Find a Purpose Within Every Day

Life becomes consuming at times and the more those mundane activities continue, the more consuming they becoming, which can make it difficult to know when you are falling. I have not written on here since September of last year and it is now April, meaning I let school, sports, my job, and honestly the biggest culprit, my phone, all take away from doing what I love without realizing I no longer had this joy. Right now, take a moment to remember all of the things you once did and no longer do any more and ask yourself why those habits/hobbies have slipped away in the passing of time.

I have been in stuck in my house for three weeks now which led me to realize that this is going to be the new normal until the pandemic at hand resolves. It is a situation that none of us have ever been in but this reality check has more benefits than most realize. The first week I was thrilled to have no school so my time was spent sleeping in and watching TV, only that gets old and by the second week I just had the urge to do something so I made a deal with myself to find a purpose within every single day. I encourage everybody reading to do the same because it helped me rediscover the simple joys that I used to not have enough time for in my days so here are some ideas that I have tried while on quarantine:

(Everything I list below is something that I have actually done since the start of this period in order to use this platform to accurately influence whoever I can and to stay genuine to myself.)

1. Have a photo shoot

The initial day I made the decision to find a purpose in every day, I brought out some new clothes I had nowhere to wear, as well my camera, and then made them into a mini magazine. For only shooting in my bedroom and having no other help than the self timer button, they turned out really good so I opened up Adobe InDesign and started working to create my magazine. If it were not for the camera feature I stumbled upon where it automatically takes a picture when registering a smile instead of each time going back to hit the 10 second timer these pictures would not have compared. I am kind of proud of how this turned out and it ended consumed the rest of my week regarding the design process and editing which I found interesting because it was such a random idea that I ended up enjoying a lot.

2. Rearrange your bedroom

Changing up the energy in a space is always a refreshing feeling and it is a nice shift while the rest of our lives are on a temporary standby. I moved every piece of furniture in my room and then decided it looked better the way it was and ended up only switching my mirror and desk, but that hour or so was put to better use than falling into the endless hole of scrolling through my phone. This minor change made me enjoy my space much more and has helped me to de-clutter.

3. Make a wall collage

I used to have a collage on my door full of inspiration pictures and quotes but after a year or so they had started to fall off and it became rather unorganized so I hopped on Pinterest to gather some pictures to print. This time around I went for a fashion inspiration theme instead of randomness in order to create a cohesive look for my room and I love it.

4. Create a new playlist

The one thing that always keeps me inspired is music so finding new artists and creating new playlists is very therapeutic for me and resets the vibe. I have music playing in the background throughout my whole day so it is really important to find songs that keep me uplifted and motivated while having something to relax to.

5. Pick up a new hobby

I would say I am definitely interested in more new age practices and energy so I went ahead and got a deck of tarot cards that have been so fun to play around with and learn. The first night I got them I stayed up all night giving readings to my friends and analyzing messages that related to my life. I used to watch tarot readings on YouTube but now I can actually do them myself and it gives me new perspectives to look at a situation with. You can get into painting, cooking, or reading during this time because there is finally time to do all of the things we have been putting off.

6. Write something, it can be anything

As previously mentioned, I have not written a blog post since September, which is not entirely true because I have written a couple only some were left unfinished and others I decided to just keep for myself. I write everyday, just ask the 5 different journals I have sitting in front of me, but too often I do not think my ideas are valid enough to share with others or ideas just do not come to me. I have decided to use this time wisely and start posting more frequently because at the end of the day I do this for me and the chance of being able to inspire somebody else which I cannot do if I keep my thoughts between the paper and I.

7. Become a reader

I once considered myself a reader during middle school when I did not have any social media to distract me from everyday life and let me tell you it was great. Escaping into a good plot that distracts you from reality and keeps you on edge was one of my favorite feelings but that habit died as school became harder, I started joining more after school activities, and the world of social media and teenage years came upon me. I crave those simple times when I would read a whole novel in a day as the most successful people in the world are readers and it is so important to learn what people have to say. I was digging through my drawers today when I found my copy of # GIRLBOSS ( I actually picked this up at a thrift store over the summer for a dollar, I highly suggest book thrifting!) so I opened it up and just read the whole book which I have not done in years and it is inspiring me to get back into reading because I forgot how enjoyable it is.

8. Meditate

It was 60 degrees and sunny today so I took this opportunity to sit outside and relax to some music and I fell into that perfect place where you are not quite asleep but everything is just so serene. I thought back to my summer days where I spent most of my time on the back deck soaking up the sun and diving deep into the world of mindfulness. I did not even watch/listen to a guided meditation today but just simply appreciated the moment and incorporated previous meditation techniques all into one. It was probably the most carefree I have felt in a while and it's a habit I have forgotten about but am ready to incorporate back into my life.

I have learned to use even the smallest activities to create some purpose of each day and to set a focus because each day we could be getting better at something and working towards a goal instead of being consumed in the endless cycle of scrolling through Instagram. My goal for today was to finish this post and get it out there and now that its all done I am starting to realize that I really like this new challenge I have provided for myself, and whoever reading, to do something meaningful that is going to make you feel productive.

-Emma Claire