Let’s talk about mornings.

Not the perfectly curated Instagram kind with the steaming matcha, sunrise yoga, and a “gratitude” playlist humming in the background. I’m talking about the real deal: the moment your alarm goes off and you meet yourself, before the to-do list, before the inbox, before the kids need anything or the world starts tugging at you.

That moment should feel good. Or at the very least…not dreadful.

Because here’s the deal: If the first thing you feel when you wake up is dread? Resentment? Panic? You’re out of alignment.

And that’s where joy comes in. Real joy. Micro joy. Honest joy. 

Because joy isn’t a luxury. It’s not an add-on or a “nice to have.” It’s a non-negotiable. It’s the fuel. The frequency. The thing that shifts everything else. And yes, it is directly tied to your success.

I’m not talking about performative success. Not “look at all my achievements, I’m dying inside” success.
I’m talking about the kind that feels like success in your bones. Like ease in your nervous system. Like deep trust in yourself. That kind of success requires joy—not later, but now.

The Radical Truth: Joy is Strategic

Somewhere along the way, we were taught that hard equals worthy. That suffering is noble. That burnout is a badge of honor. Nope. Not anymore.

Joy is a strategy. And if that sounds soft to you, let me reframe it: Joy is a power move.

When you prioritize what lights you up, even if it makes zero sense on paper, you rewire your subconscious. You tell your nervous system, “We are safe to expand.” You show up differently. You lead, parent, and create from a whole new place.

You don’t need to overhaul your entire life to get there. You just need to start showing up like joy is part of the plan.

So How the Hell Do You Build a Life You Can’t Wait to Wake Up To?

You stop chasing balance and start choosing alignment.

You set boundaries like they’re oxygen—because they are.

You reframe the bullshit stories your subconscious clings to and reclaim your worth in the process.

You say yes only to the things that feel like hell yes (and if it’s not, it’s a no).

You bring your weird, your woo, your magic, your truth—because the people who need what you offer can only find you if you’re being fully you.

This isn’t mindset fluff. This is nervous system repair. Subconscious reprogramming. Joy as a set point, not a default setting.

And when joy is your set point?

• You don’t just get more success—you redefine success on your own terms.
• You start waking up with curiosity instead of dread.
• You make money doing things that feel so aligned you’d do them anyway.
• You lead with your gifts instead of your fears.

Brave Enough to Choose Joy

This isn’t for the faint of heart. Choosing joy, on purpose, over and over again, requires bravery. Because it means saying no to people-pleasing. It means trusting your intuition over someone else’s checklist. It means breaking the rules that don’t serve you.

But when you choose bravely on purpose? You choose bigger. You win bigger. And it’s contagious.

So here’s the challenge: What’s one small shift you can make today that moves you toward a life you can’t wait to wake up to?

Seriously. One tiny thing.

Change the soundtrack to your morning.
Play a subliminal audio while you work.
Cancel the thing you said yes to out of obligation.
Say “yes” to something that excites you for no other reason than it makes you feel alive.

Because joy is the strategy. And you are worthy of a life that feels really fucking great. Meanwhile, check out this video below!

Redefining Success Through Joy

Step into your dream life today with the ‘As If’ method! Align your actions, embody success, and create the future you deserve. Check this out, Live Your Success.

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📣 Want to keep talking about this?
Come hang with me for “Live with Heather Vickery”—we unpack the real stuff like this every single week. Or subscribe to the Substack for bold, brave storytelling and real-time breakthroughs. And hey, if this resonated, tell me what YOU are choosing today that feels joyful AF.

Let’s build it. Joyfully. Boldly. On purpose.