Learning to set goals.

As I read through the introduction of the Happiness Project, I came to realize something. Setting goals for yourself is important. Not just long term goals, but short term ones as well. I have been very focused on my long term goals over the years, but not my short term goals. Why is this? Short term goals are just as important as their counterparts. In fact, for me, they might be even more important. I struggle with long term goals, mostly because of the fact that it takes time to see the results of your labor. I feel as if short term goals go unnoticed. They are virtually invisible because I don't give enough credence to them in the first place. Accomplishing the simple tasks of everyday life does in fact take effort. I know that in my case, doing the laundry and making sure I fold it afterwards, is a serious task. I hate to fold the laundry. But at the same time, I hate to see it sit in the basket and I curse like a sailor when I cannot locate a particular item.

So, one of the first goals I plan to set for myself, as I continue to read, is to make short term goals. Little goals or tasks for each week that will help me build that sense of accomplishment, especially while I'm job hunting. That in itself is emotionally draining. Over time, I'm hoping that repeating these tasks and getting into the routine of doing them will make them less taxing. Because at this point, that's exactly what each one feels like, leaving me less inclined to do the next task at hand.

Seems appropriate to start small. In essence, these are the types of daily tasks that just grow slowly until they become too overwhelming for me to handle. For example, the first item is washing out my coffee cup. If I am not active in doing this, I eventually get a crowd of coffee cups on the table - as if the table is hosting a small porcelain party to which I am not invited. Who wouldn't be sad after not being invited to a party? Truth be told, I realize that none of these tasks are earth shattering or life changing, but when lumped together I imagine they can and do make a impact on my mood each day. That's what I want to change.

Before I bid everyone goodnight, I would like to invite all of you to join in on my little happiness project. Or perhaps you are in need of your own happiness project? Whatever the reason, feel free to join in on the comments and write your own posts as I go along. The journey is bound to be different for each of us, but I welcome you to share. Let's build a little community, shall we?