
You know those days when you go to sleep feeling like you might as well have not woken up at all? You know the ones. The days when you just didn’t really do anything productive, potentially didn’t even leave the house, and maybe didn’t even shower? It’s ok, we’ve all been there. But today, I’m sharing 30 small things you can do so that you can feel like you kick-ass at life everyday. (Hint: Scroll to the bottom of this post for a free checklist!)
- Clear out your e-mail inbox. Nothing says, “I have my shit together” like no unread messages.
- While you’re at it, respond to all those e-mails you’ve let pile up. Yes, even the ones that will take more than five minutes.
- Have a dog? Great, take them for an Awesome Walk. An Awesome Walk generally consists of going somewhere new or off the beaten path. Also, I just invented it.
- Find a new recipe and cook it for your family or friends. (Or just yourself. I don’t judge.)
- Start a new book. Or finish one!
- Pick a section of your house and clean it. It’d be great to clean your entire place, but things always get in the way, like time and motivation. Pick something smaller, like your desk or kitchen, and get to work!
- Open up iTunes. Go to View, then Show Duplicate Items. It will show you all of the songs you have in your library that are exact duplicates. Delete the evil twins and feel better about your slimmed music library.
- If you have time, clean out your music library, too! How often do you really listen to Akon these days anyway?
- Create a budget. Don’t forget to include categories for rent/housing, food, utilities, and extras/entertainment. I recently found out about the envelope method of budgeting and it sounds great! Look it up and give it a try. Or try these tips for staying out of debt.
- Donate to something or someone. Always feels great to support good causes and good people.
- Send an e-mail to some of your favorite bloggers to tell them how much you love their site. It’d make their day and probably make you feel pretty peachy, too, Mother Teresa!
- Make something and hang it on your wall. Doesn’t have to be fancy! Print some pictures, doodle on a piece of paper, write your favorite quote on a piece of cardboard from a shoebox…whatever it takes to get creative and make something pretty for your walls. Did you know you could even download cool posters and graphics off of Etsy and print them out?
- Buy new toys for your pet. It might not feel like you “accomplished” something if you just buy things for yourself, but buying gifts for your furry friend and watching them happily play with them will certainly feel like an achievement on your part!
- Pick up a new hobby.
- Do you have a blog and want to make more “blog friends”? Send or reply to a tweet from another blogger you like but have yet to talk to. Make them your new pal! (More Twitter tips here!)
- If you don’t live with your folks anymore, snap a picture of yourself with your phone and send it to them just to show them that you’re doing well and that you love them.
- Make a bucket list. Try to cross something off today.
- Groom yourself. I know you’re not a dog, but humans need grooming, too. Get a haircut, cut and/or paint your nails, buy a face mask and deep clean your face, and start feeling like a fresher version of your beautiful self.
- Is someone’s birthday coming up? Make them a gift as opposed to buying it. They’ll probably love the sentimentality and you’ll feel good about giving them a special present.
- Is something in your house broken? Is a lightbulb out? Shower clogged with hair? *cringe* A pipe leaking? Either fix it or call someone who can.
- Make a to-do list for the day, the week, and the month. You don’t have to start it just yet, but planning out your life will feel like an achievement in itself. Essentially, you’re just making goals!
- Do people always look at you funny when you tell them you haven’t seen Mean Girls or Lord of the Rings or some other wildly popular movie that apparently everyone on the planet has seen 80 times? Watch it!
- Don’t have a blog? Make one! Have a blog? Update its design for summer! Either way, start something fresh.
- Take your camera outside, by yourself, for at least an hour, and just take pictures of whatever you see. If you have a blog, post about your adventure!
- Go to futureme.org and write a letter to your future self.
- Plan your next vacation. Us bloggers and biz owners need a little self-care from time to time. Ya feel me?
- Want a new job? Start searching and apply for at least one job today!
- Buy bath salts or elmo bubble foam and take a nice, relaxing dip.
- Send someone mail. Who doesn’t love snail mail? It can be a postcard, package, whatever you want! You can even buy them something online and mail it anonymously. Giggity.
- Make a list of ten things you absolutely love about yourself. Brag away! It’s not like you have to show it to anyone.
Wooohooo do you feel like a million bucks yet? I sure hope so!
Are you enjoying this post? I created a free checklist to help you get shit done (even when you’re feeling totally unmotivated). Click the button below to get it instantly.



























Great list! I have to admit that housework is my favorite thing to do when I’m feeling down or like I’m not able to do anything else – if you would tell my 16-year-old self, she definitely wouldn’t believe, but it kind of gets me to a relaxed state of mind. Plus, my apartement will be clean most of the time! 😉
I like housework too sometimes! Except those times come completely sporadically and I can’t predict them. At least yours have a pattern 😉 My apartment is still a perpetual mess!
oh, such a lovely post! i’m definitely saving it, and having a peek the day when I will be bored, and not finding anything to do.. 🙂
this list will make you pretty busy! hah 🙂 so kind, and lovely of you! X
That’s awesome to hear Vaida! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Oh my gosh you are too funny. I’m a new reader of yours and I think I just improved my daily to do list ten fold. Today I really didn’t have much planned, and now it’s 10:30am and I have a whole bunch I can do! Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
ha that is so awesome! I hope you end up doing some of these, that would be great! And thanks for being a new reader, so glad to have you join us here. 🙂
What an awesome list you’ve compiled here 😀 !! I love doing little things like these throughout my day, especially when you don’t have a job and you’re home all day. These things definitely keep you sane and feeling like you didn’t just waste your day.
xoxo,
-Laura
totally know what you mean! i didnt work for a month earlier this year and felt sooo unproductive (even though it was nice to relax!). But yeah I need to get on these things too!!
Love the list! I think I’m going to keep on coming back to it time and again.
Awesome!! I kind of think I will too!
i need to print this out and stick it on every surface of our apt so there’s no excuse for not getting things done!
Fabulous idea! I also need to re-work my 5 second attention span. It’s getting BAD.
oh man, sometimes i feel like i’m struggling for even five seconds
I am definitely having one of those days today! Decided to spend my day writing blog posts for the future and discovering new blogs to follow. That’s productive enough right? x
Heck yes!! That’s an honorary #31 because I need to do that too!
Wow I cannot tell you how timely and relevant this is for me right now! I just move to a new country where I don’t speak the language, so am not only unemployed, but not even able to start looking for work until I learn (or figure out a way to work in English) … so I am having a LOT of days like this, and I will be keeping this list close at hand!!
I’m so glad this list could be helpful for you! I definitely feel you about being in a new country and just not knowing WHAT in the world to do. It can be so frustrating! Where did you move to?
Love this and the one about grooming made me laugh as I imagined sitting there will someone brushed my hair!
HAHA brushed it and then put a little dog bow in it, right?
Love this — such a good idea! I have those days more often than I should, but this is a fun list of pick-me-up activities! (I’ll probably avoid the cleaning ones, knowing myself, haha, but love this.) Heck, just reading this list made me feel more productive! Is this pudding? BECAUSE I SEE SOME PROOF!!! (Get it? Ahhh bit of a stretch!)
Thank you Erika! And I specifically made the cleaning one only about cleaning a small section of your house because I know I’d never do it if it was the whole thing! And…I…um…I don’t get it!! Explain prease.
That phrase was so… bad. Such a bad punny joke. I was just using the phrase “the proof is in the pudding” but… ah, it made SO MUCH MORE SENSE in my head and now that it’s several hours later, it just sounds like crazy talk. SORRY ‘BOUT THAT. hahaha. ridic.
This is brilliant. I need this up on my wall or something. I have this kind of days more often than I care for. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad you like it! And yes, I have days like that too much. I need to put some of these into practice too! 🙂
I have days like these all the time! (I don’t know if I should be putting exclamation marks with that…). I’m glad I can now have a mental list that I can go through to have a productive day, even if it’s not very productive. I totally laughed about the whole Akon thing too. I have his songs on my iTunes and I don’t think I’ve ever listened to his songs on there haha!
haha I have days like this too truuuuust me! And haha I couldn’t think of who to use in that artists-I-don’t-need-in-my-itunes part and as soon as I opened iTunes I saw Akon and thought, BINGO.
Loved this list. It’s cute and definitely a fun place to start not being so lazy. Though I’m going to have to change number 14 to work on a hobby you already have!! haha I have too many to start a new one 😉
HAHA totaaaally agree with you there. This blog started as a DIY blog and the last time I DIYed anything was…..yeah, can’t remember!
This is so perfect! I’m totally printing this and using it, lol
🙂
samm
http://www.dysfunctionaleverafter.com
AH you’re awesome! I really want a printer, is that weird? Mid-twenties-life-crisis.
I was mega productive yesterday and deleted over 1,000 emails that I had been secretly hoarding….DON’T JUDGE ME!
