Let’s talk about something that seems impossible when you’ve been trapped in the cycle of workaholism: finding actual joy in your work. If you’ve spent years grinding yourself into the ground like I did, chasing perfection, proving your worth, and letting work consume every waking moment, you probably forgot that work could actually be… fun. Fulfilling, even. Joyful.
But here’s the truth I’ve come to learn: it is possible to find joy in your work again—even after the hustle has chewed you up and spit you out. You just have to learn how to redefine your relationship with work and kick the grind to the curb.
The Grind Stole My Joy
For years, I was deep in the hustle. My work was my identity, and I convinced myself that if I wasn’t constantly grinding, I wasn’t doing it right. I thought if I just pushed a little harder, worked a little longer, and checked all the boxes, the joy would eventually come. But instead of joy, all I found was burnout.
I lost the love for what I was doing because I was too busy doing it to even enjoy the process. Every task, every project, every goal became just another thing on my endless to-do list, and no matter how much I accomplished, it never felt like enough. Sound familiar?
The hustle stole my joy, and I didn’t even realize it until I hit a breaking point. I was so busy trying to be “successful” that I forgot why I started doing this work in the first place.
Joy Is Not in the Grind
Here’s the thing: joy doesn’t live in the grind. It doesn’t come from pushing yourself to the limit, hustling 24/7, and treating your work like a never-ending race to some imaginary finish line. No matter how much you do, how hard you work, or how much you achieve, joy doesn’t magically show up when you check that final box.
The real joy in your work comes from the process—from loving what you do, being in the moment, and finding fulfillment in the day-to-day, not just the end result. And when you’ve spent years in workaholism, that’s a tough lesson to learn.
Redefining My Relationship with Work
After I kicked the grind to the curb and let go of my workaholic tendencies, I had to completely redefine my relationship with work. I had to figure out how to find joy in the thing that had once been my main source of stress. And that meant unlearning a lot of the lies I’d believed for years.
I started by asking myself: What do I actually love about my work? Not what I thought I should love, but what actually lights me up. For me, that meant getting back to the creative side of my business, allowing myself to enjoy the freedom of being an entrepreneur, and leaning into the parts of my work that felt fun, exciting, and fulfilling.
It also meant letting go of the idea that my worth was tied to my productivity. I gave myself permission to work less, to stop over-scheduling, and to let go of the perfectionism that had ruled my life for so long. And you know what happened? The joy started to come back. When I stopped grinding and started focusing on what actually made me happy, I remembered why I fell in love with this work in the first place.
Building Boundaries for Balance
One of the biggest lessons I learned on my journey to finding joy in work was the importance of boundaries. For years, I thought I had to be available 24/7 to everyone—clients, colleagues, my business. I felt like if I wasn’t constantly on call, I wasn’t doing enough. But here’s the truth: boundaries are the key to balance, and balance is where joy lives.
I started setting clear boundaries around my work time. I gave myself permission to disconnect when the workday was over, to stop answering emails at all hours, and to reclaim my time for the things that truly brought me joy outside of work. And guess what? Not only did I feel more balanced, but I also found that I was more creative, more productive, and more engaged in my work when I did sit down to do it.
Because here’s the deal: when you’re constantly grinding, you lose sight of the bigger picture. You get so bogged down in the hustle that you forget to enjoy the ride. But when you set boundaries, protect your time, and create space for rest and joy, you can show up fully for your work—and that’s where the magic happens.
Joy Is in the Journey, Not the Destination
One of the biggest mindset shifts I had to make was realizing that joy isn’t in the destination. It’s not something you find after you’ve achieved all your goals, hit all your targets, or crossed everything off your list. Joy is in the journey—in the process of creating, building, and working toward something meaningful.
For me, that meant reconnecting with my purpose—the why behind what I do. It wasn’t just about hitting revenue goals or growing my business. It was about the joy of creating something from nothing, helping people in a way that aligned with my values, and allowing myself to enjoy the work, not just the outcome.
When I let go of the grind, I realized that work could be fun again. It could be fulfilling, exciting, and, yes, joyful. But only if I stopped treating it like a race and started treating it like an experience. The joy isn’t in achieving the final goal—it’s in the journey of getting there.
Letting Go of Guilt and Embracing Joy
One of the hardest parts of overcoming workaholism is letting go of the guilt that comes with working less. For so long, I equated hustle with worth, and stepping away from that grind felt wrong—like I wasn’t doing enough, wasn’t worthy enough, wasn’t hustling enough. But the reality is, joy and guilt don’t belong together.
I had to give myself permission to let go of the guilt and embrace the joy. To allow myself to love my work without being consumed by it. To work on my terms, not based on what society or some hustle culture says I should be doing. And in that space, I found freedom. Freedom to love what I do, to enjoy the process, and to live a life that’s filled with joy—both in and outside of work.
But remember, we’re all a work in progress. There are weeks that the hustle and grind sneak back up on me. There are days that little voice inside my head says “Are you sure you’re doing enough?” There are moments I find myself on edge and realize I have picked up the old habit of working for my worth again. In those moments I give myself grace, take a big deep breath, remind myself I am enough and start back on the work of finding joy in the little things that really matter.
