A Small Gift to Our Future Self

Recently, my husband and I were making Sourdough Cinnamon rolls.  It's our once-a-month Saturday-morning ritual.  I start the dough the night before; he makes the cinnamon swirl; we roll them out together; and by the time our scrambled eggs are ready, we have a piping-hot treat with the best cream cheese frosting you’ll ever have. 

Everything works like clockwork. 

Except this week. 

The dough was almost ready.  Matthew had creamed the butter.  “Where’s the cinnamon?” he asked. 

And then it all came flooding back to me.  

We had used all the cinnamon last time.  

I valiantly suggested we make nutmeg rolls instead.  That has to be the same, right?  But Matthew was already putting on his shoes to head to the store.  As he headed down the hall, I called after him, “Get two - we need a backup!”

Still surprised and slightly annoyed that I had forgotten the most essential ingredient, I remembered something a friend once posted on social media.  

Do something today, your future self will be thankful for.*

So, I set out to do something I had been meaning to do ever since I moved in three years ago.  

You know those projects.  The ones that you know will make a big difference, but somehow never get done.  The ones that seem like they will take too much time and effort.  So, they never rise above all your urgent to-dos.  

I got out our label maker and labeled the top of every jar in our spice drