Quantcast
Channel: Crave by Random House » Lindsey Loves…
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

Lindsey Participates in the 21 Day Relationship Challenge AND a Contest!

0
0

 

Focusing on creating happiness in your life seems like such a small thing, but it is SO important. The fact of the matter is that so many people forget to focus on the positive in their lives and that’s why the world needs people like Gretchen Rubin. Follow along while I participate in her 21 Day Relationship Challenge that began in early 2013.

DAY 1: January 14, 2013 – Kiss Me in the Morning, Kiss at Night

Gretchen makes sure to point out that if kissing isn’t appropriate in your situation, then be sure to hug someone to brighten their day, as well as your day! My friend was having a not so great day and I think by giving her a hug, it reminded her that I’ve got her back and that she can rely on me in the future.

DAY 2: January 15, 2013 – Give Gold Stars

I gave each of my friends 5 gold stars OR what I like to call friendship points just because they’re all so special to me.

DAY 3: January 16, 2013 – Make the Positive Argument

Instead of arguing with yourself, reason with yourself and try to make a positive argument. It’s been really cold here in Toronto so the thought of shoveling snow makes me shudder. Normally I put it off as long as possible, but I thought I’d take the positive approach and say to myself, “yes it’s cold, but going outside will give me some fresh air and it’s exercise”. Reframing my thinking made the experience less frustrating and made me feel like I was doing something for my body… and my driveway.

DAY 4: January 17, 2013 – Under React to a Problem

If you’re like me you have a tendency to react in a dramatic way… okay maybe that’s just me, but I like to hit the panic button a little too early. In turn, this was the hardest challenge for me thus far, but when I took a step back and told myself to under react rather than overreact, it was so helpful. Of course I felt proud of myself and happy that I was able to make a wiser decision about reacting to a problem.

DAY 5: January 18, 2013 – Give Warm Greetings and Farewells

Giving a warm greeting to someone feels natural to me, so this challenge wasn’t too difficult. That’s why I thought I’d mix it up a bit and send a few special notes in cards to people that are special to me. Telling people the importance they have in your life is a small but mighty gesture. Not only does it make you feel better, but your family and friends feel equally as special.

DAY 6: January 19, 2013 – Dig Deep

This challenge came at a perfect time because I took on the crazy task of looking after my friend’s children for the evening. They are 4 and 2, so I knew that I’d have to do a lot of “digging deep”. They are great kids and so much fun, but I’m not use to all that energy and emotion in one evening so realizing that their reactions to situations should be looked at in a humorous and appreciative way, rather than a negative way made me better understand their needs.

DAY 7: January 20, 2013 – Abandon Your Self Control

If you like being in control, raise your hand. Are all your hands raised? I like knowing what times things are going to be happening, I like knowing who’s going to be at an event at what time. I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that people have said  that I operate a tight ship. That’s why letting go of control is such a hard thing to do, but I decided to let my inhibitions down and let someone else control my Sunday afternoon plans and you know what, the world didn’t end. I had just as much fun and I didn’t have to stress about a thing. This is one resolution I’d like to keep doing in the future!

DAY 8: January 21, 2013 – Control the Cubicle in Your Pocket

Working in social media generally means that I look at my phone every hour of the day. Even if you don’t work in social media, we are slaves to the “cubicle in our pockets.” So giving that up to spend time with the people I like spending time with is always a good thing. On Monday night my friends and I got together for a TV watching/popcorn eating evening and I left my phone in my purse for a whooping 3 hours. It was hard and I felt like my right hand was missing, but I had in depth conversations with my friends without the distraction of my phone buzzing in my pocket.

DAY 9: January 22, 2013 – Plan a Nice Little Surprise

Gretchen Rubin suggests this be a little surprise, so a few days prior to January 22nd, I agreed to go to a yoga class with my manager on our lunch break. Not too long ago, we spent our lunch breaks picking up something from the nearby food joint we always visit, so it was a nice surprise to shake up our old habits and try something new and something that benefits my health and mind. It was a great bonding experience and both of us felt reinvigorated after the class!

DAY 10: January 23, 2013 – Follow a Threshold Ritual

One of my nightly rituals is plugging in my phone to a charger on my night table so that it’s fully charged for the next day. This morning when I woke up and came to work, I looked down at my phone and there it was full of “juice” for the day. It’s a little thing, but it’s peace of mind knowing that I don’t have to stress or have anxiety about not being able to tweet, respond to an email or take a picture throughout the day!

