Part 2- My Life Audit/ Happiness Project 2017

Greetings!  As promised, my developed Life Audit/Happiness Project for 2017 is at the end of this blog post.  Before I get to that, however, I'm providing some ideas and help in developing a project for 2017 If you're still confused over where to begin.

Ideas in developing your Happiness Project/Life Makeover:

The core of a “happiness project” is to… identify elements of
your life that you want to change find concrete, measurable
resolutions that, if kept, will help you bring about that change,
hold yourself accountable for keeping your resolutions, and decide
whether you want to adjust, toss, or re-commit to a resolution.

One tip: resolutions work best when they’re very specific,
so you know whether you’ve kept your resolution or not.

Accountability is key!

Resolutions tend to fall in certain major categories.
Here are some common resolutions, with a few examples:

Attitude: Give positive reviews. Don’t talk about my irritations.

Clutter: Put dishes in the dishwasher immediately. Make my
bed each morning.

Find more joy in life. Rent a movie once a week. Make
Saturday plans with a friend.

Appreciate the present. Keep a one-sentence journal.

Be a more loving parent. Go to sleep by 10:30 p.m. to
avoid morning grouchiness.

Lose weight. No more doughnuts for breakfast. Eat a big
salad for lunch.

Creativity & writing: Write a novel in a month. Keep
“morning pages.” Take a photograph each day.

Diet, exercise & health: Take a 20-minute walk each day. Eat
protein at breakfast.

Family & children: Make my children dissolve in laughter at
least once a day. Read a chapter out loud every night.

Friends: No gossip. Show up.

Fun: Try a new restaurant each time I eat out. Go to a game
instead of watching it on TV.

Gratitude: In the shower, count my blessings. Sincerely thank two people each day.

Helping others: Volunteer at the thrift shop. Sign up for the
breast-cancer walk-a-thon.

Memories & traditions: Organize all the photos in tidy boxes.
Take a 5-minute video of my kids each Sunday night.

Mindfulness: Don’t listen to my iPod on the way to work.

Money: Pay down twice the minimum on my credit card debt
each month. Buy needful things.

Relationships & marriage: Don’t expect thanks. Think of small
treats.

Religion & spirituality: Read the Bible every day. Meditate
each morning.

Work: Go to a professional conference. Sign up for training on
the new computer program.

And if those ideas still leave you with a blank slate, here is my project for 2017, divided by months.  Feel free to copy, steal, and print.  Let's make 2017 count in a really big way.  Happy New Year!  

HEATHER'S 2017 HAPPINESS PROJECT/LIFE MAKEOVER:  

January Resolutions:  Embracing Minimalist Mentality

“Identify the essential.  Eliminate the rest”. 

	Declutter and purge two rooms each week	Prepare each evening for mornings	Shower meditation	Practice 2 minute de-stressing exercises	Bullet Journal everyday	Recite daily affirmations each morning	Make Prayer time a priority each day
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February Resolutions:  Strengthening Creativity Bone

“Creativity is the way I share my soul with the world”.  Brene’ Brown

Use 1-30 space below to make notes and highlight insights.  

	Write and post blog piece every 10 days	Update and complete old scrapbooks	Digital scrapbook for new material	Beach art project for cottage	Submit articles to min 10 websites	Décor redesign on three identified walls	Complete guest bedroom and begin constructing desk and reading area	Singing audition
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March Resolutions:  Relationship Audit (even with myself)

“In every relationship the work is never just in the positive actions we do for each other but in the follow up.”

Use 1-30 space below to make notes and add insights.

	Apply self-love initiatives from website	Schedule 3 power hours per week	Create a ME space	Evaluate  relationship boundaries- Limit exposure to toxic, negative, and disloyal people in my life	Make conscience effort to be more present.	Monthly dates for each daughter	Weekly dates with hubs	Snap less
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April Resolutions:  Budget Evaluation

“Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.”  Benjamin Franklin

Use 1-30 space below to make notes and add insights.  

