What Is Happiness To You?
You know how sometimes you just keep delaying on stuff that’s meant to help you improve or better your life? Like doing menu plans, or scheduling your week, or writing Christmas cards? If you’re a serial procrastinator like I am, and if you often feel bad at not keeping up with all the stuff you ‘should’ be doing, then this might put a smile on your face. It took me 9 minutes and made me feel truly inspired and at peace.
A while back I wrote about the ‘perfect week exercise‘ over on Woman Incredible. Ever since I published that post I’ve been meaning to get around to properly mapping out my perfect week. It’s become a bit of a task actually; one that I keep putting off!
Just now it occurred to me that I don’t know if the perfect week is really about changing many of the activities I do or mapping out a perfect plan. I mean certainly there would be more of some things I already do and less of others, but mainly the perfect week is about a feeling; or several feelings.
perfect feelings
Peace
Inner happiness
Reassurance
Security
Anticipation
Excitement
Joy
Challenge
Accomplishment
Laughter
Fun
Beauty
Relaxation
These are all things that would exist in my perfect week. So trying to define or narrow it down to a range of activities doesn’t necessarily fit, as even the most fun and exciting things become mundane over time. But here are some elements of my perfect week:
- adequate rest and sleep
- couple time with Enzo
- family activities or fun playtime
- a fabulous dinner with friends
- seeing my daughter laugh and get excited
- watching her find her place in the world when out and about/with other kids
- Bikram yoga
- truly challenging training; where I walk away feeling powerful and like I’ve conquered something (myself?!)
- pride and a sense of accomplishment: writing a great article/ receiving a blogging or motivational speaker award
- uninterrupted ‘flow’ writing time
- me time in nature i.e. 1000 stairs
- church
- a family meal
- wandering me time i.e. around the city
- elation at watching my online sales grow and the knowledge that my hard work building an online business is paying off
- sitting in my own beautiful back garden, with a cup of coffee and the Sunday papers, watching my daughter play
- explorative and gratitude journaling
- the energy and inclination at night to journal!
- delicious home-prepared meals alone, or with others
- laying in the sun and watching the clouds
- a clean, open and welcoming house to come home to
- bills paid, money in savings in the bank, no credit card debt
- reading, studying or writing in the State Library
- planning an exciting holiday, even just for a day or two
- people booking in; filling up my workshops or events
- being asked to speak at something exciting like Business Chicks
- a sports modeling photo shoot of me in a magazine or the Sunday paper
- inspiring other women either on or offline
- working toward an important goal: anticipation
- doing something nice for someone else, for no reward
- eating M&Ms and drinking wine in Gold Class
That would be a truly amazing week! I’m smiling just thinking about it 🙂
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My perfect week would include
– getting up to exercise before the day begins 4-5 days
– getting enough sleep
– spending fun and relaxing (obligation free) time with my partner
– cook a meal together and then eat together without distractions
– finding a new cool restaurant or bar to check out
– spend time with family
– catch up with friends
– regular yoga
– eat clean and prepare it myself
– lift weights
– go dancing
– draw
– plan (for next trip, goal development, meal, study, life!)
– go and see live music
– get onto or ahead with study
.. Wow, I’m trying to do a lot and most of the time I’m doing pretty well and getting most of it done!
Isn’t it a great feeling to map out your ideal life and then realise you’re pretty much already living it?! Sometimes it’s just as rewarding to stop and acknowledge as it is to actually experience!
Great post! Leaves me smiling too and super motivated to spend part of this Sunday afternoon mapping out my perfect week … launching my photography website, early morning core strength exercises and weight training, publishing my first book, laughter with family and friends, indulging in a few contemporary art gallaries, red wine and raw chocolate, long walks with my dog down country lanes … ahhh blissful release!
Sounds like a perfect week indeed! Dreaming is half the enjoyment 🙂