I am not a big fan of “Resolutions”…I’d consider myself much more “Goal” oriented. It’s the athlete in me (which was in my previous life before kids!)
So, as 2011 begins, I am thankful that I read a great book called:
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.
It is an account of the year she spent testing the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture about how to be happier.
On January 1, she started her happiness project, and each month, she pursued a different set of resolutions: to get more sleep, clean my closets, quit complaining, sing in the morning to her two daughters, read Aristotle, start a blog, remember friends' birthdays, imitate a spiritual master, keep a one-sentence journal. The book The Happiness Project weaves together philosophy, scientific research, analysis, and real-life experiences as she explains what worked for her—and what didn't. (I copied this paragraph from her website): http://www.happiness-project.com
I must say, I have been inspired by the idea of creating happiness within your life through setting small goals each month and building on them. And those small goals, I might add, are realistic, “check off a list” kind of things that you probably have thought of doing all along.
Now that the realization of having 4 children has set in (our baby boy is just 7 weeks old)…It became very clear to me that I needed to get EFFICIENT with my day. The littlest of things add up to BIG jobs if you don’t stay on top of it…specifically, LAUNDRY!
So, MY Happiness Project has began with some lists of “Things to do” Daily, Weekly, and Monthly…just sitting down and thinking through what I want to do was a huge step...then checking them off my list has, well, made me happy!
But here’s the short list of what I hope to do each day:
My 365 List
-Read Bible (even just a verse)
-Begin a load of laundry as soon as I get downstairs in the morning
-Drink 64 oz of water
-Empty the ice tray (we don’t have an icemaker)
-Write 1 sentence in my “One Sentence Journal” – something that made me smile that day (an idea from the book)
-Write a note to a friend
-Do something nice for Joe
My 52 List (my weekly list- I am sure I will add things later):
-Family Fun Night
-Exercise (hopefully this happens more than once a week!)
-Cook a new Recipe
My 12 List:
Monthly, there will be a new focus or key word to think about:
January - Energize (Sleep more, exercise, organize)
February – Love
March – Lighten Up (Parenthood, Enjoy Now)
April –Make Time for Friends
May – Pursue a Passion
June – Be Serious About Play
July – Contemplate Heaven
August – Pay Attention
September – Retreat/Getaway
October – Money *my husband wishes I started the year with this one
November – Go Love (serve)
December - Review
Some of these were the same as the authors, some just for me.
Additionally, I want to read a book each month, so if you have a suggestion that coresponds to the topic of the month, let me know!
JANUARY - I am reading (again) The Purpose Driven Life
I encourage you to be proactive with starting this New Year with a few goals to bring you happiness! Maybe even consider reading the book!
Want to know how My Happiness Project is going? Visit my blog every once in a while.
Happy 2011! May it be full of many blessings and much happiness for you!
Joe, Megan, Joey, Morgan, Jameson and Baby Jackson!
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