cross it out.

i am an obsessive list maker.

i have trouble going to sleep if i don't first pull out my little notebook and make a list of everything i want to get done for tomorrow. i make lists of homework i've gotta do, books i wanna read, emails i've gotta send, places i wanna go... i don't know why i do it. i just do.

i think a lot of it is the rewarding feeling when you strike a black line of ink through your day's demands. it just feels good.

but sometimes a day goes by and i didn't get anything done that i wanted to. things come up & plans change & yada yada you know this. and then disappointment hits when i go back to the day's list & i can't cross out a single thing.

so these past couple months, i started making a new kind of list. a better kind. before i go to bed each night, i make a list of the things that i already DID that day. a celebratory list of all the good things.

so here's to today. cheers.

-i woke up at 7 with my alarm, & i didn't push snooze once.

-i ran six miles.

-i went to class... all of it.

-i skyped my maggie eliza :)

-i typed up interview notes for 2 hours = death.

-i went on my first sailing excursion ever.

-i severely impressed a group of teenage indian boys by writing the telugu alphabet.

-i finished reading outliers & started pride & prejudice.

-i emailed my parents.

-i took some photos.

-oh, and i online shopped. (you see how this works? if you go about it the right way, you can even make yourself feel good about things you were feeling mildly guilty about. jen, be expecting a package at your door in about a week.)

i think everyone should try it. it helps you reflect on the day and recognize even the littlest things you accomplished.

it helps you remember that you are awesome.

and when you're trying to reinforce good habits, it makes you feel good on those days you succeed, and it lets you know when you need to try a little bit harder.

hope everyone's day was filled with goodness.