Small things you could start doing today to bring more fun and enjoyment into your life

I created a short list of things that you could do if you wanted to today to bring a little more joy and fun into your life. It kind of goes hand in hand with my post about the happiness guide that offers steps to take to live a happier life. Do enough of the little things and it’s sure to put a few extra smiles on your face.

• Plan for a vacation today. It doesn’t matter if it is a long one or short one. Make plans for a vacation for sometime in the next year. Find ideas online. Don’t go gangbusters. Just, plan a simple and affordable one that you can really look forward to. Once you have that one all planned out, promise yourself something. Promise yourself that when you get back from that vacation, you will immediately begin planning another one right away. This gives you something fun to look forward to.

• Plan for other material purchases way in advance. If you know you want to get that new big screen television, set a little goal for yourself of saving “X” amount of dollars every week in the cookie jar until you have enough to afford it. Don’t just run out today and buy it. The anticipation of owning the thing will be more enjoyable than actually owning it. Once you own it, the novelty wears off within a month.

• Plan some type of home improvement project that you can start on within a matter of weeks. You will find great personal satisfaction in improving your living space. Make it an affordable improvement that you don’t have to go into debt for. Brainstorm on it for a while. Then come up with a plan for accomplishing it and set aside the time to do it in the upcoming weeks.

• Perform the winning the lottery exercise. If you were to win the lottery today, what would you do with the money? You might say that you would invest it and live off the interest. Fine. But, how would you change your lifestyle if you didn’t have to go to work every day to pay the mortgage? Make a list. It is a lot of fun. Ponder this one during the drive to work tomorrow.

• Make a small list of people you admire. Study what traits they possess that you want to incorporate into your own life. How do they think? What beliefs do they hold? How could you make some of those admirable character traits a part of your core being?

• Make someone’s day by doing something unexpected for them. Place a twenty dollar bill somewhere where you know a kid will find it. Buy a bunch of scratch off lottery tickets and mail them to a friend or relative without a return address on the envelope. Stop at an ice cream stand in your neighborhood. Give the girl at the counter a twenty dollar bill. Tell her to buy the next two people at the window an ice cream on you. She gets to keep whatever money is left over as a tip. Tell her to do it anonymously.

• Go to the library or Amazon or Barns and Noble or wherever and get yourself one personal development book to read. I will recommend all of the best ones I have come across.

That should give you a few things to think about. Now, go make your own list and take it to a new level. See how many awesome things you can come up with for making your future look a little brighter.