Project Happy

Spoiler alert: Caitlin had a tough time accomplishing any of her intentions around money and needs to go back to setting very small, achievable goals. Paula had a great month! Not buying coffee out got easy pretty quickly and she read a book about the stock market, but she’s still figuring out what kind of financial advice she wants. Can you guess which one of them sometimes feels guilty experiencing joy? Brene Brown would have a few things to say. Paula used Planted Meals this month and found it helpful! She also read One Up On Wall Street. Caitlin is starting a creative writing program this fall! It’s through SFU and is called The Writer’s Studio.

Money makes Paula’s world go round, but Caitlin? She has some issues. Join the two friends as they talk about all things money: their habits, their hang-ups, and their hopes. Paula is challenging herself to bring a lunch to work and is figuring out if she wants a financial planner or a robo advisor, while Caitlin wants to get out of a scarcity mindset. Paula and Caitlin have been avid readers for the past few months! They mention a few books: Mind Over Money by Brad Klontz Do Better by Rachel Ricketts Daring Greatly by Brene Brown Relax, Dammit!: A User’s Guide to the Age of Anxiety by Timothy Caulfield.

We are fam-i-ly! Join the gal pals as they examine how to connect with their chosen fam and their families of origin. This was the focus for July, and they combined their goals and the evaluation of how it went into one fun-filled ep. Find out who finally started using a Google calendar so she could share her schedule, who is planning a bday weekend for her mom, and why it’s important to reflect on what family means to you, and it’s ok that that might not include kids of your own. They yet again give a shout out to Glow Dermal Therapy - check them out! Caitlin and her partner made a cleaning schedule - similar to this one! Paula is reading Beyond Addiction, which is about supporting someone you love through addiction with kindness and positive reinforcement.

Oh boy. June...happened. Paula and Caitlin were supposed to have a super fun month and bring more PLAY into their lives. Alas, because Vancouver was opening back up after relative (very relative) pandemic closures, they both got super overwhelmed and didn’t make time to play. Find out how they plan to get back on track, why it’s important to cultivate different types of fun, and what a buccal facial is. Both Paula and Caitlin are learning to stay true to what makes them happy, and along the way might be learning that what you expect to do might be different than what you end up doing, and maybe that’s okay. They give a shout out to Glow Dermal Therapy - check them out! Paula is getting a daily declutter text as part of Gretchen Rubin’s Outer Order Inner Calm 30-Day SMS Challenge - read about it here. And be sure to check us out on Instagram @projecthappypodcast!

Paula and Caitlin are VERY proud that they made it to Episode 10. Do them a solid and listen in to see how it went for them in May, won’t you? Reminder: they were focusing on work. Caitlin feels a bit like working working never stopping always working. AKA: she’s back to work full-on as we collectively emerge from the pandemic here in Canada, and she’s feeling the overwhelm. Paula is starting a side hustle and isn’t as far along as she has attended. Life happens, so what do they do about it, if anything? Some potential actions: do some meal prep, plan your week ahead of time, and learn the difference between self-care and soft-care. What helps you show up more fully in your life? Caitlin’s personal actor checklist drew inspiration from this one. Self-tape May is an idea from the podcast Audrey Helps Actors - check her out! Caitlin read the book Creativity, Spirituality, and Making a Buck, by David Nichtern, and Paula just started The Cairo Trilogy by Naguib Manfooz.

It’s May, and the focus is on WORK. It’s a thing: we all spend a fair bit of time working, so it’s worth factoring it in when considering how to feel happier. How do you stay self-motivated? Where does your time go? How much do you equate your work with your worth? All these questions - and more - are up for debate! Also, Paula defends DOING things during her leisure time, and Caitlin confesses that she might think there’s a job that’s “The One”. You’re sure to have some opinions, so tune in to find out more! Caitlin loves her paper planner, which is made by Leuchtturm1917, and is available at Paper-Ya on Granville Island - they also have an online store! Caitlin mentions the book Creativity, Spirituality, and Making a Buck, by David Nichtern - a great read for the intersection of any creative practice that you want to generate an income and not lose your soul while doing so. Paula was using a time tracking app called TMetric- check it out and see if it works for you!

