You know, life just kinda rolls along, right? You get caught up in the daily grind, and before you know it, weeks turn into months. I found myself feeling this nagging little itch lately, like there were things I really wanted to get done, things that were just hanging there, you know? Not big, life-changing stuff, just these little things that kept popping into my head, like small stones in my shoe. They weren’t stopping me, but they were definitely bugging me.
So, I sat down last night, coffee in hand, and just started scribbling. I didn’t try to be profound or anything. I just wrote down whatever came to mind that I felt like I wanted to accomplish, stuff that was stuck in the “someday” pile. It wasn’t a fancy list, just messy handwriting on a scrap piece of paper. I ended up with way more than six, but then I looked at them all, really stared at them, and thought, “What are the six that I could genuinely kick off today? Like, no excuses, no ‘I’ll start tomorrow’ crap.” I zeroed in on six. It felt kinda good, like drawing a line in the sand.
First up, I had this kitchen drawer. Man, this thing was a nightmare. It was the infamous “junk drawer,” but it had gone beyond junk. It was an archaeological dig of old batteries, half-empty sticky notes, dried-up pens, and screws from God knows what. Just thinking about opening it made me sigh. My want: Tackle that damn junk drawer.
Then there was Dave. My old college roommate, Dave. We used to talk every week, and then life happened, as it always does. It’d been way too long. Months. Maybe even a year? I kept meaning to call him, but I’d put it off. My want: Call Dave. A real chat, not just a text.
Next, you know how you sign up for stuff online, all gung-ho, right? I’d signed up for this basic photography course months ago. Free, even. Never even clicked the first lesson. It was just sitting there, a little digital reminder of my procrastination. My want: Start the first module of that photography course.
We’ve got a small balcony, and I’d bought these little herb starter kits, like, two springs ago. They were still in their cute little boxes, dusty, on a shelf. I loved the idea of fresh basil and mint, but I just hadn’t done it. My want: Get those herbs planted. Today.
And the faucet in the guest bathroom. It had this slow, annoying drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. It wasn’t a torrent, just this persistent little sound that once I noticed, I couldn’t un-notice. I even had the new washer in the toolbox. My want: Fix that leaky faucet.
Finally, I just felt sluggish. I’d been doing my quick errands, sure, walking to the corner store, but a real, proper walk? Just for the sake of moving my body? Nope. Haven’t done that in a while. My want: Go for a proper, uninterrupted walk for at least 30 minutes.
So, this morning, I woke up, and those six things were just sitting there in my head. No pressure, just a clear path. I went for it. I kicked off with the junk drawer. I pulled everything out. Everything. I grabbed a trash bag, recycled what I could, and found a few things I actually needed. It took like, twenty minutes. Honest to God. Twenty minutes for something that had been bugging me for ages. I sorted it, put back the essentials, and closed it. Man, that felt good. Like a little victory.
Then I sat down, picked up my phone, and called Dave. No texting first, no “are you free?” Just called him. He picked up! We talked for half an hour, caught up on everything. It was like no time had passed. We laughed. I felt lighter after that. Just hearing his voice, knowing that connection was still there. It’s funny how a quick phone call can do that.
After that, I fired up the laptop. I found the email for the photography course. Clicked the link. Watched the intro video. Read through the first two lessons. It wasn’t a huge commitment, maybe another forty minutes of my time. But I actually did it. The mental block was gone. I felt like, “Hey, I actually started something!”
Before lunch, I grabbed those herb kits. Found some old pots in the shed, added some soil, and planted them. It was messy, sure, got dirt under my fingernails, but it was satisfying. Little sprouts poking out of the ground in a week or two. That’s a good feeling, seeing something you planted, you know?
Then, after grabbing a quick bite, I hit the guest bathroom. I dug out the wrench and the new washer. It was a bit fiddly, getting the old washer out, but I got it done. Screwed everything back together, turned on the water. No drip. Just a silent faucet. That little sound, gone. Another little win added to the pile.
Finally, I slipped on my walking shoes. Didn’t even grab my phone. Just walked out the door and started walking. No destination, just around the neighborhood. Felt the sun on my face, listened to the birds, just breathed. I walked for about forty-five minutes, came back feeling refreshed, a bit tired, but in a good way. Like I’d shaken off some dust.
It’s weird how these small things, when you actually get off your butt and do them, can make such a difference. I didn’t conquer the world today, but I conquered my own little corner of it. And it felt damn good.
