In my last post, I talked about how happiness is a journey, and how although trying to improve your life is a worthy goal, we also need to step back from always focusing on the how things will be “better” in the future and focus on how good we’ve got them now.
Since then, I’ve been thinking about concrete ways that I can do that more in my life. Rather than having an official New Year’s resolution this year, I’m going to try to work these activities and mindsets more into my day to day life. I’ve decided to call this my “happiness list.”
My happiness list
- Take a few minutes every morning when I first wake up to think about the things I have to look forward to.
- Hug and kiss The Hubby: when I wake up, when I leave for work, when I get home, at bed time.
- Take a few minutes before going to sleep to think about the good things that happened that day.
- Focus on tending to my own grass instead of worrying about how other people’s lawns look.
- Give myself more time to get things done so I don’t feel stressed and rushed. Wake up 15 minutes earlier; start getting ready to leave sooner than I think I need to.
- Read more books…and really get lost in them!
- Appreciate the way the weather changes each day and no two days are the same. (Even if the weather is snowy and slushy and icky.)
- Counter every negative thought with a positive one.
- Thank The Hubby more for what he does and criticize him less for the things he doesn’t do. (I’m kind of a neat freak and I know I can nag him about that, but he’s a great hubby and deserves me to acknowledge that.)
- Try to live more like my dogs do.
- Let go of worrying about things that haven’t happened yet, might not ever happen, or that I have no control over the outcome of.
What would be on your happiness list?
~Heart,
Em
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photo credit: Tony Fischer Photography
I LOVE this! Best New Year’s post I’ve read so far 🙂 Over Christmas break, I’ve really refreshed my perspective in terms of realizing how blessed I am, and how to appreciate what I do have instead of what I’m missing! My ‘goals’ were right along the list of yours, stop and smell the roses, take a little time every day to catch my breath, and appreciate the blessings I already have!
Aw, thanks, Sara! I have a feeling 2013 is going to be a more relaxing, grateful, and BEAUTIFUL year for many of us! Here’s to the journey!
My happiness list for this year includes additional sources of income (preferably a passive one), new business venture with my daughter, earn more but work less, improve my mini-herb garden, do more craft projects with my children, and write more blog posts.
All fantastic goals! Best of luck with them!
Best New Year’s post I’ve seen so far! I’m currently working on a “life list”. Good luck with all of your wonderful goals!
Thanks, Janine! Can’t wait to see yours!
hahaha, love the “live more like the dogs do”. They definetely know how to relax and only do the fun stuff in life!
Do they ever! If I could learn to live like my dogs, my life would be compete!
Thanks for turning me on to The Happiness Project! Now I’m reading the sequel and I just convinced my book club to read a happiness-related book (The Geography of Bliss). It’s really helped me focus on the positive and reframe some potentially stressful events. Just thinking about being happy makes me feel happy!
I’m so glad to have gotten you into it! It’s one of my absolute faves. It always makes me realize that my happiness is in my control and that life is what you make of it.
I’ll have to check out Geography of Bliss next!