2019 Happiness Project—May

In addition to and as part of my 19 for 2019, I’ve decided to tackle a Happiness Project. I first read Gretchen Rubin’s book in 2014 and became enamored of the idea. However, my desire to do things perfectly kept getting in the way. I felt like I needed to have lists and charts and plans. While all of those things are helpful, sometimes it’s better to just get started.

And so, with only a vague notion of what I’m going to do, I decided that 2019 is the year of my Happiness Project. I’m going to have the same monthly focuses Gretchen had in her book, but will modify the individual tasks to fit what’s needed in my life.

May: Be Serious About Play

Gretchen’s tasks for May were:

• Find more fun
• Take time to be silly
• Go off the path
• Start a collection

This month, I’m going to make Gretchen’s exact goals my own as well… with some modifications.

#1 Find more fun

In this section of her book, Gretchen talks about how some things that are “supposed” to be fun, just AREN’T for her. I feel that way too. In college, some people thought I was crazy because I wasn’t interested in going dancing at Red Cheetah on Thursday nights. Good for them, not for me. I’m finally at an age where I can accept that what I like might seem un-fun to others and that’s ok.

I’m not always great at making time for what I like though. It’s hard, right? When you have a family and a job and a million things on your to-do list floating around in your brain?

This month, I’m going to allow myself a little extra time to read and wander around local boutiques. To do be.come project when it feels right and dance around the house or practice cartwheels and the worm. To rearrange my closet or write. And I’m not going to beat myself up about liking what I like.

#2 Take time to be silly

This is kind of a gimme. I have two young kids. Silly is valuable currency in this house. I can do silly.

#3 Go off the path

Gretchen’s method of exploring off her beaten path was to buy three magazines she’d never read each week. I don’t think I’m going to do exactly this because magazines are expensive and our local library has plenty of options to consider if I want to check out something new.

I bought a book called Walking Cincinnati a few years ago. It’s a collection of walking tours in different local neighborhoods. I’ve read it cover to cover, yet I’ve never actually executed one of the tours for myself. I think this is the month to change that. The book provides the distance of each tour, about how long it will take to complete, and a rating of how strenuous it is. I could easily pick something quick-ish and take the kiddos for a walk somewhere new.

#4 Start a collection

This is a tough one. My proclivity for minimalism means I’m not big into collections for myself… aside from shoes, books and black leggings. But I don’t have room for an endless amount of any of those.

I also feel like for something to be collected, you have to stumble upon the items… not search for them on Amazon and ship them to your door via Prime (which is admittedly how I begrudgingly do a lot of my shopping).

My approach to #4 might be a bit more loosey-goosey than the others. Assuming I do make time to wander through stores I love, maybe something will jump out at me.

I guess what I’m saying is that I’m going to be open to the idea of starting a collection and that’s enough. I’m not going to start one just for the sake of having started one though.

I’m most excited about #3.

The first and second items aren’t really anything new; I just have to pay more attention to behaviors that already exist. The collection item… even now as I’m rereading those paragraphs, I’m thinking about deleting them because I’m pretty sure I don’t need a collection of anything. But the walking tour has the potential to be so fun! I don’t know how enthused my family might be to join me on this, but I’m pretty sure that if I choose an area with an ice cream parlor on the route, they’ll be game 😉