My year of happiness officially started yesterday but I’ll have to come clean and admit I haven’t really done much of anything. It always surprises me how fast time goes. Here, I had 2 weeks to put this together and couldn’t do it. Oops.
I chose “learn” for my happiness focus in September. I’d like to learn Spanish and learn how to live debt free by completing Financial Peace University.
Tuesday will be the day! I WILL start.
Today’s Happiness Project task was to think about my resolutions and decide what I want to focus on each month. Here is what I came up with so far:
| September – Learn | 1. Begin Spanish 2. Financial Peace University |
|---|---|
| October – Fitness | 1. Yoga 2. Martial Arts 3. Salsa lessons 4. Ballet |
| November – Create | 1. Knit more 2. Paint more 3. write a novel |
| December – Be a Good Friend | 1. Pedis 2. Listen more, talk less |
| January – Spirituality | 1. Religious studies |
| February – | – |
| March – | – |
| April – | – |
| May – Marriage | 1. Date nights 2. Communication 3. Give more |
| June – Fun | 1. Take a trip 2. Golf 3. Bike |
| July | – |
| August | – |
That’s all I’ve got so far…
Someone said this to me the other day. I took it as a slam, but then I was all “thanks! I will.” At that point, it was a high compliment.
I didn’t get very far today on the happiness project plan, but that’s okay. One of my for sure action items is to give myself grace and not let something like that bring me down. I’ve got plenty of time!
I did brainstorm a few areas to tackle: 1) Home 2) Finance 3) Health and 4) Marriage. I’ve also started work on my “12 commandments”
…
It’s a start anyway.
I have never heard anything about the resolutions of the apostles, but a good deal about their acts.
– Og Mandino
I can’t believe how long it’s been since I posted! It’s been a pretty interesting year. I’ve been super consistent in working out and fairly consistent in nutrition and so-so on everything else. Last September, I read a book that became pretty life changing: The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod (TMM). This year, I came across a new book with the potential for being life changing as well, and it encourages one of my favorite things, list making: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Particularly, a list of resolutions.
Coincidently, my last post here was my resolution list for 2018. My resolution lists are usually things that I feel will make me happy, so I’m going to incorporate some of that. Basically, the happiness project is making a list of resolutions that will make you happy and doing them. I pretty much have spent the last year doing this in that one of the premises of TMM is getting up early and doing the Life SAVERS with the idea that this practice will lead to well-being. I have found that pretty useful, but as the days go by, I have realized that I am using my time ineffectively. So, I am going to take what I have learned from practicing SAVERS and incorporate the concepts from the Happiness Project. And…finally, I’ll have to incorporate some of the principals from one of the other life changing books I’ve read in the last year: PUSH: 30 Days to Turbocharged Habits, a Bangin’ Body, and the Life You Deserve! by Chalene Johnson. Figure out your lifechanging goals and implement an action plan to accomplish them.
When I first saw that starting a Happiness Project group was recommended, my first thought was “heck yeah! I’m totally starting a group!” But, I’ve changed my mind. I LOVE heading groups, but I’ve got to tone those kinds of activities back to accomplish my project. So, what am I doing? I’m going to craft my project, rejuvenate this blog, and see what happens. If you are interested in your own project and want to connect, please do!
I don’t know how I’m doing this yet, but stayed tuned!
So, what’s weird is that last year I didn’t do a really long resolution list, and I actually accomplished some things! So, the conundrum … Do another super short list, or do a long list? It is fun to go back and see what I thought was a good goal vs what I actually did.
Maybe just a little longer than last year, but shorter than in previous years.
For the Mind
1) listen to 26 TED Talks
2) Read 36 books
3) work on learning Spanish
For the Body
3) complete 80 Day Obsession and then ChaLEAN Extreme
4) eat more whole foods
5) work on toning
For Fun
6) go to 6 concerts
7) ride my bike, maybe even do a few group rides
8) join golf club
For the Home
9) install hardwood flooring upstairs
10) fix microwave situation
11) hang all the pictures
Recap:
2017
For the Mind
1) read 104 books I read 200 books in 2017
For the Body
2) workout 5 hours per week I didn’t really average 5 hours a week, BUT I did get a lot more workouts in than in past years!!
For Fun
3) go to Vegas – Nope. I don’t know if I will ever get there.
For the Home
4) paint living room Did this!! Yay!!
2016 – I did complete some of these things.
For the Body
4) lose 30 pounds I lost 40 pounds in 2017. It feels awesome.
6) limit eating lunch out/happy hour to once per week I ended the year pretty strong on this one.
For the Home
14) decorate living room with paint and art and maybe new furniture if possible See, 2017. I got this half completed.
