The Joy Errand

How to Turn a Boring Little Outing Into a Tiny Field Trip

Errands have a branding problem

Nobody wakes up and says:

"You know what sounds magical today? Returning a package."

Nobody

Errands are usually filed under "things standing between me and doing what I actually want to do"

Pick up the prescription

Grab the groceries

Drop off the return

Get the dog food

Cross it off

Move on

But what if we've been approaching errands all wrong?

What if we look at them as tiny, little opportunities to leave the house, see something different, and maybe bump into a little joy?

Stay with me

I'm not suggesting you become emotionally attached to the post office or anything

I'm simply saying that if you have to leave the house anyway, you might as well make it a tiny bit fun, right?

so what is a joy errand?

To us a joy errand is an ordinary task with a tiny layer of fun added to it

That's it

You're already going out

You're already putting on pants

You're already spending the gas

The errand is happening

The only question is:

Can we make it 7% more enjoyable?

Because 7% can be surprisingly powerful

A regular errand says:

"Get in. Get out. Survive"

A Joy Errand says:

"While we're here, let's notice something"

A flower

A coffee shop

A cute dog

A beautiful street

A really committed squirrel...

Tiny things count

Your brain loves quirky

It loves little surprises, It loves tiny rewards

Unfortunately, we spend most of our time running through tasks like we're trying to unlock some sort of secret level ~

Get the groceries

Answer the emails

Fold the laundry

Repeat until retirement

The problem?

Life starts feeling repetitive

Not because it is repetitive but because we stop noticing, a joy errand interrupts

It turns:

"I have to go out and______"

Into:

"I wonder what I'll notice and maybe I'll grab a coffee"

And that tiny shift can change the mood

creating joy errands

requires almost no effort, which is excellent news because effort is already booked...

1. Give the errand a side quest

Joy errands needs side quest

Examples:

• Buy a flower

• Spot three dogs

• Compliment a stranger

• Take one photo

• Sit on a bench for two minutes

The errand remains the mission the side quest make can make it fun

2. Pretend you're "visiting" your city

Act like you're visiting your own town, look around, notice buildings, notice murals, notice gardens, notice people.

You don't have to fly to Paris to become observant, you can find wonder at the grocery store

3. Allow for a tiny detour

Not a two-hour detour

Maybe:

• a coffee or tea

• a flower stand

• a park bench with that coffee or tea

  
  

Try it out

The next time you run an errand:

□ Add one side quest

□ Notice one beautiful thing

□ Take one tiny detour

□ Look up instead of down

□ Buy one flower or treat

□ Find something that makes you smile

□ Take the scenic route if possible

□ Remember that life is happening while you're on your way somewhere

Tiny Joy Prompt

Finish this sentence:

While I was out today, I noticed...

Maybe it was:

• a flower

• a dog

• a sunset

• a conversation

• a funny sign

• a beautiful building

• a feeling

Whatever it was, write it down, because tiny observations become tiny memories

and tiny silly, happy memories turn into a beautiful life

Final Thought

Most of us spend a surprising amount of our lives running errands years, probably

Which means we have two choices

We can treat every outing like a chore or we can sprinkle tiny bits of delight into the spaces that already exist

A flower

A coffee

The scenic route

A compliment or a conversation...

Joy rarely arrives with fireworks, often, she shows up while you're buying paper towels

And honestly?

I think that's kind of beautiful

Want More Tiny, Silly, Doable Joy?

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Sometimes it just requires a grocery list and a little curiosity💫