31 Days to a Happier Life - Day 6

I am so happy I have nearly finished my closet makeover project. This has been a HUGE project for me, with lots of challenges along the way, and I'm so proud of myself for working out good solutions and making it all come together into a beautifully finished product. What a stress relief this will be to have it all put back and tidied up.

Stress and worry are terrible things. The bible tells us not to worry, that worry cheats us of today. We need to focus more on our worship of God instead of wasting our time and energy worrying about things that are out of our control. Faith is all encompassing - we must allow Him to control our life, and not let worry control our life.

Of course this is a very difficult things to do, but one worth practicing each day. When I get all panicked and anxiety creeps in it usually manifests itself in other areas of my life, like becoming frustrated with my kids, or getting mad at my husband, or having self-doubt. The first thing I usually do is blame someone else (for anything!).

I was talking to a friend recently, and something she said really stuck with me - "We are so quick to blame others for things that are in our control."

We really need to focus on the problem, find a solution and get on with it. Instead we waste energy worrying, getting mad, blaming others, being frustrated. I always tell my kids, when they are getting frustrated with a project, or mad at each other, to sit out and calm down; to take a big breathe in and then blow all that bad air out; to "Stop, Think and Do The Right Thing". Now what I really need to do is tell myself this each time I become frustrated or mad.

So, today let's concentrate on getting things done, being happy, and spending less time worrying.

31 Days to a Happier Life - Day 5

Day 5 finds me tired and worn out from a week of projects and two sick kids. But I am really looking forward to finishing my closet project and spending a relatively low-key weekend at home with my two sweet girls.

I am so incredibly blessed to have two beautiful girls and try hard everyday to show them how much I love them and how thankful I am that they are in my life. Losing our first baby has shown us that life is never to be taken for granted, and having these two healthy sweet girls in our life is truly a blessing from God.

So today, here on my 31 Days of Happiness journey, is all about living the dream, enjoying the everyday things, and realizing that this life is a precious thing worth rejoicing in.

May you have a blessed day today :)

Video - very inspiring - and funny too!

31 Days to a Happier Life - Day 4

I'm kinda impressed that I have make it to Day 4 (a little late, but I made it none-the-less)! Woot!! Okay, a little bit premature, I guess, for any celebration. Or not!!

By celebrating small victories we boost our confidence to be able to tackle the bigger challenges.

I have finally finished painting my closet. My hands are barely functioning. My back is permanently bent. I'm so tired (I also have two sick kids, and an anxiety-ridden husband, but that's all for a different post) but I did it! And it looks AWESOME!

Next up is the floor, then the dreaded clothing declutter, aka dump, aka less stuff more quality, aka get-it-out-of-the-bedroom!! I am not good at decluttering my closet - too sentimental. I'm okay at getting rid of the items I don't wear, outdated stuff, etc, but then my closet is full of sentimental items that I never wear but cannot get rid of! And I still have nothing to wear!!! So I need a better solution - a smarter storage answer for this dilemma. I also want more room in my closet so it doesn't look like I have crammed everything-and-my-grandma in there. I want it where you can go in there and breathe and relax AND find something to wear. Sounds doable, right? It.is.just.a.closet. OK :) I can breathe now.

Closet Makeover Before and After

So when I am in the middle of a project like this everything else pretty much flies out the proverbial mind window. I'm so lucky I remembered to put something out for dinner this morning, otherwise it would have been toast for us. And by toast, I mean actual toast! So how can I control my head, my days, my house and my life? With LISTS!

We have already established our long-term and short-term goal lists, now we need to implement them and all our everyday chores into a Daily Goal List. At the beginning of the week print out 5, or 7 pages and keep them all together. Each night you will write out your list for the next day - listing three daily goals - the main important things you need to accomplish that next day. Get a clipboard, hang it up where it is easy to see and access. Refer to it all day, everyday.

Being organized and not missing anything makes me happy!

P.S. I'm going to try to figure out a good program to use to do a Daily Goal Schedule printable - this may take me awhile!! Or I may just freehand it and scan it in...mmmm...stay tuned :)

 
Solutions - great tips for closet storage solutions.

