Me & My Quite Contrary Life

NUDGED: "Give in to an impulse that gives me joy" BACKSTORY: It is not a coincidence that so many of my nudge challenges relate to joy in some way. That is one of the major goals of this project - to find greater joy in life and to get out of my comfort zone. This nudge gave me permission to follow joy whenever an idea came to me.  Going in to the week, I had no idea when or where or what form this nudge would take....but I was excited to find out! QUOTE: "When you follow your bliss, doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors; and where there wouldn't be a door for anyone else." - Joseph Campbell HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: Implementing this nudge was highly dependent on what I was feeling on a certain week. I decided to "go with the flow" for whatever my mind was interested in this week, which would be totally different on any given week. I gave myself permission to be engrossed in whatever it was that gave me joy. It didn...

NUDGED: "List 3 moments of joy every day this week" BACKSTORY: This nudge came from the book "Option B" by Sheryl Sandberg that I recently read. She lost her husband very suddenly so she was working through grief and figuring out how to continue on with her life and future without him. She began a process of writing 3 moments of joy every day, which helped her to notice joy and feel grateful. I liked this idea when I read it and added it to my own journaling moments, but it didn't last. For this nudge, I want to make this daily practice a habit and want to discover what things give me joy throughout a normal day/week. QUOTE: "Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day." - Henri J.M. Nouwen HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: This nudge was relatively straight-forward and easy to start and continue. Each evening before bed, I made a practice of mentally reviewing my day and listing the moments of joy that occurred...

Mid-week check in! I am working on my latest "nudge" and having fun while doing it (along with being challenged!!). It has definitely given me new insights....more to come on that! I am so blessed to have so much support with this project. It keeps coming up in conversations (okay, so I may be excited and bring it up!) and each time I come away with new ideas and support. No one has told me I am crazy for trying this (yet!). I love it when the response I get is, "you know what I've always wanted to do but have been too afraid..." Great ideas! Each time, I write down the new idea on a small piece of paper, crumple it up, and add it to the box. Each Sunday, I pick a task from the box and implement it that week. With all the great ideas from other people, ideas from the original author of the project, ideas from books I'm reading, and more ideas that randomly pop into my head, I had to move to a bigger box this week. I picked a container that I love that ...

I started working on my new challenge before I even knew it was a challenge. My "tasks" sound totally random, but I discovered later that they were all connected. Isn't it amazing when the picture suddenly becomes clear? There were several random, seemingly unrelated moments recently. I walked the halls of my middle school and elementary school, both places I hadn't stepped foot in for over two decades at least. I tried one class of aerials and learned I could survive doing something scary, and that it was okay if I didn't love it. I ordered a mystery clothing box from an online retailer and enjoyed trying on different styles that I normally wouldn't select for myself. I was immersed in a completely different culture while on vacation and had the opportunity to try new foods, ask lots of questions (of course!), and experience new things. It all came together when a friend mentioned the " 52 Nudges " project. Kathleen Guthrie Woods began this pers...