Follow the Fun: Rediscovering Joy to Find What’s Next

What if the key to your next chapter isn’t buried in a business plan… but in a playlist, a memory, or a moment of laughter?

In this solo episode, Penny explores the idea that joy isn’t a luxury—it’s a clue. Through stories of missed highway exits and old-school cassette “radio shows,” she shares how joy can guide us back to who we’ve always been.

If you’ve been putting your joy on hold, this is your reminder to press play.

Episode Highlights:
[00:01:00] What if your next chapter begins with laughter—not a plan?
[00:04:00] The myth of joy as a reward—and why we need to unlearn it
[00:05:30] Story: Dancing to “The Bird” and missing the exit—joy in motion
[00:06:15] How childhood play led to podcasting: following what felt fun
[00:07:55] Story: Styx on the golf course and the power of presence
[00:09:20] When joy evolves: from barns and sheep to books and beach days
[00:10:50] A gentle challenge to reconnect with joy—no audience required

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Transcript

Follow the Fun: Rediscovering Joy to Find What’s Next

​[00:00:37] Penny Fitzgerald: Hey friend, if you tuned in last week, you know we talked about how it's never too late to go after that dream, try something new or change direction and Wow, your dms messages and comments let me know that that one really hit home.

So this week, I wanna take that idea a step further. What if the first step toward what's next isn't a business plan or a five [00:01:00] step process? What if it's simpler than that? What if it starts with remembering what makes you laugh? What makes you feel alive? And what you used to love before the world told you to be responsible, productive, or practical, before you got so used to caring for others, putting one foot in front of the other, trying to please, well, everyone that you forgot, what makes you, you?

Let's talk about joy and about reconnecting with her. I want you to take a second and think about that younger version of you. The version of you that maybe hasn't been seen in a while. The one who used to lose track of time doing something she loved. The one who sang in the car like she was on stage or doodled all over her notebooks, or played teacher or wrote stories about magical places.

You remember singing into your hairbrush, right? The OG karaoke machine. What did the younger you love to do? Not because she was good at [00:02:00] it, not because it made money, just because it felt good. Now ask yourself, is she still in there? Because I believe she is. I know she is. She's just buried under a bunch of to-do lists, laundry, baskets, and a whole lot of shoulds.

Somewhere along the way, a lot of us learned that joy is extra. Like it's a reward for getting everything else done. Doesn't it feel like there's been a hustle culture for far too long? Like we've been hearing, you just have to work a little harder, get up a little earlier, push through to get things done.

It's been a minute since I had a corporate job, but I remember feeling like we were asked to do more with less. Has that changed? As much as I'd love to Hope so, I'm guessing it has not. Along the way through all the hustle and grind, we got the message that joy has to be earned, that it's optional.

Something you get to experience after you've worked hard enough to earn [00:03:00] your rest. We need to unlearn that my friend, we might have stifled our joy because we were told we were too extra or that we were too loud and maybe we were asked or told to. Quiet down. Most of us have been conditioned to fit in.

Oh, we might have even thought that we are undeserving of joy. Because we haven't done enough on our list or because we don't need to have fun. Besides, we have so much work to do. have you ever held back on doing something for yourself that felt joyful because it was just for you?

You don't have to wait to do the thing just because your bestie isn't available. Or your hubby doesn't see the point. We might have told ourselves we do something just for ourselves when we get X, Y, and Z done, but then we just added more to that list and we never get around to the reward. We might think it's best to keep working hard and just keep our head down someday.

Maybe when we retire then we'll have more fun. [00:04:00] Will we though? Won't we still have laundry to do? Family to care for, meals to plan? Are we just so used to putting ourselves on hold that it's become easy to stop dreaming even to stop laughing. I so wanna flip that, 

 What if joy is actually information? What if the things that make you laugh, that light you up, that feel effortless? What if those things are breadcrumbs? What if joy is the clue? What if it's showing us the direction we're meant to go? I. What if it were possible to love what we do so much that the doing is the joy.

When I think about the path I'm on now, this podcast, this community, the Sipper Club, even the workshops and the way I coach my clients, None of that came from a spreadsheet. It came from following what felt fun, what felt light, what made me feel more [00:05:00] like me. I've done a lot of reflecting this week on times in my life when I felt pure joy years ago, before Jeff and I ever met, I was driving to Ames, following his sister, my now sister-in-law.

We were each in our own cars heading up to visit friends somewhere on the road. I noticed she was dancing in her seat. And I realized I was too. We were, we were both listening to the same radio station and the Bird by Morris Day in the time came on. I saw her flapping her arms and grooving in the driver's seat, and I just knew we were so into it that we completely missed the exit.

We laughed and laughed about that when we got to our friend's place, and I still smile every time I hear that song. When I think back, way back, I used to tape a pretend radio show with my cousin on a cassette player. Remember those? We'd script it out and act it and complete with sound effects. Then we'd play it for each other and for our [00:06:00] folks if they'd listen, and we'd laugh at how clever we were thinking about my podcast.

It shows that sometimes the path isn't new, it's just a return. And nothing gives me more joy than seeing clients light up, seeing them follow their dream, supporting them in reaching their goals, or even creating more joy for themselves. Supporting women was something I missed the most about my former career and really supporting a team was what I missed most about my corporate job as well.

 And of course sometimes, okay. A lot of the time that includes sharing cocktails and a laugh together. So it makes perfect sense to start a Sipper Club where I get to create a craft cocktail recipe to share with friends once a month.

I'm not saying starting a new career is what will bring happiness to everyone, but what if we could incorporate more fun into our lives? What if we didn't have to put ourselves and our joy on hold? How much could we improve our lives, our outlook? Even our health [00:07:00] studies show that stress produces cortisol and that has a very negative effect on the body, and that laughter is a great medicine for reducing stress.

What if we could order up more fun or be more present to recognize and remember joyful moments? A few months ago, Jeff and I had the golf course almost entirely to ourselves. It was a quiet afternoon, late in the season, just us, the sunshine and a Bluetooth speaker on our cart. I thought it would be a good time for some Styx, so I cranked up the volume and when Fooling Yourself came on, I hit that ball long and straight.

You know the kind of shot that keeps you coming back? Not very often, but it did, and I'm telling you, I felt alive. not because I was being productive, but because I was present. The music, the air, the moment that was joy, it makes us feel good.

And when we feel good, we're also more productive when everything feels heavy. Choosing [00:08:00] joy is a radical act. So what could it mean for you to remember? What makes you happy? And hey, maybe the things you used to love don't spark the same joy anymore. That's okay too. I remember as a kid growing up on a farm in Iowa, I loved to play in the barn.

That meant crawling through small spaces covered in webs, mud and manure to get to the pasture to play with the sheep. The thought of that now just makes my skin crawl. Ew, joy. Evolves. It definitely evolves. Maybe now it's a walk with a good playlist or a podcast or planning a weekend getaway with your besties.

Maybe it's quiet time with a book and a glass of wine, a trip to the beach or to the park. You don't have to have it all figured out, but you do have to be willing to listen to honor that still small voice that is pulling you to just have some [00:09:00] fun. Are you getting quiet long enough to hear her or are you too busy checking off all the to-dos on your list?

What would feel good right now? What lights you up? Start there and then maybe take it a step further. What's something you'd do, even if nobody saw it or gave you credit for it? Maybe, especially if nobody saw it. If money were not a factor, what's something you could do for hours and lose yourself in it? Is it something that would serve a purpose or feel a need for someone else?

Have you ever thought, what if I could get paid to do this? Is that a possibility? You don't have to turn your passion into something profitable, but if you're dreaming of doing that or feeling a nudge to find or follow your purpose, remembering what brings you joy is a wonderful place to start. So here's my invitation to you this week.

Reconnect with something you used to love to do, and do it again even if you feel [00:10:00] silly or pick something new. That sounds fun, and just try it. No audience required, or, you know, special looking, no results needed. Just let yourself laugh. Let yourself move. Let yourself just be. And if you're not sure where to start, start small.

 make a playlist of songs that used to make you feel free. Jot down 10 things that used to bring you joy, even if they feel silly now. Try a new cocktail recipe just because it sounds fun. By the way, I'm including one in this week's newsletter for my Penny. For your Shots insiders, it's free.

And if you'd like to sign up, go to pennyforyourshots.com/insider. Let Joy be your guide. Not because it's efficient, but because it's yours. Whatever it is. Do it just because it makes you feel more like you. And if you feel like sharing, I'd love to see what you choose.

Tag me [00:11:00] on Instagram @penny4yourshots, or DM me. Let's celebrate joy together. Okay? Because when you follow the fun, you just might find the next version of you. Cheers to joy, to rediscovery, and to becoming the braver, bolder version of you. Talk soon, my friend.