Thou Shalt Get Your Butt in Gear: My Personal Commandments and Goals for 2014

When I read Gretchen Rubin's book The Happiness Project for the first time, I loved it for the simple reason that it made me think. Not just about my happiness, but about  my short- and long-term goals and about who I wanted to be. I wrote a series of blog posts around those concepts. Check out the links below. 

One of the posts involved creating a personal set of commandments. I recently reviewed those commandments and decided to stick with them for 2014. While I've made progress in each area, there is also much work to be done. I've also added two new ones*. 

Be Mari.
Be a joy.*
Do it now.
No fear.
Let it go.
Cultivate your swagger.
Listen with both ears.
It's not always about you (aka Don't take it personally).
Do your best always.
Recognize and appreciate love languages.
Cut yourself - and others - some slack.

Say YES.*

I've also created some goals for the new year. I won't call them resolutions because that will ensure my failure. These are just some things I'd like to accomplish in the coming months. 

Spend more time in my reading nook.

Boost my digital media skills.

Crack at least two new publications through article pitches. 

Build a website.

Explore viable opportunities for my beta reading services.

Cultivate the new relationships that sprouted in 2013, both professionally and personally.

HAPPINESS BLOG POSTS

Happiness

Finding My Passion

My 10 Commandments

Personal Commandment No 5: Cultivate Your Swagger

Commandment No 9: Recognize & Appreciate Love Languages

Making Happiness Happen

Baa Baa Black Sheep or The Downside of "Being Mari"

Wherever your are, whatever you're doing ... Keep it Real!

My 10 Commandments

I find instances of coincidence fascinating.  For example, I love that when I'm wrapped up in a particular topic, all sorts of related situations, news items, and messages pop up. I guess it could be less of a coincidence and more that I'm paying attention. Lately, I've been thinking about my own happiness (see earlier posts). Along those lines, several happiness-related items have caught my attention in the past week.

1. Examiner.com - I have my resume listed with an online career site, and I (and probably everyone else registered with the site) recently received an invitation to become a part-time freelance writer. The site is seeking "socially-conscious people in the community who desire to fulfill their inner calling and improve the lives of others." Essentially, it's an opportunity to write about the stuff I'm passionate about. Small problem: I'm not sure what that is right now. Again, see earlier posts.

2. A friend forwarded me an e-mail that included a PowerPoint presentation titled, Are You Happy? The message is that happiness is a choice. You can choose to make your own happiness, or you can spend your life relying on other people, places, and things to make you happy. Which leads me to happiness-related item No. 3 ...

3. I started reading Laura Munson's book This Is Not the Story You Think It is ... A Season of Unlikely Happiness. It's Munson's memoir about how she chose to commit herself to "The End of Suffering" and hold herself responsible for her own happiness after her husband told her he didn't love her anymore. Munson's writing style (stream of consciousness) took a little getting used to, but I'm hooked. From reading early book reviews, I know that her marriage survived and I'm curious about her journey.

I think I have finalized my Happiness Project commandments. Here they are, in no certain order. My next step to is create my Happiness Toolbox.

1. Be Mari
2. Do it now.
3. No fear.
4. Let it go.
5. Cultivate your swagger.
6. Listen with both ears.
7. It's not always about you (aka Don't take it personally).
8. Do your best always.
9. Recognize and appreciate love languages.
10. Cut yourself - and others - some slack.