Asra Yousuf

I often struggle with defining what a good day looks like. If you ask me off the bat- “How was your day?”, my perpetual answer is always “Eh! It could have been better”. Off late though, I have been trying to revisit my standard answer. Yes, some days are more monotonous than others and some are more unproductive. But each day has something to offer. So in my attempt to be more thoughtful towards judging my day, here is a list of things I came up with that defines a good day. It doesn’t involve any euphoric highs, but just the usual mundane things that compound with each day.

🔲 Getting the Morning right

The days I stumble out of bed and onto a work meeting, are the days that are set up for disaster from the get go. Nothing makes or breaks your day like your morning routine. Your morning routine can be as basic as having a shower and changing out of your night clothes, or brewing a fresh cup of coffee. Or it can be as involved as taking a walk outside and soaking some sun. Whatever it is, a familiar ritual is always a great way to start the day.

🔲 Highlight Of the Day

Pick one thing that you wish to accomplish in your day and schedule some time to work on it. This is a suggestion I picked up from Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky’s book “Make Time”, and talk about it in more detail here. Honestly, I haven’t perfected the habit of regularly setting a highlight and completing it but the days that I have, it definitely gives me a sense of accomplishment.

🔲 Movement

Exercising in any form is often such a struggle but when I do, it feels incredibly rewarding. Most days aren’t about taking your body to its limit, but simply about showing up. When I am running high on motivation, movement happens in the form of a spin or HIIT class, while the days when I can hardly drag myself to the gym, its yoga time.

🔲 Making Healthy Choices

This is definitely a journey versus turning on a switch. And no, I am not talking about being perfect here, or strictly following a restrictive diet. As long as I am not binging on desserts (which I often do) and having a balanced meal of proteins, veggies and carbs, its a good day.

🔲 Conversations

It’s weird how we can sometimes make it through a day without having a good conversation with another person. Such is the reality of remote work and living alone. Deep, thought-provoking conversations require effort and intentions. I seek them because they energize me, open me up to new perspectives, and because they are simply fun to have. I make it a point to meet someone new every other day or hit up an old friend. Its a good day when you get to talk about everything and nothing, explore new ideas and possibilities and think through your thoughts with someone.

🔲 Reflection

Reflection, in some form or another, helps me pause living in auto-pilot and be thoughtful about my choices and emotions. Some days reflections happens in the form of journaling, some days its a futile attempt at mediation and on other days, its just a walk in silence. It might be unpacking overwhelming emotions or simply appreciating a fulfilling day. It’s one of the boxes that is difficult to tick because when you are down in the dumps or jumping with joy, the last thing you feel like doing is putting pen to paper. It definitely requires effort and discipline, but is a great way to clear your mind and start the next day afresh.

I wish I were perfect in checking all these boxes every day. Some days are better than others, but getting all of them done in a day is definitely an achievement. Lately, its been all about finding happiness and joy in the routines of life, striving to be consistent over perfect, and looking at it more as a journey than a destination.