Factors for My Happiness Project

It's so ironic that so many factors have played into my Happiness Project.  It would've been very easy for me to skip going to the early worship at church on Sunday.  I had to teach Sunday school and I do my best to attend the early worship when I have to teach so I don't miss out, but my hubby was home from work and we woke up with only an hour to get ready.  We had to take dinners over to my in-laws before we embarked on our afternoon plans, so our day started off super busy.  To my surprise, my hubby agreed to go to church with us and we made it to church in the nick of time.  What a treat!

While we were at church, the pastor was talking about creating goals to take care of ourselves, New Year's Resolutions, if you will.  We were invited to fill out a small form of what our intention(s) were, how we planned to accomplish those goals, how we were going to make ourselves accountable, and of course to pray about it.  I felt that if I blogged about my Happiness Project, someone, at least one person, could be encouraged by my project.  My blog became my accountability.  Now, God has become my accountability, too.  I filled out the form and turned it in.  Even though I would not back out on my own big idea, I really can't back out now that I've given my project to God.

Then the frigid cold weather invaded my world (factor #2).  Negative temperatures, dangerous wind chills of -25 and more has shut me inside my home.  What else is there to do????  CLEAN!  ORGANIZE! 

It's not that my Happiness Project is all about cleaning.  (my husband would have a sly comment about that statement.)  It's about getting my life organized, feeling back in control of the little things around me, creating adventures, making a wish list, learning something new and having something to look forward to.  When I finished cleaning the bathroom cabinet and reorganized it, I walked back into the bathroom and it felt like the room was bigger, brighter.... cleaner.  It's a mind-over-matter deal for me.  I can walk into the bathroom any time, any day and it always looked the same, afterall I don't always open the cabinet doors every time I go in there.  But today it was different because I KNEW it was clean and organized.  I stepped back and... I smiled!

For the first time in history, my kids' school district cancelled school again for tomorrow before 2:00 this afternoon.  I am seriously considering drinking a cup of coffee (which has been nine months by the way) tomorrow morning to skyrocket my energy so I can tackle my bedroom closet.  I went in there twice today and stared.  Feeling overwhelmed and suddenly unmotivated, I turned and walked right back out.  I think what hinders me from tackling that closet is the unknown time.  Realistically, it shouldn't take me forever to clean out the closet.  It's not THAT bad.  But my brain is trying to trick me into thinking it's going to take me ALL DAY to do.  What else am I going to do tomorrow being stuck inside the house all day?  So what if it takes me all day, right?

Factor #3:  I'm out of chocolate chips and cookies.  I have to stay busy tomorrow or else I'll end up baking something I shouldn't be eating.  I need to face it, I've eaten so many cookies these past few days, I'll need a support group for withdraw. And perhaps, if I tell everyone that I need to clean out my closet tomorrow, I can't let anyone down, right?  I just hope I remember to take before and after pictures!