Happiness Project-Work!

This is a very difficult time for many CPAs workwise.  We have just come off of a very busy time and quite frankly, it’s sometimes very hard to get back in the swing of things when you virtually have 5 months before another big deadline.  That’s why I decided this month would be a great one to work on my work guilt.  Here are a few of the changes I plan to make this month:

1.  Wake up every morning at 6:15.  I have a terrible time getting myself out of bed in the morning…in fact, that is 100% of the reason that I am never on time to work.  SO, every work day this month, I plan to get out of bed at 6:15…this should give me more than enough time to get to work by 8:00.

2.  Spend only 15 minutes in the morning getting ready for the day.  For some reason, I always have a hard time getting going in the morning…mainly because of the normal distractions of getting coffee, eating breakfast, and checking e-mail and voicemail.  This month, I resolve to spend only 15 minutes first thing in the morning “getting going.”  After that, it’s time to pick up the first project and get started.

3.  Use the 50/10 rule.  One of my biggest problems is distractions such as e-mail and phone calls coming in.  This month, I resolve to try to stick to the 50/10 rule.  Spend 50 minutes focused on one specific activity.  Then, spend 10 minutes dealing with any tasks that came up during those 50 minutes that could have been distractions.  After that, it’s back to 50 minutes of focus. 

4.  Make a To Do List for the next day before I leave the office at night.  Another issue I always have with getting my day started is not having a clear project in mind to work on when I walk in the door.  My resolution is to take 10 minutes to make a to do list for the next day before I ever leave the office at night.

Here’s to hoping this holds me accountable. 

Happiness Project–March/April Wrap Up!

So, apparently, I’ve had in my head all week that today was the last week of April…not yesterday…SO, this update is a day late.  That’s very fitting seeing as how March and April weren’t the greatest months for me Happiness wise.  I don’t mean that I wasn’t happy because I was…I just mean that I had a very hard time keeping up with the project.  March and early April are pretty self explanatory as to why, but the last half of April I was just plain unmotivated.  I didn’t fail completely, and I still feel very strongly about working on my spirituality.  Let’s review, shall we?

1.  Treat others how I want to be treated.  I think this is one that’s so hard to measure that I don’t know if I will ever feel that I “win” at this one.  I will say that I think much more about what I say, and I try more than I used to treat others how I want to be treated.  However, sometimes I’m sure I still stick my foot in my mouth.

2.  Go to church 2 times during the month.  Well, I made it once…on Easter.  I know, this is pathetic.  I really hope this is something I can do more often during the summer months!

3.  Read The Upper Room devotional every day.  I did this about half of the time.  I think I just had a hard time remembering it every day.  I really enjoyed it most days, so I also intend to keep this going. 

Clearly, I still have a lot of work to do…here’s to next month, right?  Stay tuned tomorrow for the May Happiness Project goals!

Happiness Project Update!

I have a confession to make…I failed miserably at the March Happiness Project.  I was doing great the first half of the month, but then the stress of life got in the way and I let it all slide.  I made a decision when April rolled around that instead on having a focus for April I was just going to take a break until April 15th and then spend the rest of the month “regrouping” and getting back into the swing of all 3 months of resolutions. 

I didn’t completely give up on this project during this stressful time, which makes me proud.  I think one of my most “unhappy” aspects about myself is that when the going gets tough, I usually give myself permission to give up on anything “extra” like eating healthy, working out, or making an extra effort to treat people how I would want to be treated.  Yes, there were many aspects of my Happiness Project that did suffer…for instance, this blog!  But I hope I am learning that sometimes life is difficult and sometimes it’s hard to give everything 100%.  Sometimes you have to give one area of your life 110%, so that leaves very little time for anything else.  In these times, it’s important to reevaluate and see what REALLY matters…sure things may have to slide temporarily, but once the storm passes it’s much easier to get back on track if you still try to stay strong on the stuff that’s especially important.

I’m out until Monday, as my beau and I are heading to Charleston this afternoon!  Have a great week and weekend friends!

Happiness Project–Attitude/Spirituality

Let’s be honest…I try to think of myself as a very positive person.  However, if I’m really being honest with myself, I’m not really very positive at all.  I’m quick to become annoyed when things don’t go my way, or people don’t treat me the way I think they should treat me.  However, I don’t always treat people the way I want them to treat me.  I’m also quick to take my frustrations out on the wrong person (usually either Patrick or my mom) and I need to just remember in situations like this that my attitude could change everything, and make it all better! 

As for my spirituality, I really believe I can always improve my relationship with God.  I have to admit that despite being raised in church my WHOLE life, I have not attended nearly often enough since I've lived in Nashville.  With Patrick and I considering the possibility of starting a family eventually, I know that I want to be the great Christian example for them that my parents were for me. 

