Opening to Inspiration: A Fresh Start for the New Year

Happy New Year! As we step into 2026, we're focusing on inspiration as our Element of Joy for January. Not the kind that requires waiting for lightning to strike, but the cultivatable kind—the experience of being awakened to new possibilities and taking nourishing action because of them.

Listen to the Joy Lab Podcast episode that dives into this deeper:

Making Self-Connection Your Superpower in 2026 [ep. 243]

Why Inspiration Matters

Here's something encouraging: inspiration isn't just for artists and dreamers. Research  shows that people who score higher on inspiration report:

• More absorption in tasks and higher completion rates
• Stronger drive to complete their work (while being less competitive)
• Greater intrinsic motivation—doing things because they matter, not to impress others
• Higher self-esteem and optimism

In other words, inspiration acts as powerful fuel for meaningful action. It's the kind of action that fills us up rather than depletes us.

Is Inspiration Something You're Born With?

Good news: inspiration is both a state and a trait. Yes, some people may be naturally more inspired, but research shows we can cultivate it. Just like with mindfulness, as we practice experiencing inspired states more often, we can actually shift our baseline. We can become more inspired people.

Three Keys to Cultivating Inspiration

Research identifies three factors that increase the likelihood of experiencing inspiration:

1. Openness to experience - When we're rigid and closed off, inspiration can't break through
2. Positive affect - Being open to positive emotions and inner states
3. Preparation - Yes, it sounds boring, but this is about tending the fields, preparing the ground for inspiration to take root

Simple Joy Practice: The Possibility Pause

This week, try this quick daily practice to prepare the ground for inspiration:

Once a day, pause for just 60 seconds and ask yourself: "What new possibility am I open to today?"

It could be as simple as trying a new route on your walk, reaching out to someone you've been thinking about, or approaching a familiar task in a different way.

Notice what arises without judgment. You don't have to act on every possibility—just practice opening your awareness to what might be waiting for you. This small act of noticing keeps you flexible and receptive, two essential ingredients for inspiration to find you.

As Carl Jung reminds us: "Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakes."

Here's to awakening to new possibilities in 2026.