A Recipe for a Good Day

We all want good days but how do we make good days?

Make a list, or actually two. One list should be of things you do every day. The day-in, day-out things that almost never change — chasing your kids, folding laundry, exercising (maybe). Then make a second list of things you love to do — for me it is creating, pretty much anything, exercising, and gardening. Now, how many things on those lists overlap? 

If you look at them side-by-side, do they seem like two separate lists? Two separate people? Or is there crossover? Now, can you add some of the things that you love to do everyday to your list? 

I took this challenge on, and I found that my love for creating was the key to my happiness. When I could cook a new dish, paint a watercolor with my son, or even create some sweat on the mat to complete a new workout, then my day was better.

I think we all want better days — days filled with more joy and happiness. But sometimes that feels impossible to achieve because the things we have to do overwhelm and burden us. For me, every day was starting to blend together. So I found ways to add intentional moments of joy into my days. I found more presence in my day and began to enjoy my everyday tasks. But what does that look like practically and for you? 

The key is to turn everyday tasks into enjoyable rituals. Every night I have to make dinner. It is an essential chore to keep my family alive. My husband used to do all the cooking when I was nursing and up all night with our son, but then one day he raised his hand and asked for help. He wanted more time with our son and needed my support. I applauded him for that choice.

At the time, I did not like cooking. I did not feel confident. I was afraid I was going to burn the dinner or get the timing wrong. But I decided to give it a try.  I approached it as a creative pursuit. I found new recipes that I wanted to try and even got special ingredients to keep in my kitchen. I found a sense of play in the everyday tasks. Now I have a whole dinner ritual. I turn on a great playlist, I light a candle, and I sharpen my knives (there is something about a sharp knife that makes chopping much more enjoyable). The food was bad at first, but it has gotten better over time because I’ve found joy in the routine (plus the practice helps).

Do I love cooking every night? No, but I love that music, I love that candle, and I certainly love that sharp knife. I now enjoy the process and not just the end result. I hope you too can find those little things that you can add into your day. Can you sneak away to a sunny spot in your house to fold laundry? Or listen to your favorite podcast when you go grocery shopping? Or get a new house plant and pour some love into him? You do have the power to make a good day. 

So find what moves you, what sparks your joy. You won’t feel the joy every second — that’s not life. But you can add in more of those things that make you happy. So let go of the mindset that you are living for tomorrow and start living today.