2019 Happiness Project – March Update

March flew by in terms of my Happiness Project, though that could also be because I was almost two weeks late getting started. In spite of this late start, I feel like March was successful. Let’s be clear here though. I didn’t set the bar very high in February.

#1 Use my planner

SUCCESS. IN ALL CAPS. WHEN I SHOUT-TYPE, YOU KNOW I MEAN BUSINESS. 

I adore all organizational tools and every August I get all twitchy-excited about picking out a new planner for the upcoming calendar year. I use it religiously in January and then get kind of lazy about it in February. I’m just an overall better human when I use it to plan and guide my days though, so this month I wanted to get serious about using it.

I’m not sure why I didn’t figure this out sooner, but it’s always easier to remember something when there’s a reminder right in front of you. Just like I put my 19 for 2019 in the front of the planner and then magically started actually checking things off the list, I started using my planner more once I added a reminder to my Outlook calendar. I’m in Outlook every work day by 8:30, so that 9:00 nudge is just what I need to crack open the planner and think about how I’m going to spend the rest of my day.

#2 Stop procrastinating

Have I fully stopped procrastinating? No, I have not. But I’ve improved, and that’s what it’s all about, right? Continuous improvement?

I read a few articles about why people procrastinate in an effort to figure out why I do this. The best was from The New York Times; it looked at some of the reasons people procrastinate and how to circumvent the kind of thinking that causes people to put things off. It helped me identify some of the reasons I’ve been avoiding one specific project at work. With that knowledge—realizing that I was scared of making a mistake on a new kind of work in addition to feeling overwhelmed by the scope of the work—I managed to take a few steps to advance the project.

#3 Cultivate my networks

I’m still uncomfortable with formal networking and I don’t think that will ever change. But I love talking to someone over a cup of coffee, so I’m trying to use that to my advantage. 

At work, I set up two 30-minute meetings over coffee with people I enjoy talking to but don’t see nearly often enough. I’m also having brunch with a new friend I met at the Girlboss Events July Pop-Up. We’ve stayed in touch here and there over the last few months, but we’re finally going to get together. I don’t get credit for this because she initiated the date, but that doesn’t change my excitement to see her!

The goal this month was to aim higher.

I guess you could interpret this notion any which-way you like, but I chose to focus on work-related things. Although I wasn’t expecting these actions to make much difference in my work life, I think they have. It could just be a coincidence of timing, but I’m feeling more energized in the office than I’ve felt in awhile. This could also be attributed to an increase in temperatures (generally speaking, although it’s only 44º today), an improvement in my mental state since February, or a host of other things, but I choose to believe that the three actions above can’t have hurt.

I’m now three months in to this Happiness Project, and I’ve got to say… I think it’s totally worth the effort. Even when I don’t fully deliver on what I’ve set out to do, it’s so helpful to have a specific focus for a 30 day period. I’ll be back later this week with a look at the April Happiness Project!