Greetings!

I’ve thought a lot about how to focus my time this week. I feel like I need to get back to basics. I certainly see the need for this project for my own fulfillment. Not taking time each day to focus on something positive certainly made my life less pleasant. But I want to do it in a way that I can succeed. Not in a way that adds more stress to my days. So here’s what I’m thinking.

• Monday: create my missions for the week. Blog about my goals.
• Tuesday – Saturday: work on my missions. Goal is to spend 5-15 minutes each day focusing on me.
• Thursday: Update blog with mission progress
• Sunday: Complete my weekly mission. Update blog with mission progress.

This week I turn back to one of my inspirations for this work and focus on improving my life. The Happier podcast. I purchased the book “The Happiness Project” probably over a year ago thinking it would be an inspiring read. Who doesn’t want to be happier, right? Then set it on a shelve and never touched it. Until I got in kick in the ass. I picked it up and started reading. Honestly, I felt like some of it wasn’t very applicable. Then I got a recommendation for the Happier podcast. This, on the other hand, felt totally applicable. I devoured the first 10 podcasts, making notes about what I could apply to my own life. Some of them I’ve shared here already.

So tonight, I signed up for my first 21 day project, Getting to Know Yourself Better. Felt like the right place to start. I’ll get an email every day for the next 21 days with something to focus on to help get to know myself better. Plus, someone else will be giving me the ideas! Not that I didn’t love setting my own missions, but I’m happy to give this a try. My missions this week and for the next couple will relate to this project. Hopefully, Gretchen Rubin won’t mind me sharing them with you all 🙂

My first email had some great links about Happiness and the realistic nature of working on your own happiness

1. The Eight Splendid Truths of Happiness: All stuff that makes perfect sense about being happy. Tonight, I read it in a new light. Think about it, and how to apply it to my own thinking. Such as: You’re not happy unless you think you’re happy. The only person I can change is myself. Duh, right? But how do I actually employ these in my thinking and in my actions.
2. Paradoxes of Happiness: The sadness of a happiness project. The idea is that accepting who you are and what you can be sometimes can create sadness in knowing what can and can’t be. What you can and can’t change. What your imitations are and the limitations of those around you. And the reality of your choices.

I’m excited about the next phase (or attempt maybe?) of Life Dailies.

Here’s a cute little reminder that hangs in my desk. Given to me by a co-worker. Make one for yourself and hang it somewhere you will read it daily!