I decided there is not better time than during my busiest month at work to really work on my attitude and spirituality.  This month is going to be more about quality rather than quantity…meaning, I don’t have MANY resolutions.  However, I really hope to take seriously the following resolutions:

1.  Try to treat others how I want to be treated.  During the entire month, I’m going to make a conscious effort to ask myself in ALL situations (whether it be a simple conversation at work, or time spent with a good friend) how I would want to be treated.  I am of the opinion that the best way to show God’s love is through kindness to ALL people, and this month, I’m going to at least make an effort to be more Christ-like in this regard.  This will be hard to measure, but maybe I can do something that will help remind me! 

2.  Go to church 2 times during the month.  I know this doesn’t seem like a lot to some of you.  However, with work consuming a lot of my time, and considering it’s very likely that I will have to work AT LEAST 1 Sunday during the month, I think 2 times is a pretty good goal…it’s definitely more than I went to church last March.  =) And anything’s an improvement, right?

3.  Read The Upper Room devotional every day.  The Upper Room is a devotional that is published by the United Methodist Church.  My mom has read this devotional for as long as I can remember, and earlier this year, she got Patrick and me a subscription, so now we get one bi-monthly.  I’ve really wanted to start a daily devotional and I figured why not start with one that I already have at my house. 

So that’s my plan!  Everyone say a prayer that I can be observant this month of God and the way He would want me to treat those people around me!

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!

Happiness Project–Health

For February, I decided to focus on my health for my happiness project.  I had stated last month in this post that the main focus of my Happiness Project throughout the year was to decrease my guilt.  THIS is one area that the guilt aspect really hits me hard.  I have a tendency to constantly do what feels good NOW…not what will feel good over the long term.  If I am craving unhealthy food, I eat it; if I am enjoying a book or a movie or a TV show, I stay up way too late; if I am enjoying spending time with Patrick and Zoey, I decide to forgo my workout.  However, if I could just train myself to delay my happiness at times, I honestly believe I would feel so much better in the long run!  SO, with that being said, here is my list of “resolutions” for this month:

1.  Stick to the Weight Watchers program every day.  I’ll just be honest…I gained some weight after the wedding…I gained A LOT of weight after the wedding…I don’t want to weigh more than I weighed when I got married; quite frankly, I want to have enough respect for my relationship with my husband that I take better care of myself than that.  SO, I am officially back on Weight Watchers…again!  However, I honestly believe that this is the best way to lose weight in a healthy way that I can stick to, and every day this month, I want to stick to eating only my daily points, weekly points, and activity points. 

2.  Exercise 3 times per week.  After I ran the half marathon in November, I was burnt out!  I have never LOVED running for exercise, just running in races…so, I have decided to take a break from running.  However, that officially turned into not doing anything!  So, I’m determined to get back into exercise of some point.  I know I really need to exercise more than 3 times per week, but I feel this is a great place to start, especially since my work schedule is going to be so hectic.  Patrick and I have been planning to join the YMCA, so hopefully, I can check out exercise classes, ride my new bike I got for Christmas, or go to the Zumba classes that are being held at the office!  I WILL exercise more this month!

3.  Drink 8 glasses of water every day!  I love diet sodas!  I also love caffeine.  I do not enjoy water.  However, not only is it a great tool to help in losing weight, it’s also a great way to be healthy.

4.  Create a Meal Plan every week. I’ve found that sometimes when eating healthy, I get bored with food.  I get so tired of eating turkey sandwiches, grilled chicken with broccoli, and salad.  However, I’ve found that if I spend some time making a plan for the week, I can find some great recipes that are really tasty and not so boring.

5.  Go to bed by 11:00 every week night.  With the long hours I am about to begin working, this will become really difficult.  However, it will be more necessary than ever on my health and stress level to get a good night’s sleep.

6.  Get a spray tan 2 times per week.  Okay, I know this is very shallow of me, but I just feel better, if I feel like I have some color to my skin.  I know it’s fake, but somehow it tricks my brain into thinking it’s not so dark and dreary outside.

Well, stay tuned.  I’ll be back at the end of the month to tell you how I did this month!

Happiness Project–January Wrap-Up!

