The Jawbone UP: Getting Happy Through Health

One of the tools that we were looking into, to help track this "Happiness through Health" and well-being project, is the Jawbone UP wristband.

Here is a the web address for more product information:
https://jawbone.com/up?r=awup10&gclid=CNaByM3jnbgCFShxQgodsUIAwQ


These are my thoughts after 3 days of wearing this amazing piece of transformational technology with eager anticipation...

First: Wow! I am so cool! I can't believe I have this funky awesome product on my wrist that will remind me and inform everyone else that I am in a "monitor my fitness" mode. Hahaha.

Second, third, fourth, and so-on: How do I get in touch with the app designers and the software developers for this band? How can I give them great feedback with ideas for improvement? How can I get them to modify their product to be as great as I know it can be? It's great already, but man, could it really work to change lives in the future, when correlated to all of the new EMR implementation! I have ideas, and they need to be HEARD!

I think that I have some suggestions that may work to transform this product and consequently the lives of thousands, by adding just a few features!! As a nurse, I can see the added benefits of this product, if there are options to enter other physical data items such as bowel elimination, blood sugar levels, pain levels or types (headache, back ache, leg cramps, radiating pain, etc, type and severity), and even menstrual cycle start and end dates.

Of course, these would have to be user-entered data points, just like nutritional intake, as it isn't measured by the band but rather is recorded by the user and tracked with the app. To have the option to enter these additional pieces of data and to see them patterned out along with sleep and activity, well, that would give patients and doctors a better overall view on the health status and triggers, right? Imagine the insight that would provide, into the cause and effect analysis of anyone's health program!

So I wrote to Jawbone about this today. I wonder what response I will get, or if there will be any response at all... until then, it is here, for you to conceptualize with me!

Preparation

So here we are today, we got our binders set up and ready, a few finishing touches remain but that will happen Thursday.

So, Wendy came through my door like the hero she is, toting all sorts of crafty supplies and goodies!

She brought sheet protectors, card stock paper, a paper cutter, a hole punch, a glue gun, paper cut into letters, all sorts of colored markers, and some goodies for decorating purposes like flowers, and other ornate and divine touches.

Since we didn't quite finish the binders, we've set a meeting for Thursday to visit Hobby Lobby and to put on those unique little finishing touches in place...the kind of things that make you just want to open up that binder and get to work checking things off of your list each day!

We are still progressing, but realized we have some preparation to do before the official start date. Key points we decided were to: finish binders, read the book over the next two weeks, and make a gameplan for goal setting and how to reach those goals or what we need to buy to make this all happen with ease. We looked up things like e-cigs, the Jawbone UP, Fitbit Flex, and other such things to start us on the right track.

We are really doing this! We have made a commitment to each other, to ourselves, really, and I don't see anything stopping us or deterring us from our journey to happiness!

Starting Out

Okay, so we got inspired and made a few decisions that have the potential to change our lives and the lives of those around us.

We also printed out the helpful download tools that are generously provided on Gretchen Rubin's website:   http://www.happiness-project.com/get-started/downloads/ 

We even made plans to get together this weekend, to develop our little two-person happiness group, and to purchase some items that will keep us organized and on track, and get us healthier and with the program.

Looking forward to our first official "group meeting!"

The Beginning

...so a few mornings ago, I was sifting through my email like any other day. I am a member of LinkedIn, so I of course have subscriptions that are suggested for me either daily or a few times a week. I am always looking for quick-snippets to read, that can provide me just simple tips for self improvement whether at home, or in my professional life.

I happened to see this quote in my inbox:

 “Acceptance is not submission; it is acknowledgement of the facts of a situation. Then deciding what you're going to do about it.”

― Kathleen Casey Theisen        



and then I came across my LinkedIn email alert "Top Content, Tailored For You" and when I viewed that email, I was brought to an article that consisted of an interview with Ms. Grubin. Here's the article link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yasamin-beitollahi/happiness_b_3380462.html

I began to explore and as usual, ended up spending more than just the few minutes it usually takes me to go through my email and internet needs in the morning.

I clicked on the link to purchase the book, peeked inside, and that was it. I was hooked. I was inspired, hopeful, and contemplative. I couldn't wait to share it with my best friend! I texted her and emailed her the link to the book.

Two days later, at an after-work rendezvous for girl time and chit chat, I read her some excerpts from the book with hopes that she would accept my eagerness as her own.

Today, I received a text from her at 7am (unheard of on any other day) and she said, "You inspired me yesterday! Go to happiness-project.com then click on *your happiness project*...Let's do this together! Please, please, please!!!"

Of course I called her right away, knowing she was awake...and here we are. Both excited, motivated, and bursting with anticipation for where this journey will take us!

I decided to start a blog about our journey to happiness, so Girls Gone Happy is just that: our journey.

Read along, join in, or pass by...but we are on our way to happy, starting right now!