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Ditch Your Lists And Be A More Focused Freelancer

October 10, 2016 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

Ditch Your Lists And Be A More Focused Freelancer

Ditch the lists for better freelancingIf you are a freelancer or blogger, you have a lot of tasks to juggle.

Chances are you use lists to inspire you and keep you on track. But how effective are your lists?

  • Do you make lists only to cross of a few items every day?
  • Do you transfer the rest of today’s list to tomorrow’s list?
  • Do you have a zillion ideas for new projects, blog posts, content, or activities, but you don’t know which one to start?
  • Do you have trouble finishing projects on deadline?
  • Do you have trouble keeping all your jobs organized?

I was guilty of all of these. While my clients’ jobs were and are, usually under control, that was about it. If I wanted to grow my business or focus on accomplishing some writing projects for myself, I always felt like a failure. I repeatedly wrote list after list, filling notebooks, and file cabinets with notes and links, resources, books, recipes, etc. that definitely had a purpose… just not right then… just not until I finished this other thing…

I even started to buy into that little voice telling myself that I’d never retrieve and act on even a small portion of my “good ideas.” I’d write things down knowing in my bones that I’d forget them as soon as they were filed.

Ugh! How demoralizing is that? I was literally becoming the crazy bat who wrote down every thought, and filed it away. Like the woman with the jar of strings “too short to save.”

Lists are great, but for a lot of us, they’re not effective.

Thanks to a friend of mine (who runs this school carnival supplies business) I discovered a new way to deal with all the things that need doing. Not just in my work, but in my family and personal life, too. The great thing about my new system is that I can keep as many ideas as I want, and store them within an organizational method that makes me feel like the type-A person I’m not. (You really can fake it till you make it.)

It’s called Kanban Flow, and it resembles a grid-like organizational chart where you move components from one section of the chart to another as you finish them. At least that’s the way this novice is using it. It’s not a bulletin board, though you could visualize it that way. It’s called a Trello board, an online chart where you can see your entire newly- categorized life laid out like the yellow brick road.

This Trello thing could make you crazy effective! The longer I use it, the better habits I have, so I just have to share it with you. This might change your life…

The Japanese Kanban FlowThe Kanban system was created in Japanese manufacturing plants as a way to keep track of inventory. As it turns out, kanban (sounds like “bonbon”) is a great way to manage all your to-dos, brilliant ideas, shopping lists, team meeting agendas, car maintenance schedules, or family calendars as well!

Name your project or whatever you’re working on now; you can probably get it done better with a Kanban flow.

Although there are a few Kanban apps out there, I use Trello because it’s free and easy to learn. In fact, I’ve used if for a couple of years now, and I’m just beginning to really embrace how to integrate it into my daily routine and allow it to help me be more productive.

How Do Kanban Flows Work?

Here’s the idea. First you create a board and give it a title. This is your overarching category or theme. Say you are a content writer or copywriter. You might call your first board…

  • Blog Post Ideas
  • 2017 Blog Content
  • Guest Blog Categories
  • Get More Instagram Followers…

Pick some goal or project you imagine conquering.

As you begin creating your first Trello dashboard, you’ll find there a learning curve regarding how you set up your boards.

First there’s the “problem” of being too general. You might start with boards titled, “Things I need to do in October” and then discover that it makes more sense to actually have two boards: “Personal Things I Need to Do” and “Professional Things I Need to Do.”

You may also realize that each project should have its own board. As soon as you begin adding lists to each board, you start seeing how simply and quickly a project that previously seemed out of hand could actually be accomplished.

On the other hand, you might realize that a project requires more steps than you originally thought.

Here’s where you learn to love lists again.

Every board consists of a panel of lists laid out from left to right. Lists consist of cards. Not mere jots and scribbles, but actual separate areas where you can place images, thoughts, get comments from team members, add articles and links found on the web, add checklists, and PDFs or Google docs, etc. from your computer

With the ability to add cards to a list, you are able to flesh out every item on your list with supporting material. It’s list-making for clean freaks. Everything looks tidy and your work is suddenly streamlined, but you still have everything you need. You don’t have to kiss goodbye all those tangential thoughts, and sparks of fancy. They all have a place where you can retrieve them if necessary, but they’re not yammering all over the place disturbing your concentration. (We creative types struggle with that.)

