A Happiness Project

I actually bought this book (The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin) back in May of 2011, but I didn't start reading it until recently. Mainly because the book is set up so that you will read a new chapter each month. And with each chapter you get a new set of goals to work on throughout that month. So, I was planning to start reading it in January so that I could follow it throughout the year. I got off to a slow start and didn't pick it up until the last few days of January, but as it turned out I was actually following the main goals without realizing it.

On page 3 Gretchen wrote; "All these thoughts flooded through my mind, and as I sat on that crowded bus, I grasped two things: I wasn't as happy as I could be, and my life wasn't going to change unless I made it change. In that single moment, with that realization, I decided to dedicate a year to trying to be happier."

Could there be a more perfect book for me to read right now??? 

Which is good because I'm running out of ideas for new blog posts (which is one of the reasons I haven't posted in so long...sorry. But no seriously if anyone out there has any good ideas for some blog topics please send them my way because I already feel like I am running on steam here).

In the Getting Started chapter she has a list commandments to follow through out the year.

Here are mine...

1. Be Courtney

2. Learn to let it go

3. Act the way I want to feel

4. Don't procrastinate

5. Show friendliness to everyone

6. Be present

7. Move outside the comfort zone

8. Embrace the pain

9. Be grateful

10. Outer order brings Inner order

That last one was actually my main focus this month. The goals for the month of January were to; 1. Go to sleep earlier, 2. Exercise better, 3. Toss, restore, organize, 4. Tackle a nagging task, and 5. Act more energetic.


Going to sleep earlier hasn't been working out for me much and don't even ask me about my exercise program...but by finally cleaning my entire apartment and redecorating my living room, I did manage to accomplish some of the goals. 


Philosopher Samuel Johnson said; "No money is better spent that what is laid out for domestic satisfaction." 


And I couldn't agree more.


Before...

After...

I know my camera on my cell phone sucks, but trust me it looks awesome!!!

I am a firm believer that your home is your sanctuary. For years I have been coming home to a place that made me feel guilty for not having done the dishes or for having not vacuumed in 
forever. Not to mention the fact that my decorating skills mostly consisted of just putting whatever I had laying around up on my walls and calling it decorated. But now, after over 3 and a half years, I finally feel like my apartment is my home rather than just some place I happen to be living. 


But that is also one of the reasons I haven't written in so long. In order to paint 2 and a third of the walls in my apartment I had to pack up everything and move it into my bedroom for over a week. Then I had to spend time moving it all back out. 


Now, in February the focus of the chapter will be marriage and relationships, so hopefully I'll get some good conversational topics out of that. Otherwise this blog might start to get really boring really quickly!