I have been thinking about this quote for a while. I think I first read it in Gretchen Rubin’s book ‘The Happiness Project’, and it pops into my head now and then, usually at times when I really need to remember it.
When I think about the person I am, my values and the things that are important to me, they are not always the things that I naturally prioritise. I’ve been reading Thrive by Arianna Huffington, which talks about the importance of focussing on our wellbeing, getting a good night’s sleep, meditation, mindfulness and disconnecting from the constant demands of our digital devices. It’s made me think about the things I do every day, and the things that are commanding my time at the expense of the things I’d like to do every day. It’s also made me think about the way I spend money – buying things that I then rarely use, or fixating on owning something because I like the idea of using it (I think I bought more items of running gear last month than there were occasions when I actually went out running).
With this in mind, I thought I’d make a list of things that I do most days, to get to the heart of the things that are really contributing to my overall happiness. This is what, apparently, ‘matters most’ to me;
001. Check Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and my emails.
002. Get cross with myself for eating something, or not exercising.
003. Drink green tea.
004. Read a book or magazine.
005. Sit in front of a computer.
006. Crave (and usually give in to) a sugary treat.
007. Cuddle Bodhi.
008. Spend money – usually buying something I don’t need.
009. Worry about my to-do list.
010. Have a pre-bedtime bath.
Clearly there are some of these that I’d like to continue doing every day, and some bad habits that could be better transformed into something positive. My intentions to be kinder to myself by having a once-a-week evening to myself are clearly going to be outweighed by the fact that every day I tell myself off for eating something I shouldn’t, or not going to the gym. Here’s my list of things I’d like to do every day. I’m going to make it my new priority to do these every day as much as possible.
001. Be kind.
002. Do yoga.
003. Go for a walk.
004. Be grateful.
005. Eat vegetables.
006. Take my vitamins.
007. Meditate
008. Show love to friends and family (and Bodhi)
009. Get some fresh air.
010. Read a book.
The last couple of days I’ve taken Bodhi out for his morning walk rather than letting Tom do it, and getting some morning exercise, spending time with B-Dog and getting some fresh air is definitely making me feel better (and I think Bodhi likes it too).
What do you do every day? Are you doing the things that matter most?