In episode 8, your best buds reflect on how their friendship efforts went in April! Paula loved catching up with old friends and Caitlin learned that she actually needs more alone time. They also review some tips and tricks for remembering to respond to texts, the best time for a power hour, and why it’s so great to have a friend you can drop in on. Caitlin loved the book Cassandra Speaks by Elizabeth Lesser. Have you downloaded Libby yet? You can get the audiobook from your local library through this wonderful app! Paula just started The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy and is loving it so far. Caitlin ALSO enjoyed some non-alcoholic gin that you can read about here. Remember to like and review the podcast and follow along on Instagram @projecthappypodcast

In April, we planted some community seeds and focused on friendship. Join Caitlin McCarthy and Paula Burrows as they debate the merits of making an effort without expecting a result, same-day response times, and concealing a new habit you’re still getting used to. Also, they’re still trying to get on top of their leftover clutter clearing from March. Super exciting stuff! Find out what’s new and what’s...not as new with the gal pals when you listen in :) Caitlin mentions a passage from the Bhagavad Gita, and she recommends reading the Stephen Mitchel translation. Paula is getting a daily declutter text as part of Gretchen Rubin’s Outer Order Inner Calm 30-Day SMS Challenge - read about it here. And be sure to check us out on Instagram @projecthappypodcast!

Have you missed Paula and Caitlin? They’ve missed you. It’s finally time to review how it all went for decluttering in March. Hint: Caitlin wants a do-over. Discover what they did manage to do despite busyness and how they plan to help themselves in the future when it feels like strategies go out the window. Also, what became of Paula’s SOCK BAG? Listen in to find out. We cannot stress how much Caitlin and Paula love their local BUY NOTHING group on facebook. It’s great! Find a new home for your items AND build community with your neighbours. Caitlin said that she donated some clothes to WISH - review their donation rules here. Joshua Becker, author of The More of Less, has a great checklist of 101 Things that you can declutter in your house. Check it out!   And be sure to check us out on Instagram @projecthappypodcast!

Well, your gal pals certainly felt the madness of March! It’s been busy. Very busy. This month they’re decluttering and have some important questions: do they have to follow Gretchen’s method of outer order? What if they beautify first? Find out why both Caitlin and Paula are struggling to maintain routines and are taking it easy on the break the chains. Join them as they clean out their closets, tackle virtual clutter, and finally deal with the sock bag hanging behind [Paula’s] door. If you’re on Facebook, search for your local BUY NOTHING group. It’s great! Find a new home for your items AND build community with your neighbours; both Paula and Caitlin are fans. Paula mentions that she found a french conversation partner through italki - check it out. And be sure to check us out on Instagram @projecthappypodcast!

February was all about Energy! Check-in with your lovable co-hosts as they discuss how it went. Caitlin maintains her moderator status and feels pretty high energy, except for when she gets existential at Ikea. Paula had to quarantine, broke some of her rules, and found a new way forward. How do we all take daily action so that everyone gets to thrive? Paula has a few helpful insights; Caitlin wants to harness her energy and has some resources to recommend. Caitlin mentions a course with Michelle C. Johnson called Skill in Action - it’s also a book! For more social justice, check out Gretchen Rubin’s podcast interview with Deepa Iyer, who talks about her map for social change. Also, a note for theatre nerds everyone - the actual line in Streetcar Named Desire is “money just goes- it just goes places!” Accuracy. You know? Paula is reading Homelands: Four Friends, Two Countries, and the Fate of the Great Mexican-American Migration by Alfredo Corchado. And Caitlin LOVED A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliot. And be sure to check us out on Instagram @projecthappypodcast!

