Bookworm Cottage Style

I came across a quote recently that read, the secret to happiness is always having something to look forward to. This completely rings true for me, especially when you recognize that the “something” does not have to be a grand adventure or accomplishment. By keeping my heart and mind and eyes open to the simple pleasures in life, my brain is better primed to look forward with anticipation, rather than dwelling on past disappointments.

This mindset also affects how I approach my time and money. I like making sure I have a dinner reservation and a social activity somewhere on my calendar, even if not in the immediate couple of days. If my calendar is looking bare, it’s time to reach out to people to make some plans. I also try to approach life with an eye towards lasting enjoyment and paying things forward to my future self. Planting a bunch of perennials (like peonies and hydrangeas) last year didn’t have an immediate payoff since they take several years to mature, but I am giddy with anticipation knowing that bloom season is finally getting close. 

While retail therapy is a slippery slope, material things can be something to look forward to as well, in small doses of course. For example, I plan to spend my May discretionary spending on new dining chairs and my June discretionary spending on a red light mask, and as materialistic as it may be, I’m really looking forward to those purchases. (This is yet another argument against impulse shopping and towards more conscious consumerism.)

I fully recognize that finding things to look forward to is easier said than done, especially during times of crisis. Life can be so hard sometimes. From loss to illness to career setbacks to grief, you never know what kind of a load someone else is carrying. Add the scary slide into authoritarianism and the loss of careers, retirement savings, and basic civil rights for so many, and it can sometimes feel like too much to handle. And yet life keeps going, whether we’re ready for it or not. Having something to look forward to is a key element of my mental health toolkit, and helps me to be a better friend, family member, and citizen. Hopelessness is not a solution to the world’s problems. As they say, this too shall pass.

So, what is there to look forward to? In the short term, I’m looking forward to seeing our yard in bloom and meeting our baby. In the medium term, I’m looking forward to creating new memories as a family of three and the eventual end of this political era. In the long term, I’m looking forward to one day planning another international vacation and eventually paying off our mortgage (ha!). 

Here are 10 simple pleasures that I’m looking forward to in May:

1. Lilac trees in peak bloom 
2. A reservation with friends at one of my all-time favorite restaurants
3. The release of the new Fredrik Backman book (and also this book and this book)
4. The new Mission Impossible movie
5. Putting the finishing touches on the nursery and stocking it with all of our baby gear/clothes
6. Creeping phlox in bloom (and hopefully planting more!)
7. Strawberries going on sale
8. Weather warm enough to pull out some of my maternity-friendly dresses
9. Uncovering the outdoor porch furniture
10. Longer days / after dinner walks

What little things are you looking forward to?