Happiness projects for your writing life
My massage therapist, who is also an artist, told me recently about one of his new projects—he’s been “doodling” with magic markers on watercolor paper and making some pretty incredible art. He started this project as a commitment to his “happiness project.”
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin is a chronicle of the author’s year of testing various methods to obtain happiness. On her website, Rubin has a getting started guide, including downloadable charts to help you track your progress.
My massage therapist said his goal is to create one new doodle-art a day for the next 30 days. Next month, he’ll choose another project that will feed his spirit. Plus, he committed to “smiling at one new person a day.”
What feeds your soul? What makes you happy?
If you love to write, what could your happiness project be for the next 30 days? Below are a few of my happiness project ideas:
- Write 750 words per day in my fantasy novel
- Read one new poem a day
- Read an hour a day from my reading list
- As part of the above, don’t just save my reading for the evening, but take a short reading break during my work-day for relaxation and feeding my soul
- Write one new poem a week
A wise person once said to me, “What you focus on expands.” So if you want to be happy, or as Joseph Campbell called it—“follow your bliss”—then focus on what makes you happy. And, be careful, because happiness really is contagious.
onewildword 
Thank you so much for this post! i will try and plan a happiness project 🙂
Great! Let me know what you choose. I started one this morning unintentionally…and then I thought about it and decided it would be an excellent happiness project: first thing when I wake up in the morning say aloud one thing I’m grateful for…of course, one thing then turned into about 10 things. ha!
its good that you are so grateful 🙂 i have a list of 7 things so i think i may need to cut it down to more manageable, choose some to work on first
I love this! The thing that would make me happiest would be to legitimately start on my book. But being in the middle of a divorce, selling a house, and looking for a job to pay for this crazy writing habit is making that tough.
I’d been planning on starting a happiness jar with my kids, though. You’ve inspired me to get started on that and when things mellow out… 750 words a day! I can’t wait!