HAHA no judging but WOW THAT IS A LOT. If it gets over 150 I feel like I have poo on my face. (i.e. very dirty) (i.e. i.e. worst analogy ever)
HAHAHAHA, by worst I’m sure you mean the most vivid and awesome because that’s what it was! I’m going to try and keep it around the 100 mark, but no promises….I always just feel like I might need them….because I MIGHT.
I do it differently. I open every new email I get right when I see it, but if it’s one I need to peruse more thoroughly, I “star” it on gmail, and more often than not, forget about it -_- That’s my version of “unread email hoarding”.
Ah, i hate going to bed feeling like I haven’t done anything worthwhile. Thanks for the tips!
Totally know the feeling! Anytime girl, anytime!
These are some great tips! I’m pinning this post so I can go back to it when I’m feeling like I’ve not done anything worthwhile in a day.
Awesome and thank you, Jade!
LOVE this post! These are such good ideas! New reader/follower! This Lovely Little Day sent me in your direction!
Jordyn
theprettylovelyblog.blogspot.com
Yay thanks for joining me!! And I’m so glad you liked this post. 🙂 I also like that you spell your name with a y too 🙂
How do you come up with all these great lists? No, really, how do you do it?
i just wanted to say i love love love your new look!!
haha you are so funny that you found this random post to leave this sweet comment on. Love it! And thank you so much! 🙂
You’re like sunshine Melyssa. Love it.
YOU WARM MY HEART, ANNA! Thank you for being such a sweet little lady. 🙂
Just want to say that I was having a crummy day…but this made me feel better! Thanks!
That is awesome to hear Morissa 🙂 Well, not about your crummy day! I hope today is much, much better.
Loved reading this post! Such great ideas 🙂
I absolutely love your blog and find the majority of your post’s to be exactly what I’m looking for. Do you offer guest writers to write content for yourself? I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on a number of the subjects you write about here. Again, awesome web log!
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was curious what all is needed to
get set up? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny?
I’m not very internet smart so I’m not 100% certain.
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Love, loove, looove this post! 🙂
You’re the sweetest! Thank you Mary! 🙂
Hihi you’re welcome 🙂
I am so glad I randomly stumbled across your blog and this post today!
Even just reading this post made me feel like I have accomplished something this afternoon. 🙂
Many thanks x
Well shucks, that makes me so happy, Tez! Have an awesome day. 🙂
Really needed to read this, so glad I did! Feeling better already, thank you 🙂
http://www.noomiiesworld.blogspot.co.uk
Aw that makes me happy, Anume. Go you! 🙂
Thanks for the gentle motivation! I’ve been feeling un-accomplished, but I also have some physical impairments, that make many tasks harder for me than they used to be, so I really appreciate your list of small, non-overwhelming things to accomplosh! 🙂
Sincerely,
Sheila
I’m really glad to hear that this list gave you some gentle motivation, Sheila. 🙂 I’m sure there are a lot of things you’re accomplishing, and that positive attitude you have, despite physical impairments, is definitely one of them! 🙂
Hi Mel! I just discovered your amazing website, I love all the sections! And, this article is one of the best I’ve read so far 🙂 Really nice ways to finish the day with a big smile 😀 I’ve got some ideas, thanks a lot!
Greetings from Spain!
Pilar
So sweet of you! Thanks Carmen. 🙂
Hi!! I just found your site and wow is it everything I need right now. Thank you times a bajillion!!! Usually if I do nothing else, exercising in some form (usually weightlifting because it makes me want to die less than, say, running) makes me feel accomplished. I think it’s because health is my #1 goal for this summer, and hey, if you did nothing else, at least you took care of the only body you’ll ever have, riiiiiiiight? Right. Now we have earned some Family Guy time. 🙂
I’m SO glad you’ve found some usefulness here, Morgan! And health is a GREAT goal to have! My healthy goal has been about eating well, but I need to add exercise (and Family Guy) to the mix, too. 😉
I suggest combining exercise and Family Guy…I weightlift or do core or something (so many in house workouts, thank you Pinterest) for one episode in my living room and BAM, all done and I’m caught up on the show! 🙂
-Morgan
https://wanderingrush.wordpress.com/
Very smart! I love that idea!
I love this post so much Melyssa that I added it to my post that you can find here: http://www.hazelhaven.com/blog1/2015/12/7/5-ways-to-get-things-done-when-youre-not-in-the-mood-free-calendar
Oh, you are too sweet! Thank you for sharing 🙂
I really enjoyed this 🙂
Why thank you Natalie! 🙂 So happy you enjoyed!