Joy Is The Strategy, Not The Reward - Dating Yourself, Self-Trust & Taking Messy Action with Meg Holloway

What if joy isn't something you earn after you've fixed your life - but the thing that helps you build it in the first place?This week I'm joined by life coach, retreat host and founder of The Joy Project, Meg Holloway.After leaving a corporate career and moving to the Lake District, Meg trained as a coach and built a business around a simple but powerful idea: joy is not the reward at the end of the journey - it's the strategy that helps you navigate it. In this conversation we explore how Meg transformed herself from someone who describes her younger self as "proper glass half empty" into a coach who helps people get out of their own way and take action on the things that matter most. We talk about:Why so many people are waiting for permission before they start the business, launch a project, change careers or pursue the life they really want. Meg's philosophy of "messy action" and how tiny imperfect steps build self-trust far more effectively than endless planning. Fear of failure, fear of judgement and the stories we tell ourselves that keep us stuck.Why community, connection and finding "your people" matters more than ever. Why learning to "date yourself" can be one of the most powerful things you do.Finding joy during one of the most difficult periods of her life following a serious health challenge, and why that experience ultimately reinforced everything she teaches.If you've ever felt stuck, waited for permission, or wondered whether it's too late to make a change, I think you'll get a lot from this one.Follow Meg: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/megg.holloway/⁠Support the podcast: Get a whopping 65% off your first Gousto box at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.gousto.co.uk/raf/?promo_code=TOM42277653⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mentioned in the Podcast:The Joy Project: https://www.instagram.com/thejoyprojectcoach/The Joy Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3guaT24uvN1gky41cYfLe7?si=c1f9d15084674cf4Join the mailing list:⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@tombryanyeah?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page⁠⁠⁠Get in contact:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/tombryanyeah/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/greatbritishadventurespodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@tombryanyeah⁠⁠⁠ChaptersChapters:00:00 Intro01:58 Life in the Lakes16:50 Training to be a Life Coach23:04 Joy is the strategy, not the reward33:03 How to chance a mindset39:08 Overcoming Cringe47:58 The Joy Project52:21 You're not stuck, you're just waiting for permission56:25 Take messy action01:01:15 Pause, pivot, progress01:04:00 The Strech Zone01:11:20 Dating yourself01:22:30 Bossing life on your own01:38:24 Meg's recent health scare01:53:20 Meeting someone01:57:01 The problem with dating apps