Happiness Project: Organization/ Energy

My favorite book, The Happiness Project, is about a woman, Gretchen Rubin, who picks a theme for every month and works to make herself happy according to that theme. I’ve made many Happiness Projects for myself but never stuck with them. This time I want to try for one whole year to stick to my own Happiness Project.

Month: September (already halfway through!)

Theme: Organization/ Energy

Resolutions:

· Make the bed

I did some research and the National Sleep Foundation’s Bedroom Poll says 70% of Americans make their bed every morning which was higher than I expected. I always feel a little less frazzled if I make my bed; in fact just one glance at my bed can calm me. It’s certainly more pleasant than scrambling all the covers around at bedtime.

· Clear out a drawer (or several)

I have several junk drawers, mostly devoted to pens that are half used up. Some of these drawers are so crammed I can’t even open them. I also have a tendency to dump random objects in these drawers- keys that go nowhere, erasers, buttons, safety pins. This stuff could be easily organized. Ohsospotless.com says “Twenty-seven percent of Americans rank clutter as the most annoying mess to have in a home” and that “Eighty-eight percent have at least one junk drawer” I have at least three.

· Stop dumping clothes on the floor (this is one of the Commandments of Leigh)

My therapist once told me that studies have shown that people who are bipolar change clothes more often. No one really knows why that is but he says in a mental institution it is a good indication that someone is bipolar and not depressed. Anyway, I change clothes a lot and I just dump them on the floor when the hamper (which is usually where they are going) is right there. I must change my ways.

· Exercise

I recently started going to the gym (which I will not shut up about). Sometimes I’ll get up early enough for Zumba but usually I’ll do the treadmill. I like listening to music while I boost my heart rate. After I workout, I feel more clearheaded and energized to start my day.