February is all about Energy! Listen in to this quick and dirty ep in which Caitlin and Paula discuss the merits of sleep, whether they are abstainers or moderators, and the energy drain of ruminating. Why is Caitlin doing so many fitness challenges? Is Paula continuing with her no TV before 7 pm rule? Tune in to find out what’s working and not working for them and maybe reflect on your own energy levels! Caitlin mentions that she’s heard that resolutions don’t work. Here is an article that talks about why that might be. Current research support breaking tasks into small components - Caitlin has loved the book Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg - on the app Libby you can listen to audiobooks from your local library! It’s free! Or try your local bookseller. Need a new workout regime? Paula loves Majorie O’Connor and Caitlin has been sweatin’ it up with Tight Club. If you’re looking for something free, POPSUGAR Fitness on Youtube has some good options. For more yoga related content, Caitlin is a huge fan of Mindful Strength and Jenni Rawlings! And if you’re a movement nerd, be sure to check out the podcast Mindful Strength. And if you want to keep up with our journey, follow us on Instagram @projecthappypodcast!

Paula and Caitlin review EVERYTHING involved in following Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project Experience, both for January and for the coming year. It’s a lot! Caitlin is a bit grumpy about how many expectations there are and Paula is taking what works for her. Join them as they discuss the privilege of happiness, the merits of constructive criticism, and how much wine might be too much wine. Curious about the Myers-Briggs Personality Test? Here’s one we like. Caitlin loved the audiobook of Little Weirds by Jenny Slate. Did you know that with the app Libby you can listen to audiobooks from your local library? It’s free! Paula is reading American Dirt by Jeanine Cummings. Try your local bookseller! Since airing this podcast we realized this book has received some criticism, which you can read about here. Need a new workout regime? Paula loves Majorie O’Connor and Caitlin has been sweatin’ it up with Tight Club. If you’re looking for something free, POPSUGAR Fitness on Youtube has some good options. For more yoga-related content, Caitlin is a huge fan of Mindful Strength and Jenni Rawlings! And if you’re a movement nerd, be sure to check out the podcast Mindful Strength. And if you want to keep up with our journey, follow us on Instagram @projecthappypodcast!

Paula Burrows is a HUGE fan of Gretchen Rubin’s work, and is finally embarking on her very own year-long focus on happiness à la The Happiness Experience. Joining Paula is her (somewhat reluctant) pal, Caitlin McCarthy. In this very first episode of Project Happy, get to know your hosts as they get to know themselves better. Find out what words they’ve chosen as themes for the year, how they plan to hold themselves accountable, and a few things they tried to do every single day in January in hopes of greater happiness. Curious about how to hold yourself accountable? Take the Four Tendencies Quiz (link to https://gretchenrubin.com/2015/01/ta-da-the-launch-of-my-quiz-on-the-four-tendencies-learn-about-yourself/) to find out what strategy might work best for you. Caitlin mentioned her bomb.com naturopath, Dr. Matthew Nagra. You can follow him on Instagram here (link to @dr.matthewnagra), and book an appointment with him at Tonume Integrated Health (link to tonume.janeapp.com) If you’re looking for a great memoir, check out Carmen Aguirre’s Mexican Hooker #1. Aguirre is also the author of another great memoir called Something Fierce, which was the winner of CBC’s Canada Reads 2012. You can order both at Pulp Fiction Books in Vancouver. It’s available on the Big A, but try your local bookseller first! And if you want to keep up with our journey, follow us on Instagram @projecthappypodcast

In Project Happy, one devotee of Gretchen Rubin and one reluctant friend spend 12 months living by the wisdom of The Happiness Experience. Will changing small habits truly make them any happier?  Paula thinks so; Caitlin’s not so sure. Paula Burrows is a Vancouver-based actor known for voicing Rayla on Netflix’s The Dragon Prince.  Sewing shows and being productive make her feel happy. Caitlin is an actor, writer, yoga teacher, and organizer of people and things. The smell of laundry and the perfect cup of coffee make her feel happy. Join them as they figure out how to make those good feelings a little more consistent.