2015 Happiness Project

Wayyyyy back in May of last year I bought The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and then sometime in December I decided to pick it up and actually read it. And boy am I glad I did.

I decided that the timing was perfect and I would start my own Happiness Project. I basically jumped in and winged it because I hadn't even finished half the book yet. I did finish it yesterday though! Highly recommend.

So, my Happiness Project. Here is the thing- I like to think of myself as happy. Mental illness aside (anxiety and depression, you nasty bitches) I am a grateful, happy, comfortable person. But when I really examine things I realize I am very uneasy a lot of the time and there are so many things I want and need to change.

Here is how my Happiness Project will work- Every month will be a new category to focus on and within that category I will have several resolutions to focus on. Each month will carry on into the next month so I'll be focusing on a new category while trying to also include all previous ones.

For example- The month of January is Body Love. I'll be focusing on health and being appreciative of my body. With my infertility struggles the past 18 months I have been hard on myself and my body. I have been angry at it, resentful of it for not working, bitter about my empty uterus and the limbo of babylessness that I find myself in. It was important to me to start off this new year by focusing on loving my body and caring for it.

My resolutions for January-

1. Say 'I love you' to yourself.
2. Eat a rainbow of a diet. Eat more green stuff.
3. Keep drinking water.
4. Move.
5. Go to sleep earlier.
6. Take time for myself.

How I'm keeping up with my monthly resolutions-

I'm a gold star kind of girl. I like my praise. I am also a visual, list making, chart loving girl. So my perfect resolution solution was- ALL THE CHARTS! I am keeping up with my resolutions by having a monthly chart taped on my wall with each resolution and a space for each day and at the end of the day I check off what I feel was a success.

I also have an exercise chart with monthly goals at the top. This month's goals- stick to 1 challenge for the entire month (my challenge being daily squats, gradually adding to the number of squats every few days) and moving at least 15 minutes a day. When I do these things, I get to add a sticker! It is actually really satisfying and motivating to add those stickers.

This will be how I handle each month because so far it is working for me. It's simple, easy, a constant visual reminder of what I'm trying to achieve. I feel really successful so far. I am definitely failing at going to sleep earlier but I am experiencing a big energy boost from eating lots of greenery and exercising.

I plan to make an end of the month How Did This  Month Go/What's In Store For Next Month post every month to keep up with it all and hold myself accountable.

I really can't say enough how excited I am for this! It's new and fun and I love the idea of having month by month resolutions. I really recommend the book and the whole idea in general.