Today I’m grateful for Tonight Karen.

11.7.2022

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I was listening to a podcast recently in which the host gives a weekly tip for achieving peace/happiness in your day to day life. None of these tips are ever super revolutionary, but I always appreciate the very practical reminders of something I may want to do to make my life a little easier or a little better. One of the recent tips was to do something today that your future self will appreciate.

I’m sure we’ve all heard some version of this before. Like I said, not revolutionary. Some might even say that this is basic adulting 101. I pay my mortgage today so I can continue to live in my house next month. I go to the grocery store now so I can have food in the house for the week. Pretty straightforward.

But, the host challenged her listeners to think of ways we could add in additional layers of this … to do something today that wouldn’t just help you function at the survival level tomorrow, but might actually make life a little easier or a little more joy-filled tomorrow. So I’m trying to up my ‘help my future self’ game this week and I’m pretty impressed with the ease at which future Karen gets to start her day tomorrow. I have my clothes laid out for tomorrow. I have my lunch prepped and ready to go. I have my coffee cup out and a fresh k-cup in my Keurig. I have my school bag packed and I have my ballot laid out and ready to drop off (and my “I voted” sticker ready to wear).

So, is it weird that it’s not even tomorrow yet and I’m already thankful that I’ve done these things? Maybe. But I gotta admit, I feel pretty accomplished and very responsible that I’m adulting hard tonight!

Now, in all fairness, before anyone gets all impressed or thinks I’ve got my life together over here, I feel that I should probably disclose that I took a 2 hour nap on the couch tonight before finishing up some work things for tomorrow and it’s now after midnight and I just packed my lunch because I’m wide awake and wired. Oh, and the clothes that I laid out for tomorrow are straight out of the washer/dryer because I was in desperate need of clean work pants, so laying them out was kind of easier than hanging them up.

But … I’m still counting it as a win. And either way, tomorrow Karen will benefit. And I’m both thankful for Tonight Karen’s actions and excited for Tomorrow Karen’s ease and joy.