Art - I'm so excited - I ordered this beautiful print for my closet.

Goal Chart - found this lovely goal chart/daily planner - worth starting with until I figure out my perfect solution.

31 Days to a Happier Life - Day 3

31 Days to a Happier Life is already having an impact on me!

Yesterday I wrote about goal setting and how it is helpful to have a series of plans or goals to work towards, whether it be short-term goals or long-term goals. Having a direction to travel in is like having a map for our life. Without one, we aimlessly move through life's obstacles never achieving our full potential.

 (JunkArtGypsyz - Etsy)

One way to start your goal-list is to look at areas of your environment or your life and identify things that bug you, or things that need improvement. Some things may be beyond our control, but I bet there are a million little things that can be changed, that would make a huge impact on your daily existence.

Some time ago I found a little social study called Tiny Habits by Dr BJ Fogg. My husband actually saw Dr BJ Fogg talk at SXSW in Austin, thought what he said was awesome, and mentioned it to me as something I might like to look into further. Basically, you sign up and follow his plan to achieve 3 goals by making them a daily habit. Each habit needs a trigger in order for you to remember to do it. For example, one of the habits I picked (I joined up for one week - the duration of one course) was to open my blinds in the morning. I picked this because it is something I normally forget to do, then lament the fact by about lunch time, wishing I had opened them earlier to let in the beautiful sunlight. My trigger to do this habit is letting our puppy out for potty first thing in the morning. So, when I get up in the morning, I let the puppy out, and while she is out I open my blinds. Done! And that makes me happy. One tiny habit is now implanted into my daily routine, and is one that has increased my happy factor. It is definitely worth checking out - Tiny Habits.

I also think that little things can tend to annoy us in more unconscious ways, showing up as anger or frustration on other areas of our life. The perfect example of this is from Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

The dripping tap is a consistent annoyance in the background, which makes it harder to pinpoint (because sometimes the everyday things are harder to see). However, it comes out in other areas (like yelling at our kids). Find these everyday annoyances and fix them! See how you life improves, how your mood becomes lighter, and how problems are more manageable.

One of my annoyances has been my closet. Actually, it both mine and my husband's closets that annoy me. The door to his closet fell off one day (while I was home alone, and it it one of those really heavy mirror doors - one screw "fell" out so I had to hold the door whilst trying to get the other screw out, and then move it out into the garage - VERY annoying!). But, back to my closet - it has always looked so unfinished and old. So with a lovely evening where both bathrooms in our house flooded from a block in our sewer line (oh the fun we had that night!!) it was the perfect excuse to fix my closet (which also flooded - yep, you're jealous. I know!! LOL!). But instead of prolonging the pain, and over-thinking the remodel, yesterday I just got in there and did it. Carpet up - check, closet cleared out - check, new trim up - check, caulking done - check, painting started (first coat) - done! I FEEL SO AWESOME!! So happy with how it looks, but most importantly, SO happy with my progress and effort. I actually got off my bum and fixed something that was bugging me. 

Now this will help bigger goals, like doing the laundry, being more organized, spending less time cleaning and more time with the kids/crafting/reading/etc. I will have a beautiful organized space that is easy to keep clean. Why? Because I know I have put the effort into making it prettier, therefore, making it a space I will like, and want to keep tidy, so it will continue to be pretty. (I have done this with my laundry room - and it works! I love my laundry room now.)

So today, in summary, is all about goal setting and how to achieve them - check out Tiny Habits, think about those little pesky things that annoy you (that may be just a really easy fix), and start to think about things you can do on a daily basis that will become a habit, making your life more enjoyable.

Now, I must get back to finishing off that closet - I will post pics soon :)


Links for closet organization and pretty inspiration:

Organization - Check out Edie's blog LifeinGrace for awesome closet organization tips

Pretty Inspiration - have a look at my pinterest board for lots of lovely inspiration.

Art - decorate your newly organized space with beautiful Art via Etsy.

31 Days to a Happier Life - Day 1

Well here goes my first attempt at writing a 31 Days Series -  31 Days to a Happier Life.

