My Happiness Project

I have learned a lot from Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, but something that has truly made an impact on my life recently is,

"What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while."

How simple and true!  Going for a 10-minute run every day is more beneficial than running 10 miles once a month.  Showing up on time for work every day is better than showing up an hour early once a week.  I am working to implement this truth into my everyday life, and I have been focusing on creating my very own happiness project.

Usually, we make a giant list of resolutions on New Year's Day to lose weight, spend more time with family, go on vacation, get out of debt, get a promotion, volunteer more, run a marathon, etc, etc etc, and we get overwhelmed by January 4th so we give up.  Does that sound familiar?

The Happiness Project takes a different approach.  The gist of the happiness project is breaking goals down into more attainable, tangible, achievable tasks.  I am going to be focusing on one area of my life each month and creating a short list of resolutions to keep to go with it.  For example, I am focusing on energy in January.  We joined a gym and started cleaning out our closets.  In March, I plan to focus on health and get a physical and checkups at the dermatologist and dentist.  I have printed out resolutions charts to help me keep track of my progress filled with checkmarks for good days and X's for not-so-great days. 

I have also created 12 Personal Commandments to follow.  My personal commandments are unique rules just for me.  For example, Rule #9 is "Something is better than nothing."  There are so many situations when I want to do a giant kind gesture, but I get overwhelmed so I end up doing nothing.  Sending a card just to let someone know you're thinking of them is better than the good but failed intentions of cooking them a five-course dinner.

It's never a bad time to start your own happiness project!  Follow this link: https://gretchenrubin.com/resources/  so you can download lots of helpful printouts, order Gretchen Rubin's books, listen to her podcast, follow her on social media, or download her app.  She gives practical, helpful tips on how to be happier and more productive, and maybe, just maybe, it can make your life just a little bit happier.

Below is my happiness project along with my list of personal commandments in case you are interested.