The Joy Project

I hate to say this because it sounds so negative...but, I am a pessimist. Yes. I am one of the people who see the glass half empty. It is something I really don't like about myself so this year will be devoted to the Joy Project. Finding joy in every day and refusing to let negativity enter my mind. Negative thoughts are what keep me awake at night because I don't just see one small thing happening, but I catastrophize. That's right. I can project from one small incidence to the end of the world as I know it. In my heart I know that all is not a catastrophe but my mind keeps searching for it and finding it.

This year is devoted to breaking the habit of negativity and pessimism. Although I am a person who can sink into melancholy at the slightest provocation, I am going to attempt to find the tools to keep myself away from the dark place. You know the one. Where you are not good enough, nothing you do ever turns out right, you can't make a good decision, etc. We are going to find some peace if it kills us. Just kidding...see I told you I could catastrophize!

Negativity is a habit so we must attempt to break the habit. The first step is to give ourselves the means to peace. For me that is order. I cannot function in disorder. This will be hard for me because I have a big family and that means lots of disorder. So, I need to tame the chaos for myself and my kids. The chaos begins in my mind. I multitask. I am a chronic, hardened multitasker. I have to stop cold turkey. Things only truly get accomplished when you single task them until completed. That also means that I have to ignore the outside noise. Not ignore it exactly, but let it run off my back, I will get to each thing in its own time.

"The first step to becoming is to will it." -Mother Teresa

Single tasking---

Make a schedule of your days and weeks
Put down a task for each hour of the day...so instead of clean house for an hour, write exactly clean the bathroom, dust the living room and vacuum the downstairs. Give yourself specific single tasks to accomplish during the time and work at the one job until it is complete, then move on to the next task.

If life is chaotic in one particular area set about a way to remedy it. Mine is paperwork. I have documents, papers, and files galore to keep track of....most of the time I am in a panic when someone asks for their birth certificate (I have 11 to keep up with) or their report card or their SAT ticket. I have to tame the paper beast to become peaceful. I will set aside a day to accomplish this and will put nothing else on my plate that day except the essentials.

Find Inspiration
Fill your mind with positvie quotes. Fill a notebook. Read them whenever your mind starts heading down the wrong path.

How is that for peaceful?