Thinking Small

One key to appreciating everyday life is to think small. The big issues in our lives--jobs, finances, kids, schools, etc.--are complicated and can take up lots of our mental power to consider all the options, possible outcomes, and surrounding effects. If that's all we think about, we can be pretty miserable. And, there's not a whole lot we can do about it; if your job makes you miserable, it may take awhile to change that.

But several years ago, inspired by a Peter Mayle article I read, I began seeking joy, or at least pleasure and appreciation, from the little routines and obligations I have to do every day. This has been a revelation for me, and has dramatically improved my outlook on life in the here and now. Here are some examples:

• French Press Coffee: I bought a little french press coffee maker to make my daily jolt of caffeine. The french press takes a few minutes longer than a drip machine, but I like the taste better and the little ritual of preparing it every day, combined with the stylish look of the pot on my breakfast table, adds a little lift to my morning that my old Mr. Coffee machine never did.
• A good pen: I quit using the clunky ballpoints that typically filled my pencil cup at the office, and instead put a good rollerball on my Christmas list. Thanks to the generosity of my family that year, I now take pleasure in the smooth travel of good ink over crisp paper whether I am simply jotting down a phone number or taking copious notes at a meeting. Sometimes I even wish I had more to write.
• Walk to the mail: Instead of stopping my car at the mailbox on my way into the driveway, I go ahead an pull in, then walk up the driveway to get the mail. As I walk I have a chance to look around--at the trees, the sky, the other houses, the leaves in the yard--and appreciate the beauty of my neighborhood. It also gives me at least a few breaths of fresh air every day. This only takes 120 seconds or less, but it adds joy to my day.

Hopefully you see the point: our days are filled with quotidian tasks that are potential sources of pleasure and joy. We treat these daily routines as necessary evils in our chase for whatever it is we think will make us happy--the next promotion, the higher salary, next year's vacation. But maybe it's the journey, not the destination, that should be the source of our joy.

What do you do every day? How could you do it better or more deliberately to add a little joy to your everyday life?