February 29, 2012

Leap Day - An Extra 24!

How often have you found yourself wishing for an extra hour in your day? Well here it is. In fact, today you get 24 extra hours. It is a Leap Year and that makes today Leap Day, so thanks to the need to keep our annual calendar aligned with seasonal and astronomical calendars we all get an extra day in our year, a whole extra 24 hours to play with. The question is what will you do with your extra hours?

image from here
Me? I'm planning to do only things that make me happy. Truly happy. That means no laundry, no housekeeping, no errands. Nope, today is going to be packed full of whole lotta happy. To start, there will be plenty of cuddles, block stacking fun, story time and Treehouse with my boy. With any luck, plans to have coffee and chat with an old and wonderful friend will hold. There may be some baking, perhaps some photo-editing + selecting, an easy jog and/or scrapbooking fun. All wrapped up with supper with my hubby and some time on the couch with a good book. Sounds good, doesn`t it?

Perhaps you can do the same? All too often we`re wishing for an extra hour in our day to get something done - something we`d just as soon not do. So, I encourage you to follow my lead and do at least one thing within your extra 24 hours that makes you happy. I know you`re not all off on maternity leave with the option of letting the day unfold as you wish, that work and meetings and other things will consume most of your day. But I do think we can all find time before the clock strikes 12 to do something, just one thing, that makes you smile.

Here, I`ll even help you out with 24 suggestions. Pick and choose your favorite, or pick one for every extra hour of found time:
  1. Try taking your lunch break for a change.
  2. While you`re at it, take a brisk walk around the block. Let the fresh air clear the cobwebs off your lungs.
  3. Or take a good book to a quiet corner of the closest coffee shop. Indulge your imagination for 30 minutes.
  4. Treat yourself to a fancy tea or coffee beverage on your coffee break.
  5. Treat a stranger to a fancy tea or coffee on your coffee break.  
  6. Pick up take-out on the way home. Enjoy healthy deli sammies or a tasty pizza or Chinese, whatever floats your boat.
  7. Pick up a bottle of wine on the way home. Enjoy a glass with your significant other or in the solitude of a hot bath. Or both. Whatever floats your boat.
  8. Go for a nice, long run. Your body and lungs will thank you.
  9. Go for a nice, long nap. Your body and soul will thank you.
  10. Head to the library.
  11. Head to a happy hour.
  12. Tune into your favourite TV show. Doyle anyone?
  13. Tune into your favourite radio station and listen to some tunes.
  14. Take an hour to play with your kids`, in the park, in the yard, in the house. They`ll love you for it.
  15. Take an hour to play with your partner. Make it after dark and they`ll love you even more for it ;)
  16. Plan your next vacation.
  17. Call your bestie friend or your momma or your sister, just for a chat to see how they`re doing.
  18. Write a letter. To a friend. To your kids. To yourself for five years from now.
  19. Dance - alone in your PJs or wild and crazy with the kiddies or with your better half in the kitchen with your wedding song on bust.
  20. Meditate.
  21. Daydream.
  22. Laugh. Out loud.
  23. Say a little prayer
  24. Turn in an hour early and grab some extra zzz`s.
Whether it`s five minutes, one hour, or the whole day, take some of your found time on this Leap Day just for you. Do something, even just one thing, that makes you happy. That`s my plan.

1 comment:

Sara said...

Great post - thanks! And truly enjoy your day - it sounds like a fabulous one!