On Joy And What Got Me Here

I’m seeking joy.

It’s the whole thesis of Quarterly. Joy is what got me here, and it’s what I’m seeking.

I turned 40 this year. And while I have so much more to learn and life to live (if I’m lucky), I’ve inherited some wisdom and beliefs over the years. Most importantly, I’ve realized that I’m seeking a life full of joy, work that brings me purpose, and time with the people I love most.

But how did I get here exactly? Both physically and with this perspective? And how does Quarterly, and my path here have anything to do with joy?

My life was focused on work, and I realized I was sacrificing too much of my life for an ambition I no longer valued. 

I worked as a consultant in corporate America for 15 years. I graduated with a business degree and got a coveted job out of college. At first, I loved it. I was good at figuring things out, problem solving and the detailed analytical work that came along with being a consultant. But over those 15 years, the job changed. The culture changed, the reward changed, the required skillset changed, and most importantly I changed. Fundamentally, I knew it wasn’t a fit anymore. When it turned out it was mutual, I was relieved to start my next chapter. I had permission to stop. And I was more excited than ever to finally be in charge of my time again.

I’ve been fortunate to be able to take a pause because I saved money for years. I saved, but most importantly I invested. I intentionally built up a cushion for entrepreneurial dreams. I’ve always had this dream. The one to work for myself and create something of my own, on my own terms. I’ve always believed I was smart enough and could figure things out. 

I wanted to be ambitious in a new way and for myself

My husband and I had long discussed these dreams together, and now was finally the time to give it a shot. But the idea wasn’t Quarterly, it was a different business, one we’re still hopeful to build someday.

When I left my job though I started designing planner pages for myself. It was something I wanted because the exact pages I wanted didn’t exist. I needed a tool that helped me focus on my new ambitions, but gave me space to reflect, to think and to make sure I was spending time on the other important parts of my life. I wanted it all in one place.

In my corporate job, it was all about productivity and the tangible output. Delivering to the client at any cost. I didn’t want that life anymore. I wanted a place to plan my life around my values and around what mattered most to me. A place where ambition could exist alongside family, rest, reflection, and the ordinary everyday moments that make life good. I wanted to accomplish things that mattered to me without missing my life while I was accomplishing them.

Creating my own planner wasn’t always a super serious idea, but rather a pure selfish want. But as someone who has always loved paper, notebooks and planners, I felt like there was no one better than me to bring this tool to life. I will forever be an analog person in this digital world. I need to write things down, I need to see it. It’s how my brain works. 

I want to help you accomplish things that light you up, without sacrificing your joy or what matters most to you.

As a newish working mom, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I can no longer work 12-hour days, nor do I want to. And to be transparent, over the course of building to get here, I haven’t always been the most productive with my time. But that’s okay. I’ve allowed myself to rest after 15 years of the grind in the corporate world. I’ve given myself some flexibility with two kids, because they are the whole point. I’ve given myself grace in my journey here.

All of this to say, it’s taken me a while to get here, but I’ve continued to keep moving forward along the path, and I’m here. And that’s the most important thing.

The mission isn’t just physical planners. I really hope to build a community of people who are seeking joy in the little moments and seeking to spend their time on what matters most to them.

For me, Quarterly is a creative outlet, it’s an avenue for flexibility and ambition, it’s a challenge to overcome, and it’s a gift of continuous learning. It’s also life. The joy, the learnings that come along the way and everything in between.

What if seeking moments of joy is the sole purpose of life?

And about joy. Yes, it’s about the big moments. But I think joy is primarily in the little moments. You have to make space for joy. The ordinary moments of everyday life that catch you by surprise and fill you with emotion so strong that there are literally no words for it besides joy (and gratefulness).

The joy of:

• taking a walk in the woods with the people you love, on a cool fall day with the sun peeking through the trees

• riding in your car with the windows down on a perfectly crisp 70-degree day blasting a no skips album

• your kid experiencing a bite of ice cream for the very first time, and realizing how much joy is still there every time you make the trip to the local ice cream shop (shout out to Mitchell’s Ice Cream!)

• enjoying a hot cup of coffee in the morning before anyone else is up, besides your dog who is snuggled up to you on the couch

• planning and daydreaming

• reading your Kindle at night in bed in the middle of summer with your windows open because your power and internet went out and you can’t do anything else

• dozing back to sleep in the morning while it’s storming outside, the house is still quiet and you have a few hours before you have to get up

• spending time with people who are effortless to be around

My goal at Quarterly is to help move you forward while allowing yourself to stop and realize the moments of joy along the way. To build a life you can be present for. Because that’s the whole point.