It’s the week of Christmas and we’re standing at the edge of another year. That in-between space always makes me a little reflective—part grateful, part thoughtful, part quietly hopeful.

The other night, while scrolling Instagram (as one does), I came across a clip from The Mel Robbins Podcast. The topic was joy—specifically, how to figure out what actually brings you joy so you can intentionally create more of it.

If someone asked me what brings me joy, I’d probably give a pretty standard answer: time with friends and family. And that’s true. But it’s also broad. Saying “spend more time with friends and family” sounds simple, yet weeks or months can pass before it really happens. Life gets busy, calendars fill up, and suddenly we’re doing less of the very things that light us up.

Mel shared a simple but surprisingly powerful hack to get more specific about joy.

Here it is: Open your camera roll and scroll back to January 2025. Create a new album and call it Joy. Save every photo that shows you experiencing joy—really smiling, fully present, clearly happy.

When you’re done, look at the album.

I bet you’ll start to notice patterns. Certain people show up again and again. Certain places. Certain activities, trips, dinners, concerts, walks, celebrations. Those patterns are clues. They’re evidence of what actually works for you.

The next step is the important one: be intentional. Make plans with those people. Go back to those places. Buy tickets to those kinds of events. Don’t leave joy up to chance.

What struck me most is how often, when I’m feeling a little down or off, I don’t know where to start to feel better. Now, thanks to my Instagram algorithm and some late-night scrolling, I have a literal album I can open—a reminder of what has brought me joy before and what can bring it again.

It also reminded me of something else: how much joy fit into one short year. We forget that sometimes. This little exercise is proof that even when life feels busy or heavy, joy has been showing up all along.

As we head into the final days of the year, maybe the goal isn’t to chase joy—but to recognize it, name it, and invite more of it in on purpose.

XX,

MG