david j. garcia

I hope you started the new year off the right way: by smiling! And after you’ve gotten such a good start, it’d be a shame to waste it. So my wonderful wife Emily and I have come up with tons of things to do (at least one/day) to make sure you spend all your days smiling.

Here’s 197 things to do (at least one/day) to make sure you spend all your days smiling:

1. Dream.
2. Kiss someone you like.
3. Play with a kitten.
4. Hold a baby.
5. Say “I love you” (and mean it).
6. Play fetch with a dog.
7. Go for a walk.
8. Take a bike ride.
9. Watch a sunset.
10. Watch a sunrise.
11. Have sex (with your spouse ).
12. Decorate a Christmas tree.
13. Write a letter.
14. Visit a nursing home.
15. Call an old friend.
16. Go out of your way to help someone.
17. Give someone flowers.
18. Send a thank-you card.
19. Make a list of your favorite people (and why).
20. Tell your favorite people why they’re your favorite.
21. Visit a friend.
22. Read scripture.
23. Sing in the shower.
24. Sing off key on purpose.
25. Make funny noises.
26. Have a funny face contest.
27. Go for a walk near water.
28. Go for a hike.
29. Stop and smell the roses—literally.
30. Pet an animal.
31. Learn a new hobby.
32. Do someone else’s dishes.
33. Ask someone about their favorite memory.
34. Sit quietly and think about something (or someone) that makes you happy.
35. Bake cookies.
36. Take homemade cookies somewhere.
37. Say hello to a stranger.
38. Plant something.
39. Take a picture of a sunset.
40. Enjoy your favorite flavor of ice cream.
41. Make art.
42. Eat a fresh fruit or vegetable.
43. Read a good book.
44. Write a poem.
45. Publish a blog.
46. Turn up the music.
47. Turn off the news.
48. Close all the door and windows and dance (in just your socks).
49. Make 2012 your best year yet.
50. Sing along to a musical.
51. Watch a penguin walk.
52. Listen to a kid tell a story.
53. Go to the playground.
54. Run (or walk) a 5K.
55. Give something to your local homeless person.
56. Take a long, hot bath.
57. Set a big goal.
58. Picture yourself accomplishing a big goal.
59. Accomplish a big goal.
60. Play a card game.
61. Cheat to help someone else win.
62. Wish someone a good day.
63. Wish a stranger “Merry Christmas!”
64. Say something silly on purpose.
65. Practice a tongue twister.
66. Learn how to say “thank you” in a different language.
67. Take a picture.
68. Look through an old photo album.
69. Draw something you remember.
70. Finish a project.
71. Get the house clean.
72. Go outside for five minutes just for the sake of being outside.
73. Feel the sunshine on your shoulders.
74. Go to a party.
75. Throw a party.
76. Compliment someone’s eyes.
77. Compliment someone’s clothes.
78. Compliment someone’s shoes.
79. Compliment someone’s attitude.
80. Compliment someone’s personality.
81. Eat a cookie.
82. Ride a horse.
83. Climb something.
84. Swim.
85. Go on an adventure.
86. Visit a waterfall.
87. Smell a bunch of flowers.
88. Tell someone you’re proud of them.
89. Go out for a night on the town.
90. See a live performance.
91. Put on a live performance.
92. Watch a fire.
93. Eat a brownie.
94. Eat ice cream (or frozen yogurt).
95. Smile just for the heck of it.
96. Watch someone you love.
97. Breathe deeply at least three times in a row.
98. Say “easy peasy.”
99. Jump. Multiple times, if you have to.
100. Compliment a stranger.
101. Sincerely thank customer service.
102. Leave an extra-generous tip.
103. Withdraw $20 in ones, and give yourself permission to do whatever you want with it.
104. Drink a tall glass of water.
105. Exercise.
106. Call your mom.
107. Walk barefoot through the grass or sand.
108. Change a light bulb, then turn on the new one and watch it work.
109. Make an old family recipe.
110. Do a project with an elderly relative.
111. Decorate Easter eggs.
112. Finger paint.
113. Tickle someone.
114. Get tickled.
115. Threaten to tickle someone.
116. Tell a really corny joke.
117. Tell a really good joke.
118. Wear your nicest clothes.
119. Serenade your steering wheel.
120. Bounce a ball.
121. Sing falsetto.
122. Play catch.
123. Fly a kite.
124. Roll down a hill.
125. Visit a museum.
126. Examine a painting.
127. Send a letter, by mail, to yourself.
128. Sing along to the radio.
129. Attend a wedding.
130. Give a birthday gift.
131. Give a gift for no reason.
132. Play “hide and seek.”
133. Play tag.
134. Drum.
135. Beatbox.
136. Take a bubble bath.
137. Rub your tummy and pat your head simultaneously.
138. Give a massage.
139. Get a massage (which is easier after you’ve given one).
140. Put on warm, fuzzy socks.
141. Build something with Legos.
142. Make (and wear) a newspaper hat.
143. Dedicate a song to someone.
144. Watch old people dance.
145. Go to church.
146. Reorganize your living room.
147. Pay off a debt.
148. Do someone a favor.
149. Buy something you’ve saved up for.
150. Vitameatavegamin.
151. Light a good-smelling candle.
152. Spend an evening with a good book.
153. Snuggle.
154. Read the funny pages.
155. Bake a cake.
156. Frame something important.
157. Listen to “Who’s on First?”
158. Go someplace new and exciting.
159. Climb a mountain.
160. Make time.
161. Get a fresh haircut.
162. Consider the mayfly.
163. Touch noses with someone special.
164. Smile at someone.
165. Read a Dr. Suess book—as fast as you can, out loud.
166. Play with someone’s hair.
167. Tickle your own feet.
168. Play a board game.
169. Make a list of things that make you smile.
170. Wrap up in a blanket fresh out of the dryer.
171. Drink hot chocolate.
172. Appreciate something beautiful.
173. Appreciate someone beautiful.
174. Draw a picture of something/someone beautiful.
175. Pray.
176. Try out a new recipe.
177. Sit close together by the fire.
178. Listen to your favorite song.
179. Sing “If I were a rich man” (aloud).
180. Do something selfless.
181. Smell good.
182. Skip.
183. Hold hands.
184. Watch a Disney movie.
185. Sit down as a family and eat dinner.
186. Spend time with nine-year-olds.
187. Listen to children sing.
188. Clean a room, then sit and enjoy the view.
189. Take a trip.
190. Go to the zoo.
191. Paint your toenails.
192. Say a tongue twister. A lot of times. Fast.
193. Do something embarrassing.
194. Write a long list of things you’re thankful for.
195. Try to make someone else smile.
196. Post a comment on this post telling your favorite ways to get smiling.
197. If you liked this list, click here to share this on Facebook and get your friends smiling.