Lists might include background research, questions, hypotheses, history, etc. They could also include active working areas, like components of a project to which different team members are able to make contributions.

I personally like to add a “Done” list to just about every board I start so that I can swipe a task from a working area to that oh-so-satisfying “Done” column. Bliss.

The best way to start feeling that productivity mojo is to just go to Trello right now and start playing.

But if you still need some inspiration for how a freelance writer or blogger can use the Kanban flow, here are some ways to get started.

post its keeping you organized?Here are eight ways I use Trello Boards:

1. Mind Map

Mind Maps! If you’ve ever used a mind map to develop an idea into a finished outline for an article or post, then you know you can either scribble a main idea in the center of a sheet of paper and draw arrows from there; OR you can jot all your ideas onto post-it notes and stick them on a large sheet of paper in some orderly fashion. Either way, mind maps are helpful, fun, and sometimes messy.

Unless you’re really ready to work on an idea, you might not want to start all that brainstorming. You may not appreciate all those notes and sheets of paper cluttering up your workspace either. If you want to insert some order, just use a Kanban flow. (By the way, Kanban people use words like Lean and Agile to describe productive workflows…but Orderly won me over.)

2. Blog Content

This is why I started using Trello in the first place and where the bulk of my usage is still.

Every company or website I write for has its own board. Usually when I’m writing for a blog (or as a ghost blogger) a good part of the work is coming up with ideas. Sometimes the business owner has a monthly or quarterly theme in mind. Sometimes she’s gearing up for a product launch and so the content will lead up to that. And sometimes, it’s up to me to come up with some interesting content ideas.

I keep a board for each website where I’m a contributor. My first column is typically a smorgasbord of content ideas. I toss them up there in no particular order, using the Trello app on my cell phone whenever a good idea comes to me as I’m mobile. Once an idea is on that first column, and if it’s any good, usually I will start to add supporting ideas to it. It’s weird how easily this happens. As soon as I come up with a sticky idea, suddenly everything I see looks like a green light to write it. For example, I might read an article that supports the idea, or hear a podcast that has some relevance to the topic. I may run across a photo or a tweet that would be nice to include. The post practically writes itself if it’s right.

Once I have added a few notes to a possible idea, I take it as a sign that I should run with it. So I move it over to a list of posts I’m currently working on. From there, it will eventually find it’s way to the calendar, if it hasn’t already been assigned, and then to the “waiting for approval” column, then to “Done.”

At the GO phase, it’s just a matter of progression and time, not so much ideation.

Now another other cool thing about Trello is you can add a calendar to your boards — perfect for keeping tabs on publish dates — as well as invite others to your board so they can comment. While I’m pretty strict about tuning out contributing voices as I write, the overall content strategy definitely benefits from others’ opinions.

Again, for blog content, the arrangement of cards means nothing is ever really lost. I make a new card for every general topic I create for my own blog. Right now I have ideas for about 20 articles that are “simmering.” This means I am not exactly tackling these topics right now, but they are generally on my mind.

Trello ExtensionUnlike my filing system I mentioned at the beginning of this post, all of these blog topics and “great ideas” are accessible and viewable. When I see something that complements the topic, I simply click the chrome extension on my browser and the link is captured. A small Trello popup opens and I can simply add it to the appropriate board and list. It looks like this (right).

Why is this so effective? Because I can touch it once, and store it in the right place; but I don’t have to think about it again so it doesn’t occupy any more room in my mind.

The major benefit for me is, I’ve dealt with it as much as I’m going to until I’m ready to compile all the facts and ideas into an article. Then I’ll have everything on hand to outline and create a first draft… if the idea ever gets that far.

After that, I include checklists, another feature that I like. Now I can get the post ready with all the pertinent details: Whether it’s formatted for WordPress, the due date, images selected, title graphics, optimized headlines, keywords, tags and meta tags (SEO items), etc. You can see at a glance how close a blog post is to being ready to publish.

You may be wondering at this point, what can you add to a Trello card?