Well, it looks like I made it through month 1 of my Happiness Project.  If you are confused reading this post, you can check out what I’m doing here!  January’s focus was on the blog and I have to say that I have REALLY enjoyed getting back into blogging!  This is one of my favorite hobbies and taking some time to post each day has really made me feel more content.  Here’s a little review on how I did with my “Resolutions”:

1.  Blog every work day.  Done!  I am happy to report that I kept this resolution every single day!  This is actually the first time in my entire blogging life that I have done this and I have to say it really helped me feel accomplished and less guilty.  I know, I know, I shouldn’t feel guilt over a hobby, but I think that’s just part of my personality.  I had to learn when I started this project that I can’t have as many hobbies as I’ve had in the past.  Instead, I need to focus on the hobbies that truly increase my “happiness” and focus on giving those my best. 

2.  Comment on at least 2 blogs per day.  I completed this resolution every day except 1, and quite frankly, I simply forgot.  I commented on 1 blog early in the day and then didn’t even think about it again until the next morning when I realized I hadn’t followed through with another comment.  I think that’s still a pretty good track record, if you ask me!

3.  Have my blogs posts published by noon everyday.  This is the one area that I could have really done better.  I missed 3 days of posting before noon, and that was usually because I was just too tired to schedule a post one night and therefore, just waited until I got home from work to post.  I think I need to work on trying to schedule posts on the weekend!

4.  Proofread every post for grammatical errors.  Done!  I double checked every post before hitting the “Publish” button.  Now, will I say that every single post made it without a single error?  No way!  However, I did do my best and that’s all I ever expected of myself!

So, I guess the next question I have to ask myself is where do I go from here?  Next month, do I keep all of these resolutions and then add more to my list for the February focus?  I think that’s the idea, but with my work schedule, I’m just not sure it’s realistic.  SO, I have decided that items 2, 3, and 4 above I’m going to try to continue.  THEN, until April 15, I’m going to focus on blogging 3 work days a week instead of 5.  I think this will allow me to still feel connected to the blog community without creating as much of a time commitment!

Stay tuned tomorrow where I reveal next month’s Happiness Project area of focus!

My Happiness Project

I’m sure by now you’ve all heard about The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, right?  If you haven’t, please check it out immediately.  I first heard about it from Natasha’s blog and was intrigued enough to check it out.  I am currently about half way through the book and I’m really enjoying it. 

As I was reading the first few chapters, I really started thinking about my happiness and where I am on the spectrum.  I (like Rubin) believe I am very happy…however, I think there are many steps I can take to make my life better and make myself and the people around me MORE happy!  While I don’t believe I have the time or the energy, for that matter, to devote my ENTIRE 2013 to such a task, I do believe I can focus on one small area of my life that I’d like to “work” on each month.  AND, what better place to document my Happiness Project than right here on this blog. 

In thinking about what brings me happiness (or unhappiness, rather), one word came to mind:  GUILT!  I hate that word and I have to say that I think every area of my life that “needs work” is strictly 100% because of my guilt.  Therefore, I think the entire focus of 2013 will be to work on taking steps to keep myself from feeling so guilty in all areas of life.  For example, I feel guilty when I arrive to work late, I feel guilty when I don’t workout, I feel guilty when I don’t take Zoey on long enough walks, I feel guilty when I snap at Patrick, when he VERY RARELY snaps at me.  This year, I’m going to work on these things…one area of life at a time.

So, you’re probably wondering, where am I beginning?  Well, you’re looking at it.  January is going to be focused on Blogging.  At first I was going to include blogging in the “Me Time” month, but then I decided that it used to be a very large part of my life.  I used to write with much greater regularity, and lately, it seems that it’s one of the first things I let go when life gets too hectic.  Hence, the guilt I feel for not allowing myself the time to commit to one of my favorite hobbies.  Therefore, this month will be focused on blogging.  Without further ado, here are my January Blogging Resolutions:

1. Blog every work day. This may require me to blog on Sundays some weeks and schedule posts in advance, and it may require me to get up early before work some mornings, but I want to aim at blogging every day that I go to work.
2. Comment on at least 2 blogs per day.  I love when people comment on my blog.  It seriously gives me a little bit of sunshine in my day.  So, I’m going to aim at commenting on 2 blogs per day.  I know to many of you, this doesn’t seem like a lot…for me though, it’s huge.  You have now idea how often I read a blog link during my lunch break and think “Oh, my, that outfit is soooo cute.”  However, because I am usually in a hurry to get back to work, or to move on to the next blog, I never take the time to actually tell the blogger.
3. Have my blogs posts published by noon everyday. Again, this may require me to get up early, but HOPEFULLY, I can keep this up!
4. Proofread every post for grammatical errors.  I know this isn’t a big deal, but nothing irritates me more than looking at a post I just “published” and see a big spelling error.  All it takes is a little bit of time to make sure every post is somewhat professional.

Well, there you have it!  My January Happiness Project!  Stayed tuned to see how it all works out…at least for this month.  Happy Monday friends!