January 15 Happiness Project Update

Two weeks in and I'm feeling good. Well, emotionally anyway. I caught one of those nasty colds that seem to be going around, so that's put a damper on things, but all in all, I'm doing well.Here are some highlights from the past week:

• I did make a point to find physical activities for the kids this week, so that's a good thing. Playing in the snow, shoveling, and all that fun stuff was definitely a good start. I still want to find something structured for them to do outside of just me taking them outside. I think that will be a bit more beneficial for them. They'll get to meet new kids and be in a regular routine and schedule which is something they thrive on.
• I've started to do some research into my general health, my risk factors on certain things and preventative measures I can take. But more on that in another post.
• Because I've been sick it was actually a lot easier to stick to a healthy eating plan and drinking lots of water. But, it also made exercise difficult. I still jumped on the treadmill twice this week so that was good. The cool thing about this though is that I found myself missing the exercise. It's becoming part of my routine and my body craves it. Huzzah!
• I did accomplish my goal of creating something this week. In fact, I did it twice (I'm such an overachiever). I created a photo album from the football game my husband and I went to at the beginning of the year on my new favorite site Shutterfly. I also helped my son build his solar system mobile. He is one proud boy now that it is hanging in his room.

So now comes the big question. Am I happier yet? Yes and no. I think part of the reason I can feel myself "getting happier" is because I'm making an effort at it. Not to mention losing 5 pounds since the start of the year also helps. But I'm genuinely trying to take care of myself and that feels good. Am I bouncing off the walls with bubbly excitement and finding joy in every little thing in life? No. But that's not my natural personality, so I genuinely don't think I'll ever get to that point. As a wise friend of mine recently said, "I used to try and work my life so I'd never have a bad day. Now I realize, I just want to be able to successfully handle the bad days." I dig that kind of perception.

Are you doing a Happiness Project? How's it going?