Here’s a list of some things I’ve uploaded: Images, links to articles, comments, PDFs, Google docs, things I’ve clipped to Evernote or Dropbox, quotes, tweets, and comments from clients. The software is set up to help you access and use a lot of the other apps and software in conjunction with Trello, and you can “power up” your boards with them. Yay!

But wait, there’s more…

Trello husky
Taco, The Trello Husky

Here are some other ways freelance writers can use a Kanban system like Trello to get and stay organized:

3. Job and Contact Management 

How do you keep your job searches and contact communication organized? When I’m applying for a freelance job, or after I’ve talked with a prospect I want to work with, I start a card under the list “Jobs” under the Board “New Work.”

I keep list columns for jobs and projects I applied for or bid on, whether I sent a link to my portfolio, I post a link to my proposal and bid, along with a copy of the cover letter. And then I have a follow up list and/or signed contract list.

4. Long, Ongoing Projects

Ebooks, infographics, and longer projects I’m working on. Here again, regular practice and doing the same things over and over again, will help you make progress. If you’re just taking stabs at the thing whenever you “get a chance” you’re probably going to become frustrated that the project is not gaining traction. I include lists for research, various edited drafts, whether it’s formatted for CMS, milestones and deadlines, and graphic design components.

5. Guest Post Management

If you are a blogger, you probably already know about the value in guest posting to other blogs. Similar to the blog board is my guest blog board. In addition to content ideas, there are other things that are important to keep track of:

  • A spreadsheet of blogs accepting posts
  • Blogs I’m most likely to get accepted
  • Ideas for posts geared to specific blogs (sometimes outside my wheelhouse)
  • Drafts
  • Sent drafts
  • Drafts responded to (or neglected or declined)
  • Articles resent to an alternate blog (because why waste?)

6. Digital Hoarding Collections of Things

As a writer, of course I’m a content consumer, too. I keep a board of books I want to read, courses I want to take, movies I want to see, etc.

7. Personal / Household / Family

My personal projects and goals are perfectly fair game for a healthy Kanban flow, and I’m beginning to use it more for that.

For example, my son is at the age where it’s time to teach him to drive. In Texas, there is a convoluted path to teenage driving. It starts with ordering a parent instruction packet from the DMV. After that, there’s online tests, application for underage permit, logging of driving hours under certain conditions, etc. I will be using my Trello to get us through this.

Another issue that seems clearer thanks to Trello is a household IT problem we’re grappling with these days. Every technician, cable guy, and “geek” has a secondary troubleshooting idea for us. I started a list on my household board dedicated to solving this. I’m keeping the names of specific routers and other products I can try. I’m noting actions we’ve taken to fix the intermittent Internet outages, and network password reminders. Rather than jot notes on paper to transfer later, I just upload the idea or note to a card with my phone. Trello’s mobile app is great!

Family Trello board

I’m sure there are other personal and professional goals and projects I could be hacking with a Kanban flow method. Now that I’m beginning to get cozy with Trello, I’ve stopped just throwing things together.

8. Recurring Tasks

Finally, there are those pesky recurring tasks that must be done. Unless you’re a robot or your have extra help with certain tasks, and have your routine so perfectly ingrained in your programming, a Kanban flow could help you with this, as it helped me.

While you can power up a board with Trello’s “Card Repeater,” another alternative is using a Zap or the handy Echo app built by Dennis Martinez. I’ve set this up and it works quite nicely.

I use my recurring tasks board more as a reminder that I have to do these things than as an organizational tool. Just set Trello to automatically open upon login, and you’ll know first thing every morning. Some of my recurring tasks include posting to social media sites, bookkeeping, payments, taxes, filing tasks, etc. I sort them by weeks, months, and quarters.

Are you ready to add an element of organization to your life that you simply can’t touch with lists?

The Kanban method will change your life because it guides you toward changing your habits.

If you want to become a focused freelancer who is ridiculously in charge of your day, you still have to open up your dashboard and take action. Discipline is so important. What Trello does so well is allow you to see the forest of your freelancing business, so you don’t get lost in the trees.

If you’re feeling scattered or unable to keep up with your job searches, invoicing, research, or even your writing, try Trello and begin to know your business — and DO your business — like the true, productive professional you are.

