I haven’t had a New Years resolution in quite some time but a few days into this year I decided I would try something new—something new every month. I almost counted spending the new year in Houston for the month of January, thank goodness I didn’t. Although Houston was fun and relaxing I had to count my first NBA game as my “something new” for January. I watched the Rockets play the Mavs here in Dallas and couldn’t be happier about the experience! It wasn’t as loud as I wanted and the team I was rooting for didn’t win but the atmosphere was energetic. The last quarter was my fAvorite for sure.

I’m at work so this post is kind of boring as I’m writing super fast on my phone. Anyway, the game was fun and I will definitely need to catch the Rockets in their home sometime soon. Have a happy Friday!

I was at Barnes and Nobles last week looking for a new book to read with nothing really in mind, it so happened that I ran across a book called “The Happiness Project.” I’m not really sure what the book is about because I didn’t read the entire summary but I do know it was about a woman’s journey to happiness. I’m a very happy person but there are times where I know I want more. I’m not sure what the more is, but I know I want more. It wasn’t in that instant that I decided to start my own happiness project but that’s when I decided to map it out here- on my blog.  With that said, I start this blog today. I’m not really writing this in hopes that people will read it but if you are reading this great! I hope that there is something to be learned or taken from this. Maybe not now but in the future…

To be completely honest I haven’t planned my happiness project and I doubt I will. I dislike making plans, I like surprises or feeling spontaneous…sometimes. After, a little thought I broke out the basics of what I want more happiness out of in 2013. I will start with the one thing I wish I could do more of—travel.

In the past I haven’t traveled a lot because I’ve always wanted to save my money. My parents are always telling me to save, save save. Save for what? For an emergency…how much do I need to save for an emergency? Since there is no real answer on how much an emergency could cost one day I decided I would come up with my own amount. I came up with an amount and I won’t say how much in case my family reads this ;) Anyway, from that day forward I started to save for something I really wanted and would make me happy. I was supposed to go to Europe my senior year of high school, Paris to be exact. For some reason or another that fell through and 5 years later I have decided the time is NOW. I AM GOING TO EUROPE! I have to do this now before life gets in the way, ya know? To make all of this possible I am having to save, but I’m saving for Europe! What better incentive than to actually save for something you want. I know I have to have “emergency” money set aside and be responsible at the same time. Sigh…just picturing myself over there makes me happy. Aside from Europe, I have to go to Boston sooner rather than later. I applied to a Masters program at Suffolk University without ever stepping foot in Boston. Trips to California and Florida are also in the future but more on that another time.

You can’t put a price on an education, right? An education is invaluable, right? RIGHT! At least I agree with those statements. I wrote an essay my last semester of college about branding myself and in it I said I would start grad school a year after graduation. Well, I’m a year off but it is totally okay itt turns out I needed 1-1 1/2 years of work experience for my programs anyway.  I love learning and being back in school will make me happy. 

I want to challenge myself to be more fit. So cliche haha. Not health conscious because I’ve never been extremely horrible as far as eating healthy goes but I want to work out more or at least make more effort.  I say all this and sitting here I know this one will be a struggle. I know working out makes me feel good so why not always feel good? Makes perfect sense when I think about it that way. Just Christmas day I went to crossfit with my brother and felt great the rest of the day. All I need to do is research and find a type of class that I enjoy and stick with it. I’ll take going to the gym but that will be hard since I won’t have anyone to keep me accountable…I’ll figure it out.

Finally, the big one—relationships. I need to stop expecting the best from people so I am not easily disappointed. I will rid myself of any and all negative relationships. I will no longer make an effort to keep up with people who don’t care to keep up with me. All it does it makes me feel ignored and I hate feeling ignored. I will cultivate the good, positive relationships in my life. I guess losing my phone contacts wasn’t too bad after all.

This is a very rough draft to my little happiness project but I feel good about it.:) I leave you with a song that never fails to make me happy—enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZBKFoeDKJo