Have a day
Dad, I don’t know about you but recently I have been feeling strung out. The fighting, the screaming (random and specific to pain), the non existent sharing, the food no one eats, the snacks that everyone does, the clothes right next to the hamper, and that tiny lego that you just stepped on. Damn. Ok that’s enough. What I want to encourage us all to is to meet the day, even Tuesday, with the “Have a day” spirit. Very similar to last weeks “Light weight baby” but more of a mantra for your life. What are a few things you can realistically do to move your day from one you endure to one you enjoy? Let me throw some ideas at you:
Get outside for 10 minutes. Even a boring walk around the block can break up the mental sameness of the day.
Put something you love in your morning. Good coffee, a favorite song, sitting somewhere sunny, a funny podcast—something that makes the morning feel like yours.
Text one person just because. “Saw this and thought of you” is surprisingly good for both people.
Make your environment slightly nicer. Clean one surface, turn on a lamp instead of the overhead light, light a candle, put on music. Tiny environmental changes have an outsized effect.
Have something to look forward to. A Friday dinner, a movie tonight, a Saturday hike, a new book, even “I’m getting ice cream after work.”
Do one thing slowly. Eat lunch without your phone. Drink your coffee sitting down. Take a shower without mentally rehearsing your entire to-do list.
Move your body, but lower the bar. Ten pushups, a walk, stretching while watching TV, dancing around the kitchen. It doesn't have to be a workout.
Get sunlight early in the day. Particularly useful if you spend most of your day indoors.
Make mundane chores more enjoyable. Good playlist + dishes. Audiobook + laundry. Favorite show + folding clothes.
Buy yourself little treats without waiting for an occasion. Fancy fruit, good bread, flowers, a ridiculous $5 snack. Life needs some gratuitous pleasures.
Stop trying to optimize every minute. Some time is allowed to be completely useless. Staring out a window is not a productivity failure.
Keep a “good stuff” note. Write down funny moments, things you enjoyed, nice things people said, places you went. It trains you to notice the decent parts of an otherwise routine week.
Do something mildly novel. Take a different route, try a new restaurant, cook something you've never made, visit a nearby town. Novelty makes time feel less like one giant blur.
Have small rituals. Friday pizza. Sunday morning coffee. Evening walk. Tuesday takeout. Rituals give the week little landmarks.
Make tomorrow easier tonight. Put out your clothes, prep breakfast, clean the kitchen for five minutes. Future-you gets a tiny gift.
Laugh on purpose. Watch something stupid. Send memes to a friend. Rewatch a comedy you love. There's no requirement that entertainment be “good for you.”
Spend a little time around animals or nature. Dog walk, gardening, sitting in a park, watching birds—simple stuff, but remarkably grounding.
Practice noticing things instead of evaluating them. “The sky looks incredible” rather than “I should go outside more.” Enjoyment doesn't need to become another self-improvement project.
There is no “I’ll be happy when” BS. Do one thing right now and just keep going.
82 little things - Check this out!
Cook This: Ratatouille (watch the movie too)
I honestly didn’t know about this dish until I watched the movie. It turns out that this is the perfect mix of everything you have in your fridge. Give it a try over rice.
Dad Fun - Driving Range
My kids seem to get mad quite a bit. One of the things I am working on is giving them good options of things to do when they feel frustrated. The driving range is one of my new ideas. I also see the scenario where I am on the wrong end of the club. Noted. That said can I show them that smashing or trying to smash some golf balls is a good outlet for life? The beauty is you are also building that set of activities you can do together for the long haul.
Dad Magic: Slip and Slide
Who needs a pool? Water parks are too crazy and too expensive. Try this instead.
What you need:
Plastic Sheeting: 10-foot-wide, 4-mil or 6-mil polyethylene plastic roll. Avoid black plastic, as it heats up in the sun.
Anchors: 6-inch lawn stakes, landscape staples, or tent pegs.
Water Source: A steady garden hose or sprinkler.
Lubricant: Tear-free baby shampoo or mild liquid soap.
This newsletter is not professional in nature but intended to be real things to try. They won’t all work but this is a process and I’d love for you to join me on the way. Thanks for reading and we hope to see you next week.
Send this to a dad that needs to get his Sh&# together.
Send me a note or your best dad joke @ [email protected]