Even though it’s already March, it’s not too late to start on a few little projects to help you capture your year. (You can also tuck these ideas away for next year if you would like to actually start them on the first day of the year.) If you are someone who has a terrible memory, such as myself, then you most likely only remember a handful of very significant events from each year. Sometimes, even the events that should be highly memorable tend you escape you. Well, fret no more! Today, I have compiled a few little year-round projects to help you capture the highs (and the lows) of this magical journey known as life.
{The Gratitude Jar}
Before we get started, yes, I understand that my “jar” is not actually a jar. I didn’t have any jars lying around, but I did have this cylindrical box leftover from Christmas. I also happened to have some gold paper lying around, so I thought I would craft up a special container for my daily notes.
What I like about this interpretation is the fact that I can fit cue cards into this box, rather than limiting myself to tiny pieces of paper (as well all know how I like to ramble).
The main focus is to just capture the moments of each day that you are grateful for. You don’t have to write something down every day, especially if you had a bad day. I’m not saying that we should all ignore the rough moments, but sometimes we just have to appreciate the little things. It’s by focussing on the good that we can have a positive attitude. Although it is good to be able to accept the bad in life, you will end up miserable if you can only see what’s wrong in the world.
{Q&A a Day}
I got this book in January of 2014, but around some time in June I just stopped writing in it for whatever reason. I picked it up again recently and I must say that it is a great way to take a step back from the stresses of your life for a few minutes a day. Each day, the book provides you with a prompt, such as “What are you chasing at this moment?” Some of the questions are profound like the ones seen below, but other topics are a bit quirkier, such as, “List three foods you ate today.”
Looking back at the answers I put down last year and comparing them to what I’m saying this year is really interesting. In just one year, I’ve changed in the slightest ways. There are some questions where I lamely wrote down the same response, but there are others where my answer was completely different. I’m excited to see what the me of five years in the future is going to think about all these questions.
{The Motivation Jar}
There are a different variety of approaches to this jar project, but the idea behind it is that you write down (or print out) a quote for each day of the year on a small piece of paper. If you decide to go for the traditional jar idea, you roll it up into a little scroll and pop them into the jar. Then, you pick out a piece of paper every morning to give yourself a little bit of inspiration/motivation/positivity for the day! If you are interested in the motivation jar idea, I would suggest starting now and getting your jar made well in advance so that you can enjoy it next year.
I’ll have to admit, this idea would work better as a gift than something for yourself. There is nothing wrong with making yourself a jar, but I feel like having to read all the quotes and then make sure you have no duplicates or spelling mistakes would just take away the feel of it. Although, if you’re not completely neurotic like me, none of that would really matter to you and you’ll get a great jar! (The gift concept is still something to think about, though.)
{Project 365}
The app that I originally used is called Project 365, but I discovered a new app, Collect, that I like more (for no reason other than the font and layout, yes, read above: neurotic). Both of these apps are available in the Apple App Store so I’m not sure if they’re available on other operating systems, but I am sure that you can find alternatives.
The idea behind this project is simple, you take a photo every day of the year. You can add a caption, or a mini diary entry, if you so choose.
With Collect, you can view your pictures in both a calendar and grid orientation. (I don’t have too many photos as of right now because I just started this project myself.)
If you tap the small rotating arrows in the bottom right corner, you can see any comments that you make about each of your amazing days.
There are a lot of different functions on this app for you to explore yourself. The best part of the app is the fact that it’s free!
So, there you have it. Four little projects to help you capture and enhance your year. You don’t have to undertake all of them (as that can become a little overwhelming) but trying one or two may unexpectedly brighten up 2015!
FTC: This is not a sponsored post, and all opinions are completely genuine. ♥