Last week was a mish-mash of events and emotions. It included the weekend away with my cousins and friends and then getting back and readjusting to regular life, the things I wrote, the thousands of words I should have written that I didn’t, the people I should have reached out and didn’t, the moments I panicked because my procrastinating was catching up to me, the food choices – some good, most not so much, the hours of sleep I skipped to read instead, the time I spent working on a project for my mom which I considered a labor of love because I don’t get to do enough for her. Honestly, I loved it all, but…

Because I am my own toughest critic, I can look back and point to some of the things I should have done differently, could have done better and would work harder at if I had another chance. I do! I have another chance! As do you! The new chance starts today, right now.

So here are 5 things I could have done differently last week to have a stress-free week.

1. Ask for help. No matter how hermetic we consider ourselves, people thrive in communities. Alone, we are limited by our gifts, talents and resources. But a partnership or community pools those resources and facilitates a stronger product. When my mom told me about her project, I volunteered to help and honestly, I didn’t think she would accept because I learned my fierce independence from her. But she said yes! And I like to think that when we worked together, the collaboration was better than anything we could have done alone.
2. Actually Laugh Out Loud. We type the abbreviation in a text all the time to say we think something is comical, or so the person on the receiving end thinks we are kidding and doesn’t take what we’ve written too literally. But when was the last time you actually laughed hard when you typed LOL? Try it! I did. I had a fantastic time laughing with my cousins last weekend and it carried over into the week. I found myself looking for comedy online everyday to keep the laughs coming. And it just adjusted my mood generally. LOL when you get a chance to.
3. Forgive someone. We all have a memory of someone who did us wrong, made us angry and the weight of carrying a grudge could be that heaviness you have in your life. Do yourself a favor and tell someone you understand why it happened and that you’ve moved on. And actually mean it!
4. Do a good deed. Surprise someone with a gift they weren’t expecting – no matter how small, it will be appreciated. And the gratitude you receive could be an even better gift to yourself. I surprised a friend with a token yesterday and the smiles I got in return made it all worth it. I really should do that more often.
5. And then return the favor. Find someone who has done something wonderful for you and thank them. Remember how wonderful you felt when someone expressed their gratitude to you and give that gift to someone deserving. Make their day too. There are so many people in my life that make it all possible – the deputy who took charge of the youth group last week so I could go away, my friend who cooked me a fantastic dinner, the lady who prayed for me, the couple that drove me home in the snowstorm… I can’t mention all my blessings here but I am so grateful for them and I am recording them in my mind so I can do something for these people in future, even if it’s to pay the gift forward to someone else.

This week, I plan to

• live in the moment
• procrastinate less
• recognize the good in my life and celebrate it

What are your plans for the week ahead?