The Happiness Project 2012

I read a book titled "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin last summer. I decided it was time for me to make a change in my life for the better and become a happier, more fulfilled person. My plan at that time was to get started immediately with my own Happiness Project, setting monthly goals to work towards and lead me to a happier life. Well, here it is January 1st and I haven't started this project. I was thinking about it a few weeks ago and decided the New Year was a good time to start.

Here is what Gretchen Rubin titled the "Happiness Manifesto":
To be happy, you need to consider feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth.

One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy; One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.

The days are long, but the years are short.

You're not happy unless you think you're happy.

Your body matters.

Happiness is other people.

Think about yourself so you can forget yourself.

"It is easy to be heavy: hard to be light."—G. K. Chesterton

What's fun for other people may not be fun for you, and vice versa.

Best is good, better is best.

Outer order contributes to inner calm.

Happiness comes not from having more, not from having less, but from wanting what you have.

You can choose what you do, but you can't choose what you like to do.

"There is no duty we so much underrate as the duty of being happy." —Robert Louis Stevenson

You manage what you measure.



I have several goals set for the year by month, and I am going to update my blog with my progress as well as at the beginning of each month with my new goals.

January: Get Healthy!! ("Your body Matters")
"Fit is not a destination, it's a way of life"

My theme this month is overall health and fitness. I like to consider myself a generally healthy individual, but there is always room for improvement. My 5 'goals' this month are:

1. Cut out added sugar/sweetners/caffeine (only 1 cup/day)
Although I don't eat a ton of sweets or drink a lot of caffeinated drinks, I have definitely let things slide recently. I want to get back to feeling more energetic and get rid of the 'sugar crash.'

2. Get up and move! (Move for at least 30 mins/day)
This won't be easy with my work schedule and Hudson - but I can walk on my breaks at work and even with Hudson in the evenings so I know I can make it work! I always feel so much better on the days that I get out and move around a bit :)

3. RUN - 30 miles/month
I want to get back into running and possibly run another 1/2 marathon this spring/summer - so I am going to try running 30 miles/month - which is about 3 days/week.

4. Meal Plan and cook at home at least 3-4 days/week
I eat better when I plan and cook - so my goal this month is to get back into the habit of meal planning and cooking healthy food each week.

5. Sleep 8+ hours/night
I am always happier and in a better mood when I get a good night's sleep. Although it's not always my choice how much sleep I get I'm going to make an effort to go to bed earlier (especially on work nights!) so I start feeling more refreshed and energetic in the mornings.


I will check in next week to update my progress :)