My Happiness Project
Dec 31
Posted by missbecky
I read Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project for the first time in the summer of 2011 and proceeded to sketch out a plan for my own Project. I set up my 12 personal commandments based on Gretchen’s, started choosing 4 or 5 specific tasks per month to work on and got started! No waiting for a New Year’s Resolution for me – I dove in last June with lots of gusto.
Then, of course, life got into the way.
I set aside my personal happiness project for a later date when I had more time / more energy / less craziness / a more predictable schedule and on and on. While I still don’t do New Year’s Resolutions per se, I’m hoping that the energy of moving from one year into the next will be the impetus I need to actually make this project happen for a whole year. A new part of my plan is posting this to my blog – partly for my readers to go on this journey with me and also to help hold my feet to the fire so I make a good effort at completing the project.
A few reminders for myself:
- If I don’t make it the whole year, it’s not a failure (many of us are so afraid of failure we neglect even to try)
- Whatever I am able to learn about myself during this project will be worth knowing
- If I wait until I have time / money / patience I’ll be waiting forever – the best time to start is NOW
My 12 Personal Commandments:
- Take deep breaths
- Free write or blog
- Write in my journal
- Toss, restore, organize
Take Deep Breaths
Whenever I think of it and hopefully at least once an hour or so, I will take a deep breath or two, then go back to whatever else I was doing. This will help me to recenter on whatever project is at hand and remain focused on the moment.
Free write or blog
Take at least a few minutes each day to free write or work on a blog post. The intent is to make sure I’m always making some time for writing, even on the busiest days. I’ll carry a notebook in my bag so I always have something to write on!
Write in my journal
This will be a much harder one for me. My mother gave me a ten year journal a few years back – she and my sister are excellent at writing in theirs but I never remember. I’m hoping this will help me take that needed few minutes each day to jot down thoughts and events in my journal.
Toss, Restore, Organize
Another tough one for me. The premise is that if I notice something that can be taken care of in a minute or less, I do it now rather than waiting for later. Also, making a conscious effort to reduce the clutter and chaos in my life by getting rid of things I don’t need, putting things away, and keeping generally organized.
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It’s not that we are “excellent” at writing in our journals, we are just driven by task lists and checking things off…it’s a disease really
Love you! (aforementioned sister)
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