My Happiness Project

Have you read this book - The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin? I came across it in a review and thought it sounded like something I needed to read. Yesterday. The summary is that Rubin was a regular woman who was married, had kids a job and realized she just wasn't all that happy. She set out to research and read and see if she spent a year devoting energy to being happy, she would become happier. A lot of what she wrote resonated with me. Some of it, not so much. So I took away what worked and left behind what didn't and resolved to launch my own happiness project.

Like Rubin, I've identified areas that I can explore and work on to improve my happiness. Hopefully, on the first of every month I'll update you on what my topic is and how I'm addressing it. Some of mine are stolen from her and some are my own.

Here are my 11 areas (month 12 is for putting them all together):

1. Energy
2. Put my own oxygen mask on first
3. Marriage
4. Professional Passion
5. Fun
6. Parenthood
7. Money
8. Friends
9. Conflict
10. Faith
11. Mindfulness

She also generated lists of commandments and life lessons. I liked the idea of that so here are mine:
* When someone pays you a complement, just say thank you.
*Make your bed every day.
*Don't put off a task that takes only one minute (flossing, hanging up your coat, putting clothes away at night rather than dumping them on the chair).
*Tidying up at night and preparing for the next day makes the morning oh, so much easier.
*Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.
*Allow for humanity.
* Just because you don't know what the future holds, doesn't mean things won't change.
* Identify the problem (you'll be more likely to figure out a solution).
*Don't be afraid to admit you don't know something (no one really likes a know-it-all anyway).
*My mother was right, often I am just overtired and a good night's sleep makes everything seem more manageable.
*Take time to observe and assess before attempting to make a change.
*Don't automatically assume someone is wrong just because they have a perspective that is different than yours.

So there you have it, I'll write a post about my first month's topic, Energy, shortly.