I’ve been loving having these focused projects that I’ve done for the last two months but it’s been a lot of work so I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to continue onward for July or to take a break.
And then I read The Happiness Project and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s so my kind of thing. At first I thought I’d do it in 2011. Then I thought that’s so far why wait? So I wrote down “theme areas” that I might want to tackle each month for the rest of this year. While that idea would normally be perfect for me, I just couldn’t get some of the projects I wanted to do out of my mind. I didn’t want to wait for the “right” month to do them.
So I decided to heck with that plan. I am going to do my own crazy version of this thing. I picked several areas of my life that I’d like to tackle. Most of my projects are about reducing where I am “feeling bad” somehow. Some are about “feeling good” and a few are feeling right. And almost all are all about the “atmosphere of growth” which is what I am all about.
So here are the areas I plan to tackle and exactly how:
David:
1. Try one new food every day – I can’t get rid of the nagging feeling that David’s limited palette is my fault so I asked him if he would do this and he agreed to give it a try. We will try a range of things, sometimes veggies, or fruits or even crackers and bread, etc. This is not as much about eating more “good” food as it is about eating a wider variety and getting used to trying things without fear. The deal is he has to at least try a little bit and then how much more he eats is up to him.
2. Do 30 minutes of work daily – I want to spend more time doing math, reading, writing with David. Help him prepare for Kindergarten a bit. I do this but not most days and not as much as I’d like. And not focused. For July, I will do it when Nathaniel is sleeping so it’s just the two of us with no distractions.
3. Read 20 minutes a day from a book – David doesn’t always have patience for this but we will try. I like the idea of reading an ongoing book with him.
Art:
1. Draw 100 faces – I want to draw better. I figure practice will definitely not hurt. This particular task might extend to August, too. I’ll just make as much headway as I can and I will draw at least one face each day.
2. Make one art journal page daily – These will be small ones. On most days, I hope to just zentangle and maybe use my copics, some days I might do more but the goal is volume more than skill here, just to show myself it’s ok to have fun. I love Donna’s Inspiration Wednesdays so I will likely try some of that, too.
Health:
1. Exercise for 15-20 minutes 3 times a week – I don’t exercise at all. At all. So the goal for July is to take it super simple. To take walks or use the Wii Fit. The main goal is to establish a consistent habit of exercise, no matter how small. (I hope to move to 4 days before July is over but I will be happy with 3 a week.)
2. Eat one fruit and one vegetable every day – The fruit part is easy. I eat a lot of bananas, but I want to focus on eating more raw, good food. Ideally a bit more protein, too but the main goal for July is fruit and veggie.
Productivity:
1. Do one nagging task daily – If I can start the day eating that frog, it will make the rest of the day so much easier.
2. Start and End each day better – Working from home, especially in the summer, it’s easy to stay in my PJs all day. While that has its place, I think it will help me to get up, shower, and get dressed first thing. It will allow me to be more awake and readier to tackle my day.
Soul:
1. Journal for 15 minutes a day – I haven’t done this since Stephanie’s class and I miss it. I want it. I think it’s good for my soul.
2. Mediate for 5 minutes a day – I know it seems tiny but 5 minutes of sitting completely still is going to be hard for me.
3. Write a thank you email every day – I wrote about this already. This will definitely be good for my soul.
That’s it. This is actually a lot of stuff but I think it will make me happy. I plan to track all of these daily and report progress as always.
I’ll also add one caveat that we plan to go on vacation/out-of-town possibly in July. If we do, I give myself permission to skip those days. I might not, but it’s ok if I do.
Let’s see if I can do it. Like last two months, if I can’t it’s ok. The goal is to try.
My David ate grilled cheese sandwiches every day for lunch until I don’t know when. My godson ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, at home, because peanut butter is not allowed in schools here. Every day. Until I think the age of 9. My cousin only ate boiled hot dogs. They couldn’t be grilled or on the barbecue.
All three guys are tall, strapping and healthy. They all eat like normal people.
That’s because we all listened to a paeditrician. Children will not starve themselves. Do not force the issue. One bite. He is not permitted to spit it out. He must actually taste it and chew it. After one bite, he will never see that food again. On your part, no guilt. It’s his opinion and since you value it, you bite your tongue and move the plate from his view.
Like all three guys, he will grow up to realize Caesar Salad is realllllllllllllllly good. Especially with grilled chicken. 🙂
i know you’re absolutely right. this is more about opening his mind than anything else but thank you for reminding me that it’s all gonna be ok.
Sounds like you have a great plan … all planned out! Good luck!