Okay, so June 12th felt kinda… blah, you know? Nothing special on the calendar, just another Wednesday dragging along. It hit me around lunchtime staring at my sandwich – routines are safe but man, they get boring! Right then, I decided I needed something fun to spark the next few weeks. Like a mini countdown to… well, anything!
The Seed of an Idea & Initial Scramble
Grabbed a notepad first – real paper feels good sometimes. Wrote “DAILY EXCITEMENT COUNTDOWN” at the top. Okay, bold start, but what now? Didn’t wanna overcomplicate it. Rule one: super easy things only. Stuff that takes zero prep. Rule two: focus on feelings – silly, fun, calm, curious. Not big achievements, just tiny sparks.
Brain just stalled for a sec. Blank page blues! Took a walk to the kitchen, poured some tea. Came back, scribbled down obvious stuff like “Listen to a favorite song LOUD” and “Call someone just to chat“. Still felt kinda weak, needed more.
Getting Creative & Finding the Little Joys
Dug a little deeper. Looked around my desk. Saw a crumpled paper towel from earlier… reminded me of my niece folding origami. Bingo! “Try folding one random thing” (napkin, scrap paper, whatever). Remembered how happy sunshine on my balcony made me yesterday – added “Stand in direct sun for 5 mins (eyes closed!)“.
Keated thinking about senses: “Smell something nice” (could be coffee, a plant, lotion!), “Eat one thing slowly, really tasting it“. Added some light adventure: “Take a different walking route” even if it’s just around the block. The list got longer:
- Watch 3 funny cat videos (no guilt!)
- People-watch for 5 mins with a silly story in mind
- Learn one useless fact and tell it to myself
- Do one task backwards
- Text a random emoji to a friend
- Sing totally off-key for one song
Making it Tangible & Launching It
Had maybe 30 ideas now. Way too many! Narrowed it down to 14 days’ worth – felt manageable. Wrote each one neatly on a separate little slip of paper. Had an empty mug sitting there… perfect. Folded all the slips, dropped them in the mug. Instant countdown jar!
Stuck a label on the mug: “Daily Spark!” Figured seeing it on my desk would remind me.
The First Pull & Keeping it Alive
That very evening, before settling down, I reached in. Pulled out a slip: “Listen to a favorite song LOUD.” Easy! Put on this old rock track embarrassingly loud just for myself. Danced terribly for like 3 minutes. Felt ridiculous and absolutely great.
The next morning? Saw the mug. Pulled another: “Eat one thing slowly, really tasting it.” Breakfast apple – usually wolfed down. Slowed down, actually paid attention. Crunch, sweetness… simple, but kinda cool.
So Far, So Good (Mostly!)
It’s only been a few days, but the mug is there. It’s stupidly low effort, which is the whole point. Sometimes the slip is easy (“Take a different walking route“), sometimes it makes me pause (“Sing totally off-key” – did that alone in the car!). But pulling that slip is a tiny moment of surprise. It breaks the “what now?” feeling after work.
Last night’s slip said “Stand in direct sun for 5 mins.” Went out on the balcony as the sun dipped. Felt warm, quiet. Didn’t solve world hunger, didn’t need to. Just felt nice. Sleep came easier. Weird how tiny things can work sometimes. Okay, back to the mug… wonder what tomorrow brings?
