Every daily decision and action builds your life in a specific direction.

Tend to your daily actions and habits with a clear eye on where your story is headed.

There is one day in March of 2020 that is etched into each one of our memories.

It could be the date when first hearing about the coronavirus.

It might be the day your child came home from school, leaving behind a desk or locker full of belongings.

It might have been the day you set up a home office in an inconvenient space.

No matter the actual day this new reality landed, it has been stitched together with a collection of other days.

It has been a year and counting.

I have been reflecting in my journal and with others about what this passage of time has contained and revealed.

I would encourage taking time to reflect, revisit, and review the contents of the last year.

It is only natural to feel a rant erupt when considering all that was devastating in the last year, but hopefully, at some point, there will arise some memory or reason to evoke rejoicing.

This is the definition of hope.

reflect. revisit. rant. review. rejoice.

reflect

• What were the early days, of what would become a global pandemic, like for you?

revisit

• What were the most important events that happened or didn’t happen?

rant

• What caused the most stress, despair, anxiety, or sorrow?

review

• With the passage of time, what do you see differently now?

rejoice

• What is one good thing you experienced that can become an arrow pointing
  the way towards gratitude?

This post opens with a quote from a Lenten devotional by Dwell. Our days are made of
small and large intentional decisions shaping the stories we will inhabit.

Reflection anchors our thoughts, adds perspective, and allows our emotions enough space to be honored and valued. The marking of a year can bring to the surface a multitude of thoughts and emotions. Think about these questions or tuck them away for when you are ready to give them consideration.

One intentionally tiny decision I am starting to practice is designed to add a little joy to each day. I created a small checklist called the pick one thing weekly checklist. The idea came from a post I wrote during the early days of sheltering indoors. You can find that post here or on this page.

Last week I felt suddenly overwhelmed by the number of items on my to-do list. We have recently returned to a bit of normalcy with a few routine activities beyond our walls. A year is long enough to be out of practice with life in the world. I don’t drive or run errands often. I find myself wondering has everyone always driven so fast? There is a newfound layer of fatigue from running a minor errand or even going to a medical appointment.

Just as reflection takes time and is meant to be a slow burn, I want to continue to have a slower-paced life. It is going to take practice, a new mindset, and paying attention to what fills my days.

What story is my life telling or would it be described as spinning?

I am choosing to pick one thing to do during my day, just because it is life-giving and makes me happy.

I tore off a piece of washi tape to attach one of my checklists to the inside of my planner. I wrote one thing to add to my day and repeated this practice the next day and so on.

Each day, my one thing provided an anchor to my day and created a little spark, knowing at some point, no matter what the day would contain, I would do this one thing. I placed a smiley face in the checkboxes instead of a checkmark as a reminder to seek joy, not perfection.

Making my one thing ridiculously small heightens the possibility of doing it without feeling like a burden.

This tiny practice has been a surprisingly powerful part of my days. I would love for you to try it. To-do lists are not going away but if there is a way to bring joy in the midst of all that must be done, so let it be. You can find the button below to print a checklist of your own.

May we give time and space to reflect, revisit, rant, review, and rejoice, a year later.

May you find joy in basking and embracing a slower and smaller way.