2015 Self Improvement project

So I've decided to start up a self improvement project for myself upon the start of 2015. Yeah I'm 12 days late, but better late than never.

I'm going to dedicate each day of the week to practicing a "happiness strategy" or theme that I learned in Positive Psychology. I encourage anyone to join me in this, as anyone can benefit from applying these strategies to everyday life, and finding out what fits best for your own wellbeing.

Mindful Mondays.
on Monday I will make sure to be mindful in all that I do, especially when it comes to mundane activities that I often feel are just "going through the motions". Be aware of the present moment and pay close attention to what is around you. Actually EXPERIENCE the task you are performing. You might be surprised at what you often overlook. Relish the ordinary and take pleasure in the senses.
Three Ways Mindfulness Reduces Depression
7 Ways to be Mindful Every Day

Take-Part Tuesdays.
Sound so cheesy, but I had to keep the alliteration going. Tuesdays will be dedicated to performing random acts of kindness for others. Even small acts of kindness can go a long way in benefitting others as well as yourself, whether they are for strangers/friends/family, planned or spontaneous.
5 Ways Giving is Good for You

Wednesday: Wishful thinking.
What do I want to accomplish in the next year? The next month? The next week? It's important to keep your most important goals in mind and make sure your daily actions and habits are in line with them. To keep on track, Wednesdays I will write down what I am working on for myself, and what seems to work/not work.

Thankful Thursdays: Again, cheesy. But Thursday's theme is gratitude. One of my favorite themes of Positive Psychology. True gratitude is extremely powerful, I feel grateful every day. But Thursdays I will make sure to fully recognize and jot down my blessings to constantly reassure and validate the gratitude I feel.

Friday: Flow.
On Fridays, I will perform an activity that is extremely engaging and flow-inducing. Flow, is described by psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, is "being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost." (source).
For me, these flow activities include playing music, playing video games, writing, crafting, painting, collaging, etc.

Strength-Building Saturday.
All humans are endowed with a certain degree of each of the 24 character strengths identified by positive psychologists Chris Peterson and Martin Seligman. Much research has concluded that exercising one's top strengths leads to many benefits of wellbeing.
Engaging in activities that allow you to exercise your strengths are sure to make you feel good and increase your chances of experiencing flow. Consciously using these strengths will move you away from engaging in passive activities, such as watching TV (source).

Sunday: Savoring.
Sundays will be all about savoring life's joys. Whether it's savoring the past, present, or being optimistic about the future, savoring acts to extract the utmost joy out of life's pleasures, stretching happy experiences beyond their occurrences. Not only does it make experiences more rich, but it helps to cultivate gratitude for the beauty around you.

Each day I will write down and take note of how I performed each happiness activity and how it benefitted me. Writing my feelings out always works for me. I may post some, depending on the content/substance of each day's writings, but we'll see how it all works out. Please, feel free to share with me if you decide to participate.