Happy 2012! I hope the year ahead brings enlightenment, inspiration and motivation to create your perfect Life and Work Design! I have never been a great fan of New Year resolutions or goals but would rather set intentions for the year ahead. To this end, I was reading a summary article in VIVA on Gretchen Rubin’s ‘Happiness Project’ this morning and I was reminded how important it is to get clear on what brings us happiness and how we maintain it on a daily basis. So that is my New Years intention. Over the last two months I have wished happiness to many friends, family, colleagues and clients for Happy Christmas, New Year, Birthday, Holidays. My intention/s for others to be happy was and is very genuine, but how often do we consciously wish happiness to ourselves? How do we know when we are happy and exactly what it means for each and every one of us?
Rubin’s Happiness Project and consequent 300,000 following on her blog came about as she explored exactly that… ‘while she wasn’t unhappy, she wasn’t as actively happy as she could be..’ she decided to find out WHY and gave herself a year to find out. Ten years ago, as I was going through some life changes I explored this as well and came up with some simple strategies on a daily basis that would ensure I was mindful of the triggers to make and keep me happy.
Tips on Happiness that worked for me!
- De-clutter – look at all the little things that cause irritation and develop strategies to eliminate the irritations before they start!
- Plan – don’t leave things to chance
- Over-deliver on time – make deadlines that you can achieve
- Keep the jobs little – do any jobs while they are small and don’t take too long
- Ask for help – if you can’t do something for yourself… ask someone for assistance
- Feed your energy – walk, talk, listen, meditate, share – anything that feeds your energy levels on a daily basis
- Exercise – our bodies need to be taken care of and when we do the chemistry in our bodies changes and enhances our sense of wellbeing
- Sleep – make sure you are getting your required hours of sleep every night!
- Eat – be conscious of the essential foods at every meal, that feed your physical needs
- Do kind acts – do something kind/good for someone everyday
- Be generous – with your words and deeds
- Stay unattached – have intentions but don’t stay attached to them – if they don’t happen…let it go
- Don’t take anything personally – unkind words or thoughtless acts are just that…they do not have to land!
- SMILE – smile, smile, and smile – even if you don’t feel like it… a smile is infectious – you can infect others and they can infect you!!
- Be grateful – reflect everyday on what you are grateful for… and keep it in your heart.
For more ideas and interesting reading on Happiness go to www.happiness-project.com or www.happinessprojecttoolbox.com
Working your way through these processes takes courage! Be kind to yourself and feel free to contact Patti, if you would like a Coach to partner you on this journey. (Patti offers a no obligation 30minute FREE phone coaching session to get you started).
About Patti Gwynne
