How many of us long for days that feel less chaotic, more in control of our domain and just a general feeling of overall contentment with our life?
This doesn’t mean that you’re living in a deep depression or that you feel miserable day in and day out – because that would warrant a little more attention than what I’m suggesting here, but, what if you took the desire to change small things in your life in an effort to make your whole life feel more at peace?
Well, that’s exactly what Gretchen Rubin did when she began her Happiness Project.
Gretchen realized that while she had all the trappings of a lovely life, she was feeling discontent even still, and that her life had elements that warranted improvement and simplifying. So, as she put it, she embarked on a year:
…trying to sing in the morning, clean my closets, fight right, read Aristotle and generally have more fun.
She explores this journey of improving the simple things in her life in an effort to improve her overall happiness over the course of a year by implementing a standard set of “commandments” that were personal to her.
She encourages her readers to join her through her journey as a way to figure out how to go about their own Happiness Project, making note that each project will look different.
Just this year, Gretchen put out another installment of this successful book called Happiness at Home where she explores focusing on being happier through tackling the place where she and her family spend the most time, their home.
She makes an important note that while you can encourage the family to do some things, the Happiness Project isn’t about changing the way others do things, it’s about changing yourself and the way you either tackle things or perceive them.
I totally dig that.
Now, I haven’t embarked on my own full blown Happiness Project, but the books are in my possession and I’m excited at the potential to bring more happiness my way by make simple changes in my life, like getting more sleep, cleaning out a closet or two and making it a point to do joyful things each and everyday.
If you’re interested in finding out more, you can go to Gretchen’s website where she posts regularly on the idea of a Happiness Project and even offers free printables to help you achieve the goal of starting your own personalized project.
Could you use a happiness boost? Would you start a Happiness Project to get yourself there?
Image via Flickr Joi
