#30: Rediscovering Joy on the Job: Breaking the Burnout Cycle with Tracy LaLonde

Are you an overachiever who struggles to find joy in your work? Or maybe you feel like quitting your job but you really can’t afford to make that move. Either way, you need to hear this conversation with Tracy LaLonde.

Tracy brings over 30 years of experience in training and development across high-tech consulting and legal industries. And in this conversation, she shares her journey from burnout (traveling 40 weeks a year to three cities a week!) to becoming a trust expert and "joychiever" (that’s right: joy + achiever).

Tracy explains how high achievers and burnout candidates can become “joychievers” by understanding what makes them uniquely joyful and recognizing that joy comes from small daily choices.

She shares insights from her book "The Joychiever Journey," which includes seven "true self stops" to help professionals gain a deeper understanding of themselves, including:

• Values Village - identifying your 5-10 highest priority values that guide all your choices
• Strengths Mountain - focusing on your most joyous strengths (not just what you're good at)
• Body Beach - taking care of your physical health
• Relationships Harbor - prioritizing joy-inducing relationships over joy-robbing ones

Tracy also reveals fascinating insights about workplace trust, including:

• The six elements of trust: competence, openness, integrity, empathy, empowerment, and consistency
• Why trust should be given rather than earned (it's actually physiological - it releases oxytocin!)
• How managers inadvertently erode trust through behaviors like not acknowledging effort
• Why saying "thank you" and acknowledging effort matters, even when people are "just doing their job"
• How to repair trust when it's broken (hint: it's a two-way street)

One of my favorite takeaways? If you're able to do what you really enjoy at least 30% of the time in your job, you'll be "exponentially more joyful.” It’s not about loving every aspect of your work - it's about intentionally designing your work to include enough of what brings you joy.

Here's how to connect with Tracy:

• LinkedIn: Tracy LaLonde
• Website: joychiever.com
• Email: [e-mail]

Books: "The Joychiever Journey: Evade Burnout, Surpass Your Goals and Out-Happy Everyone " and "Trust Me: An Insider's Guide to Being the Go-To Person at Work"