Friday, December 12, 2008

Day 3 of the Happiness Project

It' not going so well. Partly its just because I have fallen into a very unhealthy routine and I know it's going to be tough to kick it. (Nothing really bad, mind you. In a word: laziness) However, this morning I missed work, and even though it was my fault, there was no help for it. I had some prescriptions refilled and for the first time I did them online at Walgreens. However, following my M.O. I rushed through the online system and didn't pay attention to what I was doing.
I checked the refill box for the wrong prescription. It was for a scrip that my doctor gave me months ago to help me sleep and control back pain. I hated the side effects so I quit taking it. I didn't bother to check the bottle when I took a pill this morning. When I got into the truck to leave for work, I was so dizzy and tired I just couldn't believe it. That's when I went in the house and looked at the pharmacy packaging and realized that I had taken a sleeping pill this morning.
Nothing to be done. I can't drive like that. So I didn't make it into work until 12:30. I feel lethargic and blah.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Happiness Project - Day 1

So I'm midway through Day 1 of my Happiness Project. My focus right now is to work hard on item #2 of Ben Franklin's Thirteen Virtues.
Order - Let each part of your business have it's time.

I'm making good progress. I've stayed focused on the task at hand. When I've wanted to stray to the internet I have successfully resisited the temptation (I am such a news junkie!! It's pathetic!) I'm following the goals I've set on Joe's Goals with one minor blip. I didn't sleep in this morning, but I didn't get here as early as I wanted. But I won't beat myself up over it. Baby steps...

I'm having a lunch break right now and I feel good about treating myself to some down time. Yay me!

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

My Own Happiness Project

I just ran across Gretchen Rubin's site discussing the Happiness Project and I decided to start one of my own!


I have no idea how it works, but I guess I'll figure it out as I go along.

I've now set up a chart from Joe's Goals (although so far, I only have one goal!) and I'm posting Benjamin Franklin's Thirteen Subjects.


Temperance: Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

Order: Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

Frugality: Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

Moderation: Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

Industry: Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

Cleanliness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.

Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

Sincerity: Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

Justice: Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

Chastity: Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.

Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

So where am I on these? Well, I'm not going to worry about Temperance. I'm there on that one. Order, well, that's going to take some work.

Strictly speaking, on the first half of that sentence - I'm there. "Let all your things have their places". I like my life orderly and I want my life orderly. All things in my home and in my office have their place and sometimes I can get slightly obessive about it, but I realize that it is just me trying to control things when I'm feeling out of control. I'm not worried about the "chaos" in that respect.

The second part of that sentence, not so much. "Let each part of your business have its time". This is where I have a big problem. I get distracted very easily and some days I will spend so much time doing everything but work during working hours that I can't sleep at night because of the guilt.

So for the first part of my Happiness Project, this will be what I focus on to begin with.
Baby steps, baby steps...

Update
I've gone back to Joe's Goals and added everything I can think of off the top of my head to keep focused on the task at hand. Namely, work first, everything else later.

I also made Joe's Goals my homepage, so every time I turn my computer on, I go there first.