05.13.2026

IGNITE

Where Dr. Tom Webb sparks your curiosity and inspires action!

Reader here is a tip to find joy in your work,

My professional career started 25 years ago.

But my daily work started 38 years ago when I delivered newspapers six days per week every afternoon. I was 9 years old, hauling papers around town like a tiny logistics manager with bad handwriting and questionable bike safety.

Since then, I’ve had great days when I loved my job.

I’ve also had days like yesterday.

Wild. Crazy. Unexpected problems. One thing after another. The kind of day where your to-do list laughs at you and says, “No chance.”

Over the years, I’ve received promotions, been denied promotions, added responsibilities, eliminated responsibilities, celebrated wins, and walked through seasons where the work felt heavier than it should.

Here’s what I’ve learned to be true:

Joy at work does not come from money, power, position, or prestige.

Those things may feel good for a moment, but they do not sustain joy.

Real joy comes when we earn our success by creating value with our life and serving other people through our work.

I’ve seen people love their jobs while roofing houses, leading schools, answering phones, coaching teams, driving buses, running companies, teaching kids, and cleaning buildings.

The role may change.

The reward may change.

The recognition may change.

But the source of joy stays the same.

We find joy when our work becomes more than a task.

We find joy when we use our work to lift others, solve problems, create value, and make someone else’s day better.

That is how we dignify the work.

That is how we sanctify the work.

That is how we win the day.

So, how do we do that today?

1. Find one person to lift.

Before you get buried in email, meetings, problems, and paperwork, pick one person you can encourage today.

Send the text.

Make the call.

Write the note.

Walk down the hall and say, “I noticed what you did, and it mattered.”

Joy grows when we stop asking, “What do I have to get done?” and start asking, “Who can I help get better?”

That tiny shift can change the whole day.

2. Turn one problem into progress.

Every job has problems. That’s not a bug in the system. That’s the system.

The joy comes when we stop seeing problems as proof that our job is broken and start seeing them as opportunities to create value.

Fix the process.

Clarify the confusion.

Support the person.

Simplify the system.

One problem solved is one burden lifted.

And one burden lifted is one more reason to go home knowing your work mattered.

This week, don’t chase joy by waiting for the perfect day.

Create joy by serving well in the day you actually have.

Even if it’s wild.

Even if it’s messy.

Even if your to-do list is acting like it drank three energy drinks and joined a CrossFit gym.

Earn your success.

Create value.

Serve people.

That’s where the joy is.

Onward >>>>>

Tom

#TeamBOOM

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