Trello is simple and sleek for easy use. If you have any questions about it, and how to use it in your freelancing business, I’m happy to share more. Just drop me a comment on Facebook.

[NOTE: I  am not a Kanban expert (they are out there!) and I don’t make a cent from Trello, by the way. I just like their product. I’m on the free plan now, and when someone I refer signs up (again, for free), then my account is temporarily upgraded to “Gold,” which has a few more perks. When my team gets a little bigger, I’ll be upgrading to the next paid tier for a reasonable monthly fee. This would allow for larger uploaded files, unlimited Power-Ups, the ability to organize boards into Collections, and more control over team members use abilities, privacy, etc.. ]


Better Freelancing ebook
Better Freelancing ebook

I wrote down my top seven ways to get more done, have more fun, and make more money freelancing. That ebook is included in the free content library and it’s my treat… Get it here!

Filed Under: Freelancing, Home Business Tagged With: blogging, freelancing, Kanban, Kanban flow, productivity, trello

15 Ways To Feel Happier In 5 Minutes Or Less

October 19, 2015 by jennifer mcgahan Leave a Comment

15 Ways To Feel Happier In 5 Minutes Or Less

Happier in 5 minutes or lessNot to be a buzz kill or anything, but am I the only person in the world who thinks that Happy song is dumb?

OK, I’ll just say it. I’ve been in a funk lately, and it’s not the kind you can dance to.

It’s not that I don’t want to feel happier, in theory. I just need convincing, prodding, a whack in the head…

Oh, I know what I need to do. Volunteer at an orphanage, hold a puppy, visit a sick friend, lie down in a field of daisies and watch the clouds float by, dig a well in some remote African village, express the teensiest jot of gratitude…

If I could only get my selfish little mind off my own jaded existence and do any of the above, I’d perk right up.

My friend Shell wrote recently how, when she feels depleted, she kills time playing Candy Crush. This amazed me, and suddenly seemed like a jolly good idea. When I feel depleted, I prefer to eat a few bowls of ice cream sprinkled with handfuls of crushed corn chips, then languish publicly on a sofa like an Edward Gorey character.

Different strokes.

And therein lies the secret. The only way to lift yourself out of it is to try something new.

Something – even something tiny — just needs to change.

I’ve been clipping some ideas for a new Trello board I made: “Things To Try When You’re Ready To Pull Yourself Together and Be Happier”

I figure even if I’m just going through the motions, at least my body and psyche can get a head start on my heart.

Two important caveats:

First, I believe happiness is a choice as long as your emotional health is above a certain level. Happiness triggers like the ones I’m suggesting can be immediate and helpful because they require a small action that ignites a spark of gratitude, or brings a rush of adrenaline or helps you see a different perspective.

These happiness triggers only work, however, if you’re not too totally in the dumps. I know what real depression is, and it’s serious. No book or website is going to make you feel happier when you can’t even get out of bed. If you’re in survival mode, please seek professional help.

Second, I also believe that real happiness comes from serving others. When you are helping your community, or raising kids, or volunteering in your business, or washing someone’s car; thankless though the job is, you feel needed and (even in some miniscule way) that your life has meaning. These acts require getting away from your home, or at least pushing back your chair, and they are probably the simplest portals to genuine fulfillment.

I’m not really talking about fulfillment here, though. I’m talking 15 easy peasy “make-me-smile-right-now” happiness triggers from resources that are lighter and more personal! They’re all for you. You don’t have to share them, and no one even has to know you’re indulging…

Trying something new either nestles in and slowly takes effect; or it catapults you, slingshot style, over a wall, where you’ll land somewhere different. You could land shocked and sputtering like a cat trying to claw its way out of a porcelain bathtub; or gently, easily coasting as if on wheels. (I hope it’s the latter.)

You’ve probably already heard of some of these 15 ideas that will make you instantly happier, but the question is, have you acted on them?

Going through the motions is not just a temporary trick. Actually practicing happiness will make you a happier person. So pick what feels like the best idea this very moment.

