Sometimes, you just have to go ahead, last-minute, and do something. That’s what happened here. I was thinking about life lists and scavenger hunts and all the things I talked about briefly last week. (I am dragging my heels on my year list, and I know that is not good.)
When prepping the Illustrate Your Week prompts for Week 27, I saw one of these “creative life” lists from last year. Since today is the first of the month, it seemed like a good fit.
I used monthly lists like this for several months last year, tracking in Notion, and seeing how many things I could check off in a month. I really enjoyed the process and found it motivating. I shared similar lists a few times last year at Instagram.
This is a simple list. It’s kind of like a scavenger list, but it isn’t only things to “find.” It’s a combination of nudges. It isn’t designed to be difficult. It doesn’t necessarily include things that are difficult to do or to wrangle. It doesn’t have to cost anything. Instead, it’s a set of nudges. These are things you might already do anyway, but now you have a reason to do them. Now, you might approach them with newfound intentionality.
Tracking the list might be an additional layer. You can work it into your illustrated journal, use Notion, use your bullet journal, write it on an index card or in a composition book, or just print it out and check it off (or screenshot it and check it off digitally).
There are dozens of things I could include. There is always a pick and choose that goes along with making a list. The randomness is part of what makes a list fun. There is no hard and fast science to creating this list. It’s simply “my” list for the month, a way to gamify the month as well as nurture, challenge, and encourage active looking and doing. The secret sauce might just be in the combination.
(It’s sideways, I know. I used to put the prompts vertical, but there were too many this time, and the space was awkward. Plus, turning your head and reading sideways is a good mental exercise for you.)
Which one jumps out to you as one you could tackle TODAY?
Are you up to the challenge? Will you share your checked-off list at the end of the month? I hope so!
For additional context, you might enjoy this post: