Have you ever had one of those days where you woke up feeling okay, but by 2:00 PM, you felt like a smartphone with a 2% battery and no charger in sight? You didn’t run a marathon. You didn’t wrestle a grizzly bear. Yet, you’re completely spent.
When we talk about the Never Quit on a Bad Day® mindset, we often focus on the “never quit” part. But to stay the course, we have to look at the “bad day” part too. Sometimes a day feels heavy not because of one big catastrophe, but because of a dozen tiny holes in your bucket.
These are your energy leaks.
I like to think of our personal energy like a currency. Every day, you get a fresh deposit. But if you have unconscious “subscriptions” running in the background, stressing over an email you haven’t sent, worrying about what someone thought of your comment in a meeting, or staring at that pile of laundry that’s been sitting there since Tuesday, your balance hits zero before you’ve even had a chance to spend it on things that actually matter.
It’s time for a Joy Audit.
What’s Draining Your Tank?
An energy leak is anything that takes more than it gives without offering any return on investment. If we want to step into our greatness and live with intention, we have to get really honest about where our power is going.
Think about your typical day. Are you overcommitting because you feel like you have to say yes to everyone? That’s a leak. Are you scrolling through social media and leaving the app feeling worse than when you opened it? Huge leak. Maybe it’s a relational drain, that one friend who only calls when they need to vent for forty-five minutes but never asks how you’re doing.
When these leaks go unplugged, we don’t have the resilience we need when a real challenge shows up. If you’re already running on empty, a “bad moment” quickly turns into a “bad day,” or even a bad month.
Joy is Fuel, Not a Luxury
Here is the thing about joy: it isn’t just a nice bonus for when everything is going perfectly. Joy is fuel. It recharges your energy, brightens your mood, and reminds you of what’s good in the world.
When you’re intentional about inviting joy in, you’re essentially “patching the leaks” and filling your cup so that you have a reserve to draw from when life feels heavy. This is a core part of personal development for athletes and entrepreneurs alike. We focus so much on the output, but we forget that the input determines the quality of our work and our lives.
In my upcoming book, Never Quit on a Bad Day®: Challenge Yourself. Change Your Life. A Playbook for a Stronger & More Joyful You, releasing this April 2026, I dive deep into how we can build a plan for our lives that prioritizes this kind of resilience. One of my favourite challenges from the book is something I want to share with you today.
My Joy List
I want to challenge you to create your very own Joy List. This isn’t just a “gratitude list” (though gratitude is fabulous). This is a tactical resource for your mindset.
The Challenge: Make a list of 25 or more things that bring you joy.
Include anything that lights you up, calms your spirit, or makes you smile. These can be simple pleasures or heart-filling moments. Don’t overthink it. Just start writing.
Some ideas to get you started:
- The smell of fresh coffee in the morning.
- Dancing to your favourite song.
- A crisp walk in nature.
- The feeling of clean sheets.
- Catching up with a close friend who makes you laugh until your stomach hurts.
- The silence of the house before everyone else wakes up.
- A specific photo that always makes you smile.
Why this matters: When you know exactly what brings you joy, you stop guessing. On the days when motivation feels low or life feels heavy, you don’t have to scramble to figure out how to feel better. You’ve already named your resources. You just have to pick one from the list and do it.
How to Conduct Your Joy Audit
To make this work, you need to combine your Joy List with an honest audit of your current energy. Here is how I recommend doing it:
1. Identify the Leaks
Spend a day being a detective. Every time you feel a dip in your energy, ask yourself: What just happened? Was it a specific task? A certain person? A nagging thought? Write it down. These are the things we need to stop or minimize.
2. Patch the Holes
Once you see the leaks, take action. If visual clutter is draining you, spend ten minutes tidying your desk. If a digital habit is the culprit, practice setting a boundary on your phone. If you’re overcommitting, practice the art of the polite “no.” (also a highly recommended challenge included in my new book Challenge Yourself. Change Your Life.) It isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being protective of your peace.
3. Inject the Joy
Now, look at your Joy List. How can you build these items into your everyday life? Not just on weekends. Not just on holidays. Every day. Maybe it’s five minutes of music or a quick walk around the block. These small choices create the consistency that leads to greatness.
Living Fabulously While Growing
We often fall into the trap of thinking we’ll be joyful after we hit the goal, after the project is done, or after the stressful season passes. But the Never Quit on a Bad Day® philosophy reminds us that life happens in the middle of the mess.
Choosing joy isn’t about ignoring reality. It’s about having a balance between optimism and realism. It’s acknowledging that today might be tough, but I’m still going to find three minutes to enjoy that sunset because I prioritize my fuel.
This approach keeps our brand human and grounded. We aren’t robots designed to just produce results. We are people meant to experience the fullness of life while we grow. Using these joy practices helps us maintain a fabulous level of energy that stays with us for the long haul.
Reader Reflection
Take a moment to check in with yourself right now.
- Where is your energy leaking most often during your workday?
- What are three things you could add to your Joy List right this second?
I’d love to hear what’s on your list! If you’re looking for more ways to build a resilient mindset, you can explore more resources at neverquitonabadday.com.
Final Thoughts
Remember, your energy is your most valuable asset. Don’t let it leak away on things that don’t serve your purpose or your spirit. By practicing the Joy Audit and keeping your Joy List handy, you’re setting yourself up to handle whatever comes your way with confidence and grace.
The goal isn’t to never have a bad day. The goal is to have enough fuel in the tank so that a bad day doesn’t stop your progress.
Stay the course. You’ve got this.
Meet Phebe Trotman. Phebe is an author, speaker, and resilience coach who shares lessons from sport, business, and life through the Never Quit on a Bad Day® mindset. Her work supports individuals and organizations as they step into their greatness with confidence and intention. Learn more at neverquitonabadday.com.
