Most people make New Year resolutions. In fact, approximately 44 per cent of Americans make New Year resolutions and 80 per cent are broken by mid February. Many people make or break the same resolutions year after year.
In The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin says the key to keeping resolutions is to keep yourself accountable. She uses a chart where she ticks off her progress every day as she moves towards her goals each month.
I dislike charts so I needed to find another form of accountability. I came up with the idea of blogging and sharing my journey with others. As a writer, this appeals to my personality and strengths.
One of Gretchen’s Twelve Commandments for the year was, Be Gretchen. By this she meant that she had to look at what made her happy, not what others thought would make her happy, or what she thought should make her happy. She encouraged the reader to be himself or herself, acknowledging their personality and strengths.
Acknowledging my weaknesses means that the hardest part for me will be being consistent. We spend about three months of the year on the road, so I write in sporadic bursts between trips. I decided to create a year blog planner with themes for each month and calendar reminders to make sure I blog at least three times a week for the next year.
In between writing a couple of new YA novels, lots of magazine articles and regular guest blog posts on three sites, I can see myself writing for hours each day.
Fitting that in between travel and other commitments may seem crazy, but the principle that happiness doesn’t always make you happy comes into play here. Feeling locked into writing every day of the year and being accountable to an online audience and others’ deadlines might be stressful.
The pressure to write and complete a lot of projects on diverse subjects may cause me some angst. At the same time if, at the end of 2014, I look back and see what I have achieved I think I will be happy.
So what does my Happiness Project look like for 2014?
Here are my first two themes:
January
Theme: Setting the Course
Quote: Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.Henry David Thoreau
Focus Areas:
• Write a list of things that make me happy.
• Define what happiness is for me.
• Write a list of themes for 2014.
• Write out my hopes and dreams for 2014.
• Catch up with lots of people for meals and chats.
February
Theme: Love Without Limits
Quote: I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love. Mother Teresa
Focus Areas:
• Create a photo wall in my library to celebrate my family and friends
• Treat my children as adults and not as children. Acknowledge their adultness and let them be who they are meant to be.
• Show love to my community by volunteering in my church
• Celebrate my husband more
• Do something sacrificial to help a friend
Progress Report:
• I completed my January goals and mapped out the year ahead. I feel happier. I began to feel positive and not daunted by the year ahead. I’m excited about beginning the project fully this month and have already made some plans that will spur me on the journey.
• I’ve signed up to volunteer at Riverview Children’s Foundation and have committed to spending a week in Sydney helping a friend about to have a baby.
• I’m choosing photos for my photo wall and my husband has committed to building the necessary hanging track.
• I have made a vow not to say the words, ‘You should…’ to my adult children. Instead I will ask them, ‘So what are you planning to do about/for/with…?’
How all this will pan out will be an interesting study. Will I be happier? Will others around me be happier as a consequence of doing this? I’ll get back to you soon.