I’m listing some proven happiness triggers here, so the next time you’re in a funk, consider this your happiness lifeline. Folks who believe enough in happiness to create content, processes, websites, art, and even “days” around the revolutionary idea of Happiness created these resources just for you. So without further ado, in no particular order…

1. Happify.com

This website seems a little dorky, especially if you’re feeling like Grumpy Cat to begin with. No one sets out to feel happier by playing some silly games, reading positive affirmations, and gazing at pretty pictures. Or do they?

Happify.com delivers all that and more in shameless, unapologetic splendor. I stumbled on this website one day and tried a game or two. Within a few minutes i was aware that my mood had lifted.

The first game I tried, I click-popped some floating balloons with happy words on them. Words like “bubbly, joyful, lucky, and delight.” Golly gee, I felt lighter, ready to take on some filing, or balance my bank account!

Now, don’t tell anyone, but I occasionally visit Happify.com for a quick pick-me-up; a perky positive self-assessment; a shooting game where you aim at negativity gremlins, a zippy little quote or video, or a 2-minute relaxation exercise on a peaceful, uninhabited beach. Like a spoonful of honey, a little is all you need.

Happy, the movie2. Happy [the movie]

Driven to discover what really makes people happy, and how to measure happiness, Roko Belic traveled the world interviewing happy people and communities. Among the happiest that I recall were a rickshaw driver in India and a Scandinavian family living in a commune, though they seemed more content than happy. Interestingly, the United States ranks 23rd of happiest countries.

You may find yourself pining for the little shack with the window, and the curtain, the sunlight streaming through it, and the gaggle of smiling neighbors. Maybe.

Or, like me, you might look around at all you’ve got and imagine the filmmaker politely asking if you happen to know anyone with a little less stuff. Think there’s a connection?

Gretchen Rubin's books3. The Happiness Project; Gretchen Rubin

I caught an interview of Gretchen Rubin on a podcast called Glambition with Ali Brown. (Great podcast, by the way.) Soon after, I was in an airport when I saw her book quirkily standing out among the others. Then a tweet led me to another of her projects called (I’m afraid to say it) “The Happiness Project” and I decided that not only are my antennae ridiculously tuned to all this happy jazz, but that the trio of Rubin-esque tidbits (haha) must mean something.

It means that not only is this gal’s marketing timing excellent, but also that repetition and awareness fits her theme. If you’re open to it, you can find unexpected little measures of happiness as you trip through life. In fact, the universe accidentally pelts bits of happiness in your general direction… All. The. Time.

It’s your job to notice that you’re getting hit with it. Once you’ve figured that out and come to expect it, you can go about designing it to your exact specifications like a patchwork cloak of found happiness. Which is sweet.

4. Three Happy Blogs

patchwork dogTeesha Moore 

Once upon a time, I used to make lots of stuff. You might call it art. Teesha Moore’s stunning creativity influenced me to dabble in art journaling and fiber art. I traveled a few times out to Portland to attend her art retreats and take some classes; I even taught a class on making stuffed patchwork animals one year (see my patchwork Rosie, right). Itching to do more creative things that make me happy, I’ve been lurking around Teesha’s website again lately. Colorful, slightly edgy, always fabulous, Teesha’s art is a trove of eye candy.

Aesthetics of Joy

When I discovered Aesthetics of Joy it was like finding treasure. Ingrid Fetell offers the cerebral girl’s guide to joy, centered on urban art installations, undiscovered studios, and design. At one point there was supposed to be a book. I imagined a coffee table book and I had my credit card out, but the months passed and still no book. I’m not sure what happened to this blog; the author slowed way down.

I’m worry when I discover a great blogger and follow them around like a homeless puppy, only to turn a corner and realize it’s over. I try to email them. “Are you OK?” I ask. I really have done this a couple of times, inquiring through the contact form. Or I leave comments on old posts. “Come back… Call me.” I want to say. I’ve never received a note back.

Visit this website anyway; it’s still intact, like a gorgeous forgotten museum.

[Exciting note! I just checked and Ingrid’s back! This really makes me happy.]

Balloon dog, Oh Joy!Oh Joy!

