Note: If you’re new to my project, be sure to check out my first post to learn more.
This month kicks off my year-long self-improvement project based on Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project. This month’s resolution focuses on energy. This would be the same as the book, and although I have created my own resolution list, I decided to keep this one. Rubin decided that focusing on energy in January would help with resolutions in later months. I think that alone is a great reason to start with energy, but I’d like to also keep this resolution for the first month due to the onset of winter. The cloudy days, in addition to the early sunsets, make it very difficult for me to stay focused and energized. If you’re from an area that loses sunlight this time of year, I hope you’ll take on similar goals with me and that they will work well for you!
When faced with a setback, Rubin would often step back and “Identify the Problem.” In making my goals, I’m attempting to identify what problem areas I have and what will lead to improvements. Below are my goals that I’ve set for January:
1. Establish a proper morning/evening routine.
When I was in school, I always felt that I completely crashed over winter breaks. I was so tired, even though I was doing much less than I was at school. I realized that it was because I was setting myself to no standards; I had no routine. So I would schedule my days, even if I was just relaxing one day, so I would have something to stick to. My routine isn’t very consistent currently, so I think setting routines and eliminating bad habits (like hitting the snooze button) will help.
2. Re-establish an exercise routine.
I’ve had a good exercise routine for a while, but I’m leaving this goal in because I lost track over the holidays. If one of your resolutions is to start exercising, let me know how it affects your sleep! Most people that I know (myself included) sleep better when we’re more physically active on the regular.
3. Declutter and re-organize.
This is one of the goals in the book, and I wanted to use this one because I relate to what Rubin says about clutter. It can absolutely be tiring and/or stressful being in a cluttered environment. I live in an older house, so it is generally smaller and has much less storage than a newer house. That being said, things can look messy in my room very quickly. It would feel nicer to keep things more minimal, and I’d love to gradually work through and simplify what I own.
4. Sort through digital clutter.
Similar to the above, but digital clutter can be just as tiresome to sift through several times a day. I still have some e-mail lists from college that I don’t need anymore, among others, and in general would like a better organization system for my files.
5. Opt for healthier snack alternatives.
My weight has always been on the lower side, so one of my long-term goals is to put on some more weight. I’d like to do so with healthier foods, but haven’t been as good this December due to all the great holiday food (and my love for baking!). Sugar definitely zaps my energy, while high-protein foods and other healthier choices make me feel energized. This month I’d like to find recipes and better snacks that are both calorie-dense and will keep me moving throughout the day.
6. Address afternoon and after-work crashes.
I believe that having an evening routine and eating better will help in this area, but I’d like to see what else I can do here. I’ve always been a morning person, and I find that around 2 PM I get very tired and my productivity dwindles. After work, I sometimes waste time sitting around until I can muster the energy to cross things off my list. This wasn’t as bad before, but with the sun coming down at 4:30, I’m associating the time as being much later. I believe that more structure with my after-work activities and tasks will help tremendously.
Thank you for reading and following along with my goals! If you’d like to continue reading about my project, click here to read about my goals for February. What are your goals for this month? Let me know below.
Sincerely,
Julie Anna x
