YOUR Happiness Project: Go to the drug store. Or the hardware store. Or wherever.

I’m working on my Happiness Project, and you should have one, too! Everyone’s project will look different, but it’s the rare person who can’t benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday’s post will help you think about your own happiness project.

One sure way to give yourself a jolt of well-being is to cross some nagging task off your list. The more dreaded the task, the bigger the happiness bump – but even taking care of something insignificant can give you a boost.

Neither the Big Man nor I like running errands, so our household is often in need of little things – not vital things, but the things that annoy you when they’re missing. Right now, for example, we need AA batteries, thumbtacks, Kleenex, spray sunscreen, and envelopes.

Samuel Johnson pointed out that “To live in perpetual want of little things is a state, not indeed of torture, but of constant vexation." By making the effort to stay on top of the little things, you can keep the vexation to a minimum.

After I post this, I’m going to the drug store with my list. Oh right, one more thing, it helps to keep a list.

*
I’ve started sending out short monthly newsletters that will highlight the best of the previous month’s posts. If you’d like to sign up, click on the link in the upper-right-hand corner of my blog. Or just email me at grubin, then the “at” sign, then gretchenrubin dot com. No need to write anything more than “newsletter” in the subject line. I’ll add your name to the list.

Comments

[Allysson]

My husband always stocks up on things like light bulbs and batteries and keeps them in the "stock room" (our garage). Then the annoying task of going to the store to buy them has to happen much less frequently. I do the same with kleenex and toilet tissue and keep them in a cupboard in one of the bathrooms, and with paper towels.

But I'm not sure all this relates to true happiness. I've been very stressed lately due to a job problem and a car problem (having to replace one that's been totalled), and kid problems (one being diagnosed with ADD and having to experiment with different med.s and dealing with side effects). I finally did some body movement and some ritual work and some yoga. Wow! Why did I wait for "having enough time". I realise that there were many things I could have been doing on my own instead of being on the computer or in front of the TV!

Allysson

[Karen]

One thing I have started trying to do is to buy one extra of every drug store item. When I get down to one, I know I need to buy the item, but I still have plenty of time before I am actually out of it. My next project is to make amd print a list of all the frequently-purchased drugstore items and remember to check them off when I notice I'm down to one. Then my system will be really efficient and allow me to get the "to dos" out of my head until I'm ready to do them, per Getting Things Done. If I really get on top of this, I may even be able to start ordering everything from Drugstore.com, which will really make me happy as the Duane Reade prices and lines are obnoxious.

P.S. Bed Bath and Beyond now has a pretty complete drug store section with great prices...so if you like shopping for household gizmos, maybe you could make your errand less of a chore by combining it with a Bed Bath trip.