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A Few Small, Consistent Changes Can Make Such a Difference

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I was honored to be interviewed by Gretchen Rubin author of The Happiness Project today. Here’s a snippet from her blog post:

What’s a simple activity that consistently makes you happier?
I usually have to drag myself to the treadmill in the mornings, but I never regret getting on it and running–even if it’s just for a mile. It gets my blood pumping, it helps to clear my head, and it makes me feel much more energetic and efficient the rest of the day.

Is there anything you find yourself doing repeatedly that gets in the way of your happiness?
I often get distracted, procrastinate, or choose to do what I want to do over what I should do (i.e. surfing the web versus writing an article that is due). Any time I do this, I end up feeling frustrated at myself for wasting time. And I usually end up stressed, too, because it results in me being behind schedule or late to an event.

Head on over to read the full article here and find out why I sometimes force myself to sing when I don’t feel like it and what I’ve learned about contentment that I didn’t know when I was 18 years old.

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  1. Megan says

    Thank you Crystal! For your blog, the encouragement that you give, and for knowing (or having been through) what I am currently dealing with and showing me how to get through and thrive in this life God had blessed me with. You have been such a blessing in my life!

    The 21 days of discipline has helped me focus on one thing to keep consistent on and helped me feel as though I don’t have to “fix” everything I don’t like about myself all at once.

    Be blessed!

  3. Rachel says

    I’m just curious why you didn’t speak at all to your relationship with Christ in connection to your happiness? Just curious.

    • Crystal says

      Because I believe Christ gives joy, not happiness. That is something that is lasting, not fleeting or temporal, as happiness is. However, I know I couldn’t experience the rich and deep contentment I have without Christ.

      Thanks for the great question!

  4. Carolynn @ mylittlebitoflife.com says

    I love when you said, “Contentment is a state of the heart, unaffected by outward circumstances. If I have a cheerful attitude, it will make a dismal situation seem so much more brighter. I can choose joy, I can choose to make the most of whatever circumstances I find myself in, and I can choose to be thankful for the blessings I do have.” I need to remind myself of this all the time. 🙂

    • Crystal says

      Thanks for your kind encouragement, friend! And thank you for the homemade card you mailed me. It brightened my day! Looking forward to hopefully getting to see you in the not-too-distant future. It’s been too long!

  5. Cort says

    Excellent advice. God has given you some wisdom girl!
    I love the singing part, I do that too, esp. when my boys start getting crazy. My FAVORITE song at the moment is” In Christ Alone” performed by Keith and Kristyn Getty. You have to listen/watch it on youtube if you have not heard/seen it yet! It will bring you to your knees and lift you up all at the same time 🙂

  6. Aimee says

    ROFL right now because I am at the library to work on a research paper that is due Saturday, but what am I doing instead? Reading your blog!!!

  7. Crystal says

    As part of the Disciplined Life series I worked on making time to scrapbook. It makes me happy. I love looking at the fun times, and journaling about the rough times is very therapeutic for me. However, I always feel guilty because I know there are dishes to be washed or laundry I didn’t put away. It is easy to put off my “me” time. I think it is a problem that a lot moms have. We put ourselves last, which is not a bad thing. But when I scrap, I am a better mom and wife because I am happier.

  9. Jessica says

    I TOTALLY do that (what you mentioned in the 2nd question). I go to bed feeling like I never did enough because I did something else that wasn’t on my to do list for the day.