If the first thing you try doesn’t work, pick something else from the list – I guarantee there’s an idea here that can make you smile.

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This could easily have been the year I did absolutely nothing.

I’m a natural homebody and—I’ll be honest—it’s easy for me to get to Friday night and want to say, “I think I’ll just kick my feet up all weekend.” Unfortunately, that makes it all-too-easy to get to the end of a year and realize I didn’t end up doing much of anything.

That didn’t happen this year, though.

Forgive me if I brag for a moment: we had an awesome year in 2011.

In the past year we’ve attended plays and musicals (including Wicked! and the Utah Shakespeare Festival), visited family in Texas (multiple times), chartered a (tiny) boat, visited waterfalls and toured my mission area in Washington/Oregon, walked the Golden Gate bridge, went to Comic Con San Diego, spent more than a month without television, moved into a larger apartment, rocked the GMAT, explored local hot spots, and acquired a few key possessions that we’ll love for years. Oh—and our first child will be born any day now (probably before the end of the year).

Almost none of this would have happened if we hadn’t taken specific steps to make it a priority.

I’ll be honest: I’m a bit lazy. Thankfully, I realized that could be a problem if it kept my wife and I from reaching our potential. So we developed a powerful system we used to make our dreams come to life.

I wouldn’t have had such an awesome year without my wonderful wife and what we came up with.

What’s our secret? Our list of “Really Awesome Things to Do in 2011.”

This morning my wonderful wife Emily and I took similar steps to make sure we have the best 2012 imaginable. How do I know it will work? Because it sure worked for 2011.

Would you like to make 2012 your best year yet?

If so, I recommend you make your own list of “Really Awesome Things to Do in 2012.”

Here’s a step-by-step guide to the process we used:

Step #1: Imagine/Brainstorm.

We’ve spent the last couple of weeks dreaming up possibilities for the coming year. Every once in a while, we’d spend a little time discussing our ideas over dinner. Emily kept a list on her phone, and I made occasional notes. This was a largely unstructured process. You still have time to do this before the new year.

Step #2: Organize/Record.

This is where you add structure to your previously vague hopes. This morning we got out dry-erase markers and made a large heading on the mirror in our bedroom: “Really Awesome Things to Do in 2012“. We then spent an hour or two discussing our goals, hopes and wishes. As we formed our ideas into specific goals or events, we added them to the list on our mirror. We also added secondary lists of “Cool Things To Buy in 2012″ and “Wonderful Things to Consider Doing in 2012/2013.”

Step #3: Prioritize/Memorize.

We’ll leave our list of “Really Awesome Things to Do in 2012″ up in front of us for a while. By the time we cleaned 2011’s list off, it had been right in front of us daily for months, we’d accomplished several items, and we’d both more-or-less memorized the rest of it. This is important because:

• It reminds you to make plans to accomplish your dreams.
• It helps you recognize key opportunities when they arrive.

When Southwest had a huge, one-day sale on flights, we knew it was time to act on a couple of our travel goals. When Groupon had a deal for a local restaurant on our list, there was no need for hesitation.

Step #4: Say “Yes”/Say “No”.

Throughout the year, take steps to make your list happen. Every few weeks, do something from your list while simultaneously laying the groundwork for something else. Doing more of the things that are important to you means giving up some of the things you don’t care about as much. We sacrificed in 2011, but it was all worth it.

Here are a few more insights from the past year:

• The key to success and a large part of why this has been so beneficial is because we’re both on the same page. The process allowed us to discuss our dreams and vision for the year. Because of our discussions, I was able to prioritize things that Emily cared about (and vice versa).
• Knowing what the other was thinking about, we were each able to work on the things we’d outlined, already knowing we both wanted to make them happen.
• As an additional benefit, I believe this strengthened our marriage through shared experiences, support for each other’s dreams, and mutual goals.
• Our Awesome Things are uniquely ours, fitted to our budget and desires. Your Awesome Things will be uniquely yours.
• These things take time and money, but we did them without debt or overwhelm because we gave up things like cable and carefully budgeted.

If you’d like to try this, grab a marker, talk out your dreams for the coming year, and write your own list of “Really Awesome Things to Do in 2012.” Let’s make this our best year yet!

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