Joy Cho, on the other hand, went gangbusters. Starting with a small design firm and a blog, now she travels everywhere with her playful designs, many geared toward children. I like seeing the pretty things she comes up with, colorful Band-Aids for Target, party supplies, stationary, etc. Looking at her stuff always makes me smile. She’s prolific, too. There’s always something new.

adult coloring book5. Coloring

When creative people brag about how they “color outside the lines,” I always smile indulgently and with inward pity. Why would they WANT to? Coloring’s NOT that hard…

Finally, someone figured out that people like me grew up. Coloring, all these years later, is still mindless and oddly satisfying. It’s like meditating with crayons. You don’t even have to buy grown-up coloring books in secret on Amazon. I’ve been seeing them everywhere lately. In public, even.

6. Savor stuff now.

What’s a list without an infographic?

Will you just look at this one and still insist on having a bad day? Come on, you can try some of these things. I did. They work.

7. Muscle control, or lack thereof

Did you know you can use your muscles to change your emotions? I’m not talking about working out and getting an endorphin rush, although that’s pleasant. I’m talking about a) Botox, and b) Faking it till you make it.

The first time I swung for Botox was in response to my children asking me out of the blue, “Why are you mad, Mom?” when I wasn’t anywhere close to being angry.  (Annoying!) So out of curiosity and vanity, I decided to erase that concerned crease that seemed to be taking over my life. What do you know, when you’re not frowning, the kids are calmer! That was hands down the best effect of my few rounds of Botox, which I no longer use, by the way. Now, I just raise my eyebrows as high into my hairline as I can get them, and say as calmly and lightly as I can, “Honey, I’m not upset.”

On a related note, you know that TED talk by Amy Cuddy on body language?  The one where she explains that your body is flooded with happy and powerful hormones when you assume the right power pose. I now practice a winning postures and facial expressions when it occurs to me to do so. I stand up straighter; I smile even when I’m not feeling like it. It’s a great experiment to try if you want to reflect a new, better you.

Now along comes this study on Botox which doubles down on this idea, which says, basically that if you can’t frown as much — literally, if you paralyze the muscles that make you feel bitter and resentful — then you simply can’t feel quite it with any real emotion.  It’s the chicken and the egg thing. Go ahead and try to pull a long face or give someone the evil eye. Ha! Can’t do it. So there. You can tease the brain to release a foul mood with a few tiny, painless, and costly injections. Or…

8. Laughter

A good belly laugh is much less expensive and saves you a trip to your dermatologist, however you may need to seek out funnier friends. Did you know that even pessimistic people find plenty to laugh about? Don’t let your chronic nihilism get in the way of true happiness. Cheerfully seek out jokes about the end of the world, mean little girls, and fascism; they’re out there. Then laugh as much as possible. Your life will get better.

happy foods9. International Day of Happiness (March 20, 2016)

This is a real day. Of course, so is “Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day” and “Mulligan Day,” all in October (I’m looking at my calendar as we speak), so take it with a grain of salt. You don’t have to bake a cake or anything, but if you want to really stretch yourself, you might don a happy face tee-shirt and meet up with a bunch of other folks at a park in the city. They’re not going to let you be sad; not if they can help it. Let me know how it goes, OK?

10. World’s Happiest Playlist 

(You’ll see that Pharrell Williams’ Happy didn’t make this list, at least last year.) You will find an interesting and seemingly random determination of what constitutes happy music. More important than tempo or key signature, “happy music,” whatever your criteria, is meaningful music.

This summer I heard a crew of roofers all singing the same song as they laid a roof on a new home over on the next ridge. I live in the Hill Country west of Austin, and the sound traveled the valley to my back porch and struck me still with joy. It was such a happy sound, studded with the staccato of hammer strikes, each man’s singular voice carrying the tune his own way and blending with the others. I wish it had lasted longer.

Most people don’t listen to enough music. We don’t memorize enough songs we can sing all the way through. We should. Make a playlist of your own that buoys your work and play.

Screen Shot 2015-10-17 at 4.35.20 PM11. EFT/Tapping.

Maybe you already know about this. Maybe you’re about to think I’ve lost my mind. Did you know that many people tap with their fingers on energy points to release negative thoughts and gather positive emotions to their psyche? Hundreds of thousands of experienced practitioners swear that the repetition of gentle but firm taps on meridian points of the body, coupled with positive verbal affirmations, help break through the negativity we carry around in our physical bodies…

I admit I don’t do this. It’s easy enough to just go get a cookie. Still, many people I respect and admire believe in tapping. It might work for you, too.

