Goals, a Gift, and Go!
Assignment One
The first assignment in the Joy Immersion Project is made up of three simple parts.
One thing I've learned on this journey is that accountability and goal-setting is key to success in any endeavor. Even if you are here simply to feel a little better in your day-to-day life, you are much more likely to succeed at that goal if you know precisely what you want. It will also help immensely if you are accountable for your own decisions to pursue those goals. You can be accountable to yourself, or you can be accountable to a trusted person. It's up to you.
Part One:
This is a link to a form. Click the link, print the form, fill it out, and sign it. Put it somewhere that you will see it every day. If you are being accountable to someone else, give them a copy.
(Wasn't that easy?)
Part Two:
Every step you take in the direction of your goals brings you a little bit closer to achieving them. Pick the goal that is most important to you and do something to begin reaching for it. For instance, if your goal is simply to become a happier person, do something that makes you happy. If your goal is to get your house organized, clean out a drawer or clear a shelf. If your goal is to get into better shape, go out for a walk. If your goal is to exercise dopamine production, watch something that makes you laugh. It's okay to take baby-steps here. We're just getting started.
Part Three:
Go out and do something nice for yourself today. It can be big or small. Expensive or free. But do something that makes you feel good.
I can give you some suggestions. Pick one that fits or make one up for yourself. The only limitation is that it must be a kindness to yourself. Nothing abusive that "feels good" because you don't like yourself. (Think of things that you would do for someone you love.) Here are some ideas:
- Sit and have a hot cocoa or a cold iced tea (depending on the weather and your tastes, of course)
- Polish your nails
- Trim your beard
- Buy yourself some new socks
- Watch your favorite movie on DVD
- Take a nap
- Put your feet up and read something that makes you feel good
- Wash your face
- Put lotion on all over your body
- Call a friend or family member you haven't talked to in several months
- Play a game
- Indulge in something you reserve for special occasions
- Buy a little something to spruce up your house, apartment or room
- Wash your hair and use that special conditioner
- Sit in the grass and look for a four-leaf clover
- Spend an hour working on a hobby you love, whether you think you have time or not.
- Get a massage or a facial or both
- Smell a flower - or a whole garden of flowers
- Get dressed up and go somewhere, even if it's just to the mall or the park
- Brush your teeth and use mouthwash
- Put on a CD and sing your favorite song
- Change your clothes and put on some cologne
- Buy yourself a toy and play with it
- Imagine your goal and how it will feel to have reached it
- Anything else you can think of that shows kindness to yourself
Only one act of self-kindness is required today, but there is no upward limit. If you want to do everything on the list (twice, even!), I say go for it.
Make today your self-pampering day. Tomorrow we're going to start doing a little work.