	Outline a budget, using a modified Dave Ramsey approach	Create medical durable power of attorney	Devise binder with all life insurance, investment information, accounts, beneficiary designations and other important information	Organize filing cabinets and tax documents for easy access.
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May Resolutions:  Physical Health Focus Month

“You don’t get the ass you want by sitting on it”. 

	For 30 days, commit to 30 min of exercise every day.	For 30 days, commit to a minimum of 5 minutes per day of stretching or yoga.	For 30 days, wear FITBIT and get at least 12000 steps	For 30 days, use food journal for every meal and commit to designated calorie count	For 30 days, commit to 10 vs 8 glasses of water per day.
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June Resolutions:  Habit evaluation

“We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”.  –Aristotle

	Insert a habit tracker in bullet journal (samples are on Pinterest)	Have unplug time everyday	Break the habit of texting and driving.  Keep phone in purse at all times in back seat.	Limit social media time to 15 minutes or less.	Break habit of carbonated beverages for good.	Evaluate work habits and daily schedule at work and create an improvement plan.  Write it down and follow it.
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July Resolutions:  Explore and research meditation

“Meditation:  Because some questions can’t be answered by Google” 

Use 1-30 space below to make notes and document insights and share with group. 

	Research meditation styles	Sample various styles	Commit to practicing one style each day for 21 days	Use essential oils for meditation and document effects
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August Resolutions:  Take my own course, studying the work of Brene’ Brown.

I love her research and books on the power of vulnerability and how we connect.  I want to know more. 

“You can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you cannot choose both”- Brene’ Brown

·       Map out the month and read all her books by the end of August. 

·       Listen to all of her TED talks and podcasts online. 

·       Read, take notes, and pay attention to all books and courses.

·       Write post to group at the end of the month or throughout the month, sharing highlights from my studies. 

September Resolutions:  Just for fun:  I’ve always wanted to do a photo challenge. 

“You don’t take a photograph.  You make it”-Ansel Adams

For the month of September, I’m going to take 30 black and white photos, edit, and post them to this group.  I’m not going to do “typical” photos, in order to get out of my comfort zone and embrace my inner “artsy” person. 

Here are 30 things that I’m going to capture: 

1)        A street

2)       Strangers

3)       Lunch

4)       Light

5)       Dark

6)       Texture

7)       Clean

8)       Filthy

9)       Work-Related

10)   Glass

11)   Landscape

12)   Portrait

13)   Nature

14)   :Luxury

15)   Gear

16)   Orange

17)   Symmetrical

18)   Asymmetric

19)   Animal

20)   Door

21)   Movement

22)   Culture

23)   Sport

24)   Water

25)   Warning

26)   Fashion

27)   Signage

28)   Pattern

29)   Home

30)   Strong

October Resolutions:  Leadership Focus

“Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.” – John Maxwell

·       You know all those books on being a woman in leadership that you have all over the house?  Read them. 

·       You know all those leadership TED Talks you have saved for a rainy day? Listen to them. 

·       Look for a free course for leaders not connected to current work environment to gain new perspective.  Sign up for course. 

·       Each week post your progress to the group. 

November Resolutions:  30-Day Gratitude Journal

“It is not joy that makes up grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful”.  David Rast

	Keep a gratitude journal next to my bed	Every night, write down three things that you were grateful for that day.	Share your thoughts and sentiments at the end of the challenge.
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December Resolutions:  Add Podcasting and Vlogging to my blog (Yikes)

“Life is an experiment.  The more experiments you make, the better.” –Ralph Waldo Emmerson

This is totally out of my comfort zone, but would like to give it a try.

·       By the end of each week in the month of December, I will post at least one podcast to my blog and may even sample a few extras out within this group. 

·       Each podcast will have a theme, and will most likely be holiday-based. 

·       Refine and improve each podcast and seek feedback.