The day’s done. The emails are quiet. The dishes are stacked like tiny monuments to productivity. But before your head collides with the pillow like a dropped watermelon, try this: a tiny ritual, a nightly compass, a fulfillment checklist. Not for guilt. Not for hustle. For meaning.
Here’s the checklist—short, sweet, soulful:
- Did you do something new?
Not skydiving-new. Maybe buttered your toast differently. Took a new route home. Told a joke you hadn’t before. The brain blooms with novelty. Keep it blooming. - Did you go above and beyond for someone?
Maybe you held the door. Maybe you held space. Maybe you held your tongue. The specifics matter less than the intent: did you offer more than what was expected? - Did you get some time to yourself?
A moment, a breath, a thought that wasn’t tethered to anyone else’s to-do list. You’re not a machine. Even your soul needs oiling.
This isn’t a productivity checklist—it’s a presence checklist. A sanity check. A way to hold your day in your hand and say, “Yep. That was worth it.”
And if the answer to one or more of these questions is no—don’t sweat it. That just makes tomorrow more exciting.
Stay Positive & No Toothbrush Required
Garth Beyer is a Certified Cicerone®, Senior Content Specialist at Encompass Technologies, owner of Garth's Brew Bar and a Madison-based freelance writer.
Latest posts by Garth Beyer (see all)
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- A Bedtime Checklist For A Fulfilled Life - June 16, 2025
