I'm working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone's project will look different, but it's the rare person who can't benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now.
I'm a big believer in using milestone moments as cues for evaluation and reflection. Hitting a milestone like a major birthday, marriage, the death of a parent, the birth of a child, the loss of a job, an important reunion, or the accomplishment of a career marker like getting tenure or making partner, often acts as a catalyst for positive change.
The new year is, of course, a milestone that we all share. The tradition of making New Year's resolutions reflects the fact that a lot of us want the change in the calendar to prompt a change in our lives.
If you'd like to do some self-reflection, but you're not sure exactly how to get started, check out the questionnaires on the University of Pennsylvania's Authentic Happiness site. It has nineteen scientifically tested questionnaires that cover your overall happiness, your character strengths, your optimism, your perseverance, your compassion, and many other aspects of your life and character.
Even if you don't agree with the scores you get, merely taking the test and seeing the results helps to act as a catalyst for self-reflection. Plus it's fun - I love taking these kinds of tests.
Have you found other methods to spur self-reflection and to build self-knowledge?
Interested in starting your own Happiness Project? If you'd like to take a look at Gretchen Rubin's personal Resolutions Chart, for inspiration, just email her at grubin, then the "at" sign, then gretchenrubin dot com. No need to write anything more than "Resolutions Chart" in the subject line.
Follow Gretchen Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gretchenrubin
George W. Bush is still the President for another 27 days and still has plenty of time to destroy any of the remnants of hope that I still have manged to cling to through the last mind numbing 8 years of absolute stupidity.
-they don't know what they're missing
Isn't this the wrong blog for a happiness project? Practically everyone here is miserable that the earth isn't heaven and heaven earth. If you can figure out how to turn the one into the other you'll have a following bigger than the Pope's.
Question 1: How happy are you?
(a) Totally fabulously happy (and not because I'm stoned)
(b) Quite happy, thank you (woo hoo)
(c) Happy sometimes, sad other times (note: please take "Are you Manic-Depressive" test)
(d) Pretty bummed, actually
(e) Please, please kill me now.
Now score yourself. If you answerd (a) give yourself 5 pts, b=4, c=3, d=2 and e=1
Analysis:
4-5: You're happy, but watch out for being too happy, that can grate on others
3: Normal, except that you are taking tests to see if you are happy
2: Kinda down. You are probably a Republican or Bernard Madoff manages your money
1: Come on baby, cheer up. Christmas will soon be over.
I touched base with two friends and two of my sisters and talked to my aunt for an hour.
I wrapped a few presents and I laughed with my hubby and son as we watched Caddyshack together.
My husband was laid off permanently from work last month and times are very lean at the moment but happiness is still very attainable. It's hard for me to not be happy when I have such an amazing family, so much love and laughter and great friends. Of course, I was smart enough to have married a man who is also balanced and happy and both our boys came out smiling too.
Tomorrow is my day to teach at our local food bank and that always leads to much blessing counting for me. I acknowledge and appreciate all of the wonderful things in my life and I'm thankful that the difficulties are small... in comparison.
I'm not registering for one more site that's going to spam my e-mail.