being that helps us show up fully – and keep going, especially when things are hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Joy Is a Lens<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Take something as mundane as doing the dishes. For years, it felt like a chore. But lately, I\u2019ve found myself pausing to admire the pottery in my hands: mugs and bowls I shaped in the studio, or pieces made with love by friends and family. When I slow down, I feel grateful. I notice. The dishes become a meditation, not a task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Or bookkeeping. Not my strength. But I can still approach it with curiosity. I can take pride in learning new systems – even if I eventually outsource them. (And yes, I did<\/em> hire a bookkeeper. Bless.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joy doesn\u2019t mean only doing the things you like<\/em>. There\u2019s a principle that says 80% of your growth comes from 20% of your efforts. And I\u2019ve found that to be true\u2014not just in business, but in energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I focus on the 20% of tasks that light me up – drawing, writing, visioning, collaborating, storytelling – I move faster. I create more. I feel better. And I naturally start to attract people who enjoy<\/em> doing the things I don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Turns out, there are people who love<\/em> spreadsheets. People who thrive in logistics. People who geek out over analytics and backend systems. When I give myself permission to lean into joy, I make room for those collaborations. I don\u2019t just grow – I expand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes. It\u2019s more than okay. It\u2019s essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following your joy doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re avoiding effort. It means you\u2019re aligning your effort with what makes you come alive. It means turning your tasks into rituals. Your challenges into adventures. Your life into something you want to live\u2014on purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We each deserve that. Not later. Not \u201conce we\u2019ve earned it.\u201d Now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With love, Heather\u2019s Joy is more than a studio – it\u2019s a way of creating, living, and sharing that begins with wonder and ends with connection. Whether through pottery, plush toys, websites, or words, I follow what lights me up – and build from there. My hope is that by sharing the process, it helps <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Is it irresponsible to follow your joy – or is it the most radical, life-giving choice you can make? In this reflection, I explore how joy isn\u2019t just about pleasure – it\u2019s about perspective. From hand-washing dishes to heart-led business strategy, I share how small mindset shifts (and a little help from your support systems) can turn everyday chores into acts of love.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-creative-entrepreneurship","category-reflections-from-the-studio"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/grateful-for-dishes.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=292"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":298,"href":"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292\/revisions\/298"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Sometimes it means choosing to find light in the things you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"gratitude](\"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/grateful-for-dishes-300x300.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe 80\/20 Magic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So, Is It Okay to Follow Your Joy?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
Heather Goff
Founder of Heather\u2019s Joy<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/heathersjoy.com\/play\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Heather-Goff-7-150x150.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n