inspiration

Enjoying the Day

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This didn’t make my post about my goals for the year but I thought about it and realized I should have. I considered it one of my personal goals and wasn’t sure I wanted to publicly share it. Part of this was that I was afraid you might think it was a dumb goal… and the other part was that it felt almost embarrassingly luxurious. 
But the more I think about it and the more I adopt this new daily practice, the more I realized I should put this out there… Because maybe it will help someone else find joy. Oh, and it’s not as luxurious as I thought. It’s normal and simple– and a complete game changer.
“So what’s the goal?” you may be asking yourself. 
To do something that I genuinely enjoy… every day.

Crazy concept, people.
I found myself towards the end of the year feeling kind of unhappy. I felt like, while I was getting a lot done and accomplishing quite a bit, I wasn’t able to do the things just for myself. To do something that made me happy. Even something to look forward to on a daily basis.
There’s work, volunteering, being a great daughter and sister and partner. There’s a long list of things we have to do. A longer list of things we should do. I actually think we’re doing a disservice to ourselves and everyone else if we’re not also taking care of ourselves. It doesn’t seem like a natural “have to do,” but it is.
What I’ve found is that I’m so much happier if I just do one thing for myself every day. Taking a yoga class. Baking something. Walking on the beach. Driving to a favorite bakery for a flaky croissant. Taking Teddy to the dog park. It is so nice to have something on my calendar that is just for me. And I do put it on my calendar, just like I put a meeting or a phone call. It’s that important to me.
Depending on what my work calendar looks like, I fill in one thing for myself taking into account how much time and when my day is open. A morning yoga class is a great foundation of happiness that I can carry with me throughout the day. I look forward to a mid day escape to the beach. And I can wind down and relax at the end of the day.
More often than not, I don’t have time for too much, but even something as small as reading for 20 minutes before bed is enough to make me fall asleep a happy girl.
A swear I’m happier because of this and the rest of my life (all those “have to dos”) feels even more fulfilled. Even though the little acts of enjoyment aren’t groundbreaking or earth shattering, it makes me feel like I have actual efficacy over how my day turns out. No matter what happens– computer crashing, a crummy meeting– I know there’s a piece of my day that is just for me.


xoxo
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12 Comments

Emily

This isn't dumb at all. What's life if we aren't doing something we enjoy every day?

Emily
laughliveandshop.blogspot.com

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Kelly Crusenberry

I love this! Going to add something just for me to my calendar right now! I needed this reminder, cuz some times it seems like I'm enjoying activities in my day, but I didn't schedule them and theyre not just for me, they're things I should be doing. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂

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Tânia Sequinho

That's not dumb, not at all. I was absolutely speechless when I saw this post because I set the exactly same goal in the beginning of the year and when set with all my goals a few days ago, this one didn't make my Big Goal list for 2016. Why? Because I thought exactly like you did about making it public. I thought that was dumb, that I didn't had to write it down, to make a big thing of that. But actually? I have! Your blog remembered me to put in my month tracker and actually start prioritising it.
Thank you for always putting my thoughts into words, even without knowing. ^^
Let's enjoy our days!

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Michele Hart

I am so glad you decided to share this! I think that is a true key to happiness. I started taking yoga classes back in August which was a #gamechanger. I am jealous you live so close to the beach (I would go there every day if I could!). Sometimes I'll only have time to listen to a killer playlist and dance/ sing my little heart (embarrassing, I know). The end result is all the same: a little bit more peace. Satisfaction. And dare I say, happiness.

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