What makes me happy?

Simple things make me happy. Seeing a large poof of cotton candy brings a huge smile to my face. Being able to check off everything on my to do list is deeply satisfying while reading semi-trashy vampire romance novels puts me in a pleasant mood for hours on end. However, there was a time though I couldn’t actually answer what made me happy, or at the very least I couldn’t tell you any small things that made me happy. I knew I enjoyed traveling and eating tasty food at a fancy restaurant for example, but those things cost money and couldn’t be something I could do at a drop of a dime. Furthermore, in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, depending on traveling and restaurants for happiness is a recipe for disappointment.

Paying deliberate attention to our joy is crucial for self-care. I included a page in the LOT planner to track the things that make me happy not only to smile when I was in a good mood but as a road map for putting myself back in a good head space when I felt melancholy. There are times where we need happiness and joy in our lives, and it is hard to remember how to engender that. Having a page that tracks your personalized joy is one step in the right direction.

So, every time you feel joy, ask yourself why and write it down. When you feel yourself smiling big, write down the cause. Feel free to color code what makes you happy: red for activities, green for food, and blue for people for example. Whatever your system, the LOT planner encourages you to take a moment every day to be deliberate about focusing on your happiness.