Happiness Project Report (March-April)

Hi everyone,

I'm not quite sure where to start with this post.  My Happiness Project in March was a little different than the first two months.  Things started shifting in a few different ways:

1. I went through a really stressful time, school-wise, and it was really hard to concentrate on anything else.  I found myself thinking less and less about my Happiness Project each day.

2. I lost motivation in many areas of my life, including my Happiness Project.  This is something I would like to explore further, since it is affecting my half marathon training, as well.

3. Some of my goals continued to be more abstract and less concrete, just like I mentioned in March, so it was more difficult to keep track.  I really had to think about whether or not I met each resolution each day, but at the same time, when I went to track my goals at the end of each day, I found myself just going through the motions of checking off my goals instead of really thinking about it.

In general, I did alright with my energy resolutions from the first month, except I stopped tracking what I ate and I continued to do a miserable job drinking enough water.  I feel I continued to do really well with my relationship goals from last month, and I did alright with my time saving goals for this month.  Due to being stressed out, my overall happiness score went down, but at the end of the month, I feel I am on my way to being even happier than I was at the beginning of the year.

That being said, here are my goals for next month.  These goals are all surrounding the theme "Stay Positive," since I am nearing the end of my marathon training, and I need to stay positive and motivated.

1. Celebrate little accomplishments.  This, I believe, will help me see all that I am accomplishing, since I am often blinded by the seemingly unreachable, overarching goal.

2. Make the positive argument.  Instead of admitting that I am not motivated, instead I will say to myself, "No, I am motivated.  I am looking forward to running the half marathon, and I want to train to be prepared!"

3. Under-react to a situation and assume the best.  Don't get worked up before there is even an issue.

4. Don't gossip.  Stay positive not only about myself, but also where others are concerned.

Another goal I have for myself this month is to keep my resolutions more visible.  The past three months, I have only looked at the document listing my resolutions at the end of the day when I go to track my goals.  I want to change this and post my resolutions around the house, as well as in my office, so that I think about my resolutions throughout the day.

Alright...  Well, I think that is it for now.  Let me know in the comments if you have any good tips for staying motivated or getting your motivation back after a dry period.

Until later,
Amy

Chicago!

Hello all,

As soon as I was finished with class last Thursday, Jesse and I headed out on the road to spend the weekend between our spring breaks in Chicagoland. We drove about halfway across Iowa and then grabbed a cheap hotel for the night.  Then the next morning we drove the rest of the way to Chicago. 

First, we went to the Billy Goat Tavern, a burger joint we first heard about in Motz's Hamburger America.  This place was made famous by the SNL cheeseburger sketch with John Belushi... and the burgers were pretty darn good!

Then we drove to the Field Museum and checked as many exhibits as possible before closing time, including the Tsavo Lions.

The main reason why we decided to go to Chicago over spring break was to visit my friend Roddy, so after the Field Museum closed, we headed off to Roddy's house in Aurora, and she took us out for some Chicago-style pizza for dinner.

The next day we took the train into the city in hopes of seeing the St. Patrick's Day Parade.  Of course, there were waves of people, and we couldn't actually get close enough to see more than the top of the parade. 

So we went and got lunch instead, and then we took a walk to see the Bean.  Unfortunately, Millennium Park was closed as police attempted to herd the drunken revelers back towards the train station, but we were still able to take some pictures.

Finally, we went to the Willis Tower.  It was a little cloudy out, since it had been precipitating all weekend, but we could still see a bit of the view.  Totally worth it.

That evening we rode the train back to Roddy's place, relaxed, and watched Easy A.  Then the next morning we drove back to Nebraska.  It was a great trip!

Until next time,
Amy

Happiness Project Report: February-March (Part II)

Hi everyone,

So in my last post I discussed the results of my happiness project in February.  Now I would like to talk about my goals for March.

For March all of my resolutions revolve around time, planning, and willpower.  I first got the idea for this theme when I read an article in Fitness Magazine about goals and willpower.  This article cites research that suggests that the amount of decisions made over the course of the day should be limited in order to preserve willpower, since every decision whittles away at each day's supply of willpower.  This article really struck me, since I find myself sometimes having a tough time making simple decisions, especially at the end of a long day.

Here are the resolutions that I have come up with for March:

1.  Limit computer time.  This one is simple.  The less time I spend on the computer the more tasks and projects I get done in the real world.  :)  I also hope to start using a program I downloaded a while ago called 5 Minute Break that makes me take breaks every hour I am at the computer.

2. Tackle a nagging task.  This is a resolution I got from Gretchen Rubin's happiness project.  If I tackle a task that is nagging at the back of my mind, I will spend less time procrastinating and, therefore, get more done!

3. Practice snap decisions.  Like I said, sometimes I have a tough time making the simplest decisions, such as where to go for dinner.  Although they seem important at the time, these decisions do not matter in the long run, so I aim to make quick decisions in order to alleviate the anxiety associated with decision making.

4. Plan each day.  As stated before, according to studies, the less decisions one has to make each day, the stronger their willpower.  By laying out my clothes the night before, packing my lunches in advance, planning meals, and scheduling workouts, I can save my decision making energy for challenges and temptations that come along each day!

As always, I will keep you updated!  Until then,

Amy