Mid-point Check In

So I'm halfway through my project and I've decided since I haven't totally been consistent in keeping up my project, I would evaluate each of my resolutions up to this point:

1.) Work Out Better--Although I haven't had time to work out every day, I've still managed to be consistently active, even if I just walk to run errands. I'm proud that I've been able to keep this one up somewhat.

2.)Sleep More--I've been epic failing this one so I've decided to start a sleep challenge through Sparkpeople which hopefully will help.

3.)Look and the positive in every task & 4.) only have happy facebook statuses--epic fail on both of these parts, but understandable considering the amount of doctor's appointments and issues I've been having this month.

4.) Read more often--one word: school

I defintiely need to step it up for these last few weeks and it's what I intend to do, starting tomorrow.

Week Three

So I've definitely been neglecting my project, however, I'm totally justified as I've been busy with work/school/life and I've recently been dealing with health issues and preoccupy a lot of my time. I suppose I'm not really cut out for this kind of project but I'm going to try and keep going with it. 

I have to get surgery soon which is going to make some of my resolutions much much harder to keep. However, having this project as a distraction is definitely a positive thing. 

I've also been unable to sleep well in my new home, but hopefully now that I've cleaned and finished unpacking (ish) and decorated, it'll be a much less stressful environment.

Here's to attempting to keep up week 3!

Bad news comes in threes...

..or so I like to believe.

These past three days have been absolutely awful, but I guess because I believe bad things come in threes, something good will happen soon right?

At least I'm trying to see the positive.

Welcome to Atlantis...

Sometimes it feels like you're always miles away from where you want to be...

...and sometimes you feel like you've finally made it.

These past two days have definitely been of the former variety. And I have no idea why, which is driving me crazy. It's also making me realize that this project is going to be a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. Which has made me come up with my second rule for this project (I really have to get on coming up with the rest). But anyway, this second rule is as follows:

Whenever I'm in an irreversibly bad mood for no apart reason, try the following steps:

1.) Come up with ten positive things about the day.

2.) Go workout.

3.) Call a Friend.

4.) Have a low key night and watch a movie.

I probably should come up with more things to try, but I'm not really in the mood and I'm extremely tired because I've been epic failing at the Sleep More Resolution and I have a CT Scan in the morning. So for now I'm going to watch tv and then go to bed.

ps: this is not my picture, but fitting nonetheless.

Sometime you just have bad days.

When I read The Happiness Project (which I finally finished today), Gretchen Rubin specifically says that she isn't saying that this project will work for everyone (especially people with depression). However, it's an admirable goal, nonetheless and I intend to keep trying. 

By any normal circumstances, today would have been a good day. I woke up at about nine, bought myself breakfast, got a massage, bought myself some new stationary, went grocery shopping, hung out with my lovely housemates and a few added guests, went to work, got a ride home from a co-worker and I'm now lying in bed in my lovely new room watching tv and trying to fall asleep.

However, I was in a really bad mood earlier today. I have no idea why, but I spent my morning stuck in the past and felt like I was going to cry for hours (I never did). And when my friend Carrie called me (who I've known for ages and I love), I was really distant and finally had to just get off the phone.

Today has taught me something that I'm going to add to my list of commandments/rules to follow for this project:

Sometimes you'll have bad days. It doesn't mean it isn't working or that something bad is happening, but emotions aren't just based on will power and it's how you face your bad mood that matters.

Instead of hiding in my room and hating the world and listening to depressing music, I took a few minutes to relax and then I went and joined my housemates out by our kiddie pool and sat in the sun and tried to keep a positive attitude. It didn't work all the way, I was still in a bad mood and I still feel a bit sad now, but forcing myself to spend time with others made me infinitely happier than being by myself would have.

I choose this picture for today because it represents the fact that the shadows are always there, and it reminds me that I can acknowledge that and still spend time helping myself become happier.

Also, I've determined the perfect song for today is Another Day from the musical Rent. But only this verse:

The heart may freeze,

Or it can burn.

The pain will ease

If I can learn

There is no future

There is no past

I live this moment

As my last.

This is definitely something I need to work on. Overall, one of my main goals is that I need to break free of my tendency to ruminate on the past whenever I am reminded of someone or something that is no longer a part of my life. I'm not sure how to avoid this attachment to thoughts and memories that make me sad, but it's something I'm definitely going to start working on.

Sunsets

Sometimes just looking at a picture makes me happier. This one was taken in New Zealand last January :-). 

Although I was really busy today (I managed to unpack about 75% of my new room), I still made time to work out (I swam this morning). I didn't sleep as much as I should have, but it has always taken me about a week to adjust to a new sleeping situation. I didn't get a chance to read today, but I did take some time to watch tv with one of my new housemates, truly worth the time.

Tomorrow I'm getting a massage as my reward for sticking to my diet thus far (which I really haven't, but I've also been getting good grades lately). But I do have to work until midnight, so at least I'll be making money.

The first day and other things

Today was technically the first day of my happiness project, but I spent the day moving, so I ended up not having enough time to actually concentrate on the first day of my project. However, I did come up with my first rule for the project:

Regardless of what you have to do, you always have an hour to take time and enjoy yourself.

For example: I moved today and I have about a million things to do to get my new room ready, but once I got to my new home, I sat in the kiddie pool drinking with my new housemates. An infinity better choice.

Tomorrow, I will finish my list of rules and report on how my first week is going :-)