This is a series that started over at The Nesting Place, and is now a staple on many wonderful blogs throughout the month of October. Per The Nester's Blog post - "31 Days is an online writing challenge where we all link up on day one and then write about a topic of our choice every day in October."

I think this will be good writing practice for me, but more importantly, an establishment of a real plan to being happier, a focus study on what makes me happier, and key pointers on how to implement it permanently into my life.

 

Me and my girls.

What is Happiness?

hap·pi·ness

ˈhapēnis/

noun

noun: happiness; plural noun: happinesses

1.

the state of being happy.

"she struggled to find happiness in her life"

synonyms:

pleasure, contentment, satisfaction, cheerfulness, merriment, gaiety, joy, joyfulness, joviality, jollity, glee, delight, good spirits, lightheartedness, well-being, enjoyment;

“HAPPINESS is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort” – Franklin D. Roosevelt



This Emotional Life on PBS has a really interesting study on happiness - I really like this list they came up with for some emotions attached to happiness. I think this will be a good list to work with as we progress through the next 31 days:

Some of the positive emotions that psychologists are studying:

• Gratitude
• Serenity
• Joy
• Interest
• Hope
• Pride
• Amusement
• Inspiration
• Awe
• Love

Here is a cute video from Coca Cola - Coca-Cola Happiness Truck Philippines.  I love seeing people being happy!

Am I happy?

Well, overall yes, and no. There are definitely areas of my life that need improvement, and areas where I have made progress and am currently happy. But I think I do need a good boost in the general happiness factor. And striving for more happiness is never a bad thing, right?! I tend to think that if I am happier the people around me might be happier as a result. If I'm less stressful, more attentive and loving, I know my family would really appreciate that, and in turn be happier, more loving, and less stressful. At least it is worth a shot!

The funniest horse pic ever! From Little One's birthday party.

What makes me happy?

Here is where the process starts. Write a list of all the things that make you happy. Big or small. Daily things or once a year things. Physical, material, emotional, spiritual, superficial. It doesn't matter, just make a list.

I will also share any links, videos, etc I find along the way that may help define happiness, or pinpoint how to be happier.

So...here is the start of my list (maybe this will be something we can add to each day):

• Reading
• Art
• Crafts
• Antiquing
• My Family 
• Hearing my kids laugh
• Coffee
• Chocolate
• Sharing
• Opening my blinds in the morning to let the sunlight in
• Light
• Clean House
• Organization
• Good Friends
• Learning new things
• Yoga
• Exercising
• Quiet moments
• Comfy bed
• Sunsets
• Snuggling with my girls
• Laughing
• Listening to music
• Pinterest 
• Projects that get done :)
• Dreaming
• Stars
• Fireworks
• Space (physical)
• Space (mental)
• My time with God (devotionals, prayer time, quiet listening)

Okay, that is at least a start. As we progress through I'm sure I will add more little things to this list, because I think happiness can be found in those little moments, as well as in the big moments too. I don't think it is really possible to be 100% happy all the time, but I think it is important to find out what makes you happy so, when you need it, you will have a list available to reference for those times when a mood hits and trying to get out of that funk is hard. Having a list of little things helps as a step up out of the funk and into the sunlight of happiness.


I LOVE this video about The Science of Happiness - An Experiment in Gratitude - this really started me thinking about my own happiness and gave me the idea behind this 31 Day Series (even though it is rather funny that this video made me bawl my eyes out!!).




So where to from here? 

• Happiness List - I'm going to write my list out and post it onto my bulletin board so it is easier for me to add to as I think about things that make me happy. Focus on the good things that you currently have in your life, not things that would make you happy that you don't have - they may lead to frustration this early on. We are not at the change stage, just the focus stage and figuring out stage of our happiness journey. 

• Goal Settings - next up will be goal setting and how that will be important in order to implement our happy list back into our lives (or into our lives more intentionally). 

The beach (in Australia - my home country).

I am really looking forward to writing this 31 Days Series about Happiness and hope you will be inspired along the way. If you have any suggestions or feedback or comments please feel free to leave me a comment - I would love to hear from you :)

My sweet sister.

“THOUSANDS of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared” – Buddha