The Happiness Project

I've had an article from Woman's Day Magazine sitting on my desk for over a month now. The article was about the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben. She basically realized that she wasn't as happy as she could be. Here's how she explains it:

"I always figured I'd eventually stop twisting my hair and wearing running shoes all the time. I'd remember my friends' birthdays. I wouldn't let my daughter watch TV during breakfast. I'd spend more time laughing and having fun. I'd be more polite. Then, one April day, on a morning just like every other morning, I had a sudden realization: I was in danger of wasting my life. It was that the years were slipping by. 'What do I want from life, anyway?' I asked myself. 'Well...I want to be happy.' But I'd never thought about what made me happy or how I might be happier."

She went on to design a yearlong plan to accomplish her goal of becoming happier. Each month she had a different focus. Here are the areas she chose to focus on each month.

• January—Energy
Sleep more, exercise better, and clean out the closets
• February—Love
Work on marriage, nag less, fight right
• March—Aim Higher
She launched what became a highly successful blog [www.happiness-project.com]
• April—Lighten Up
Enjoy parenthood’s “fog happiness” – “the kind of happiness you get from activities that, closely examined, don’t really seem to bring much happiness at all – yet somehow they do.”
• May—Be Serious About Play
Learn to have more fun
• June—Friends
Nurture friendships new and old
• July—Buy Some Happiness
Money spent wisely can buy a little happiness after all.
• August—Spiritual
Contemplate deeper meaning of life.
• September—Pursue a Passion
She wrote a whole novel. Do something you've always wanted to do.
• October—Pay Attention (mindfulness)
Meditate, yoga
• November—Attitude
She adjusts her attitude to laugh more (small children laugh 400 times per day, but adults just 17 times).
• December—Boot Camp Perfect
All the changes may seem overwhelming but just take one step at a time.

Check out this site with great site with overview of the book. I haven't read the book yet, but I enjoyed the article summarizing it and I may just have to check out the book when I'm at the library next.