12. Nature

“Up! Up! my friend and quit your books;” Nature’s wisdom is more accessible than you think. There are degrees of immersion, but you don’t have to go somewhere so remote it takes hours to get there. Slip off your shoes and stand barefoot in grass, or gulp air up on the rooftop if you only have a minute.

The next best thing is plopping yourself down for ten minutes in front of a tree, or a plant, or a caterpillar, or your cat. If you have an hour, you might try escaping to a park bench (birds, grass, the whole big picture); or if you can spare an afternoon, a long quiet hike in the woods. There are pockets of raw nature in the heart of even the densest urban areas. I’ve been within a crow’s 30-second flight from a metropolis of millions and felt like I was in the middle of freaking nowhere.

Nature puts her arms around you if you give her half the chance. (I’m the daughter of a woman who hugs trees and lies down on rocks, just so you know, but I believe it’s in everyone’s blood.) Life is hardly worth living without a brief, daily hug from Mother Nature.

13. Happy Foods 

Yes, there are happy foods, and no, they’re not Doritos. Want a list of food that nourishes you with positive juju? Here it is.

Happy foods give you energy, mental clarity, and a calm, healthy gut. Priceless. They may not be the “party in your mouth” you crave, but over time, a steady diet of happy foods makes you feel more grateful and whole.

Joy essential oil14. Essential Oils

I can vouch for the immediate and happy vibe you get when you inhale essential oils.  Now don’t roll your eyes at me until you’ve tried a drop or two of Joy™, Clarity™, or Valor™ blends by Young Living — some of my favorites. Good old Lavender, Peppermint and Lemon oils are hard to beat too. Humans have used pure essential oils since our awakening because they are elemental to our well being.

Why do essential oils make you happy? Because those tiny molecules from a volatile oil speed to your limbic system and set off all kinds of instantaneous feelings, sensations, emotions, and memories.

Your olfactory system triggers instant cellular reactions to an essential oil’s complex chemical compounds, like a magic wand casting spells in the nerve center of your brain. You can’t lie to your limbic system. The nose knows…

People have been anointing themselves with oils throughout history to banish negativity and forge a closer bond with the “Life Force” and divinity present in all things. Pure plant oils strengthen and maintain a body’s mental, physical and spiritual health; the equivalent of happiness.

Remember David falling to his knees crying for purity: “Cleanse me with hyssop…” He wasn’t talking about physical cleanliness, but mental and spiritual clarity and purity.

15. The Book of Psalms.

While the spotlight is on David, here’s my personal recommendation when you just need positive words spoken over you. Don’t worry, I’m not going to try to convert you (David wasn’t a Christian!), but I find that the edges of my crankiest days are buffed smooth if I just open to the Psalms of the Bible and read a few verses. If you can’t find one that holds promise, comfort or joy, just turn the page. There are 150 Psalms in there, many of them full of happy imagery and encouragement.

That’s all, folks. I hope you have your own ways of finding happiness, little practices or go-to pleasures that make your feel like you just found a ten-dollar bill in last winter’s sweater pocket, or a candy kiss hidden in the back of your desk drawer. It’s the little things…

You can’t be the light if you’re not lit from within.

Personal happiness triggers are crucial, especially if you’re a little edgy, anxious, or self-critical. Not you, of course. I mean me… I reserve the right to mute grating, sticky-sweet songs when they bubble up from the radio; and I hope you replace my suggestions with your own if these don’t suit you.

If you want to, please share what brings you joy in the comments below. Any little way you sweep the cobwebs out of your brain and heart.

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: Aesthetics of Joy, Ali Brown, be happier, be happy, beat the funk, book of Psalms, botox, Coloring for adults, EFT, essential oils, feel happier, funky mood, get our ot the doldrums, Glambition, Glambition podcast, Gretchen Rubin, happify, Happiness, happiness project, Happy foods, happy in 5 minutes or less, Happy the movie, how to feel happier, laughter, nature, Oh Joy!, tapping, Teesha Moree, trello, World's happiest playlist, Young Living essential oils

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