Happiness Project–February Wrap Up!

So, I can’t believe we are already almost done with February.  I mean, it seems like it was just a week or so ago that I was beginning my Happiness Project and now I am already finished with 2 months.  Let me give a little recap on how well I did with my health resolutions for the month:

1.  Stick to the Weight Watchers program every day.  I am proud to say that I did great with this resolution!  I stuck to my daily, weekly, and activity points every day/week this month and I am currently down 12 pounds because of this!  While I definitely intended to lose weight this month, I also intended to be healthier.  I definitely feel healthier overall by making wiser food choices.  I only have 9 more pounds to lose, and I hope that I am then able to go into maintenance and keep up with the Weight Watchers lifestyle.

2.  Exercise 3 times per week.  This is another area that I did great!  I either ran or took an exercise class 3 days per week and it really helps me feel better overall. 

3.  Drink 8 glasses of water every day!  I did pretty good with this resolution, although I did miss 1 day during the month.  I accidentally fell asleep after only drinking 7 glasses, but I figure that’s not half bad…especially since I’m not a water fan AT ALL!

4.  Create a Meal Plan every week.  I also did pretty well with this!  Patrick has been a huge help with this one because he has really helped me plan meals, he has helped me cook, and he also has spent most of his Saturday nights going to the grocery store with me to load up on food.  Doing this every week helped me have many food options so I didn’t get bored with healthy eating.  However, I have to admit it got really difficult the busier I got at work.

5.  Go to bed by 11:00 every week night.  This one was a big fat fail!  I probably went to bed by 11:00 maybe half the time.  Honestly, though, I think I decided some time half way through the month that being tied down to this 11:00 pm bedtime really wasn’t contributing to my happiness.  Maybe it would any other time of year and maybe I will try again at that time.  However, I have VERY limited hours to spend time with my husband right now.  And, to be honest, he wakes up almost every single morning (even though he never has to get out of bed until I am leaving for work) and spends time catching up and talking to me while I’m getting ready…the least I can do is stay awake at night after a long day at work and spend a little bit of time with him during his favorite time of day.  THOSE are the things that bring me happiness!

6.  Get a spray tan 2 times per week.  I managed to keep up with this about once per week.  I really would have liked to do it more often than that, but I think once per week is about all I can handle right now.

The first question to address is whether I will continue to keep up with these resolutions in the coming months. The answer is that I hope to keep up with all of them except the 11:00 bedtime.  I will also probably only get a spray tan once per week.

I think the main question I have been asking myself as another month is drawing to a close is whether or not these changes in my life are increasing my happiness, and I think the answer to that is a resounding YES!  I feel more at peace, and I am better able to focus my time.  When I first started this happiness project, I was afraid that trying to keep up with all of these resolutions would take so much time that I would always feel busy and like I was never able to spend quality time with friends and family.  However, I love spending time with family and friends because I’m more present and I’m able to shut off my mind because I know I’m getting everything taken care of without the added guilt. 

Stay tuned for tomorrow when I reveal what I’ll be working on in March!