DAY 11: January 24, 2013 – Quit Nagging

As Gretchen says, “it’s no fun to be nagged, and it’s no fun to be a nag”. So instead of pestering my friends about tardiness (one of my biggest pet peeves), I took a step back and realized that everyone has a busy life and it never helps to sweat the small stuff.  Of course, teaching myself not to nag or send copious amount of texts was hard, but I felt better and I know they loved not receiving 3+ texts!

DAY 12: January 25, 2013 – Don’t Keep Score

I don’t like to keep score, because I know it’s not healthy for anyone involved, so this challenge wasn’t too difficult for me… thank goodness!

DAY 13: January 26, 2013 – Ask for a Favor

Today is a Saturday and I decided to do a little house project in fixing my desk that has a wobbly leg. In full disclosure, I had NO idea what I was doing, so I reached out to my neighbor, who does know how to fix things. He happily came over to help me out and it strengthened our relationship beyond saying hello while we both get the mail. At first it felt a little awkward, but I quickly realized that asking for a helping hand is a welcoming and kind gesture.

DAY 14: January 27, 2013 – Get Enough Sleep

It’s never hard for me to get enough sleep, but I always take advantage of making sure I go to bed early on Sunday nights in order to prepare for a full week of work ahead. As Gretchen explains, “Being well-rested will make it a lot easier to be patient, energetic, light-hearted, and tolerant. And that will make a big difference to your relationships”. She’s 100% right, getting a good night’s sleep always makes me a happier and more energetic person!

DAY 15: January 28, 2013 – Consider Some Hard Facts about Shared Work

I’ve called myself a team player and in most cases, I love sharing my work load with people. On the other hand, I like working in solidarity, because who doesn’t like having control over projects they’ve started. That being said, it’s important to ask for help, so I was sure to call on Ainsley when I got stuck with a project that needed another set of eyes. Moral of the story: Don’t be afraid to ask for help, it’ll only make your work stronger in the end.

DAY 16: January 29, 2013 – Respond to the Spirit of a Gift

I’ve heard that women find it very difficult to accept compliments and I’m SO that woman. Today I wore my hair differently and received lots of great compliments. At first I responded by saying “oh this – it’s nothing” but based on today’s tip, I decided to embrace their kind words and treat them like a gift. I enjoyed the sweet things people were saying and let them sink in, which of course added to my level of happiness. This is one tip, I want to continue to work on throughout 2013.

DAY 17: January 30, 2013 – Jump

When I first read this challenge topic, I was very confused… She wants me to jump, like physically? But I’ve come this far, so I stuck with it and I jumped on a Wednesday morning while waiting for my toast to pop up from the toaster. Did I feel happier? You bet I did! Jumping cost $0.00 and it’s a whole lot of fun!

DAY 18: January 31, 2013 – Embrace good smells

Who doesn’t love the smell of a new book? Since we work in an office filled with them, I went into this room and took a sniff of in the wonderful smell of literature. I run in this room all the time, but I never really take the time to embrace how fortunate and blessed I am to be surrounded by so much greatness. This quickly became my favourite challenge, because it taught me to literally slow down and smell the roses… or, er… books!

DAY 19: February 1, 2013 – Beware of unconscious overclaiming

Gretchen’s right, we’re all so focused on everything we do, we don’t focus on the contributions made by other people. Every morning I go into a little café right next to our work and every morning before I start to order, the lovely woman gets started on what she knows I’m going to order… what can I say, I’m a creature of habit! Focusing on this little detail and saying thank you makes me feel better and I can only hope that it adds a little brightness to her day!

DAY 20: February 2, 2013 – Do Someone Else’s Task

I’m lucky to work in a department where this task happens a lot. Mostly because the four of us rely on one another for advice, guidance, or some assistance in order to produce quality content for all of you to read. I can tell you that whenever I offer to help, or they offer to help take on a task, it’s always a great feeling to know that there are supportive and encouraging people all around!

DAY 21: February 3, 2013 – Boot Camp Perfect

The idea behind the final day challenge is that you’ll apply these daily challenges and apply each of them to a week of 2013. It’s a clever and fun way to create a happier you and who wouldn’t want that!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin

Published: Sep 04, 2012 by Doubleday Canada
ISBN: 9780385670821
Price: $29.95
Chapters-Indigo
Amazon

The post Lindsey Participates in the 21 Day Relationship Challenge AND a Contest! appeared first on Crave by Random House.


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 2

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images