Okay, there’s no poll. But the answer is yes. I’ve only read through June. I think it will be a two-year project for me. I’ve become a million times more mindful of my own happiness in terms of what makes me happy, what inspires me, what keeps me from being happy day to day and how to change it. Is my house completely clean and organized? No. But the spice cabinet still is. And I spent weeks culling closets and the basement and anything that got in my way for a garage sale in June. A few things I’ve learned:
1) My kitchen floor was a barrier. If it was dirty, I didn’t want to walk on it. If I was avoiding walking into the kitchen, I’d avoid laundry & dishes and it would spiral from there. I bought a regular broom and a Shark mop. I walk on my kitchen floor more often.
2) There are times as a SAHM/WAHM that I have to stop and ask myself why I’m not getting anything done. Am I just feeling put upon? Or annoyed & overwhelmed by the kids? Do I feel like I need to be working instead? If it’s just emotion standing in my way, I try to pick one easy thing to get out of the way and go from there.
3) I’m not an overtly emotional person but emotions control most of my day. See above. I avoid doing a lot of things because I don’t “feel” like it. Or I “feel” like it would be stressful to try to get this or that done with this or that kid underfoot. But if I push past that emotional barrier, I’m able to get things accomplished.
4) The baby gate was a barrier. We had it across the opening between the living room and entry-way. It was the perfect place logistically. But it was hard to get even a laundry basket through. And when it was closed, I felt like it was keeping me on one side or the other. We’ve gone back to the wooden gate at the bottom of the stairs so it’s only up when Lily’s awake and it makes a world of difference.
5) I like to make lists. There’s not a big explanation for that. But making lists helps me. I have work lists, shopping lists, to-do lists. I like lists.
That’s all huge progress for me personally. I wish it was obvious when you walk through my house but it isn’t yet. The thing you can’t see is that I have my mind wrapped around it better than I ever have. I’ve never aspired to be a good housekeeper or a good cook for that matter. So finding a place where I can be a good mom and a good wife and a good enough housekeeper and good enough cook has been a really good thing. I’m not to that place yet but I’m getting there.
Really? That’s it? That’s all this Happiness thing has been about since February?
Not at all. There’s also an aspect of it that relates to documenting my own family. I’ve found that I avoid doing things like printing pictures or scrapbooking because I don’t have a master system in place. I didn’t want to print pictures at a pro lab because they don’t offer the organization and user-friendliness that shutterfly or other online consumer places do. And I know I can’t be chasing down stickers and patterned paper. So I started looking for photo albums. I didn’t like the kind that had a place to write because I didn’t want to leave spots blank or hold myself to writing on each space. I didn’t want cheap, ugly albums. And I didn’t want albums that wouldn’t coordinate when lined up on a shelf. See what I mean about emotion as a barrier?
Kelly Willette blogged her personal photo printing and organization experience and it had quite an impact on me. She printed thousands of pictures at Costco, bought amazing albums and just did it. Does Kelly Willette not have an incredibly demanding professional life? Would she not be prone to being overwhelmed by a personal photo project? But she did it anyway and now I am too.
I got a Becky Higgins Project Life system and have officially printed pictures for January 2010 and scrapbooked them all in one night. It was a very fulfilling experience and I’m looking forward to doing…February:
Two-year project, like I said.
