The Opposite of Happiness is Boredom

The opposite of happiness is not sadness as it turns out. According to my new favorite book The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, it's BOREDOM!

Which explains a lot. Like, why I keep procrastinating in getting my work done (WHY THE HELL DID I TAKE ON THIS CONTRACT ANYWAY, DOING THE JOB IS AS EXCITING AS WATCHING PAINT DRY), why I keep putting off what I REALLY need to do to feel better in general (RUNNING AN ULTRA MARATHON, NOT JUST TELLING MYSELF TO GO OUT AND RUN FOR HALF AN HOUR AND THEN FINDING EXCUSES TO STAY HOME ON MY KEISTER).

I AM EFFING BORED BECAUSE I HAVE LOWERED MY STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR MYSELF AND THAT IS THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD YOU CAN DO TO YOURSELF.

As a result, what I am SUPPOSED to be doing (as defined by ME) is MEDIOCRE, BORING CRAP that I have NO INTEREST IN DOING.

I AM DESTINED FOR GD GREATNESS (pardon my French)!! I just COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT THAT (does that ever happen to you??)

Now, to be fair, I do not believe that everything has to be exciting all of the time, but I have generally lost touch with what I find EXCITING and WORTH MY PRECIOUS TIME. I need to get back to KNOWING what will make me SUPER MEGA PSYCHED to wake up in the morning (although I do not wake up unhappy, I am not JUMPING OUT OF BED the way I could be).

My TO-DO List has nothing to do with what I am DYING to do before I DIE. So I am creating a new list (don't laugh).

I know it is strange, but this revelation (the opposite of Happiness is Boredom) explains my SEA LEVEL EXISTENCE over the last six months: why I fell off my Vegan diet (still vegetarian but HATING IT, want to get Cheese out of my life for good!!) and can't get  motivated to create a lifelong healthy running habit past the next small roadrace. I am running but have gained 25 (not kidding) pounds since Christmas. This has GOT to stop.

So here is what I am going to work on in the SHORT TERM (0-6 MONTHS)

1) Write consistently (blog and other writing) and finish my next book on learning foreign language super fast.
2) Sign up for an Ultra Marathon (50k or more. I may do the Bora run because it is in Trieste). I am not a fast runner, but the spare tire around my middle tells me I am meant for DISTANCE!!
3) Learn Swedish so I can get in touch with my mom's roots (and read IKEA boxes better). For this I will use Duolingo.
4) Sign up for the Stockholm marathon in June and thus kill three birds with one stone (running goal, practice my Swedish, dig up my Pippi Longstocking long lost relatives and hopefully talk my mom into coming along for the ride).
5) Make a plan to become financially independent (I live in Trieste, so I am looking at real estate opportunities) and cover my expenses so I can be free to plan even wackier things that are NOT BORING.
6) Finish my house inside and out so I can rent her out and get paid to go on crazy vacations around the world with my family (wish list: Turkey, India, Japan, Sweden, Middle East, Greece, Brazil, and go back to Belgium, France and Brazil to visit old friends)
7) Find the joy in the jobs I am doing. Everything I do must be AWESOME
8) Get a new bike.

This list should keep me busy and get me motivated again.

My friend Monica used to tell her students that being bored is a reflexive verb in French (Italian, too). That means getting out of it falls entirely within our own control.

I feel like it is my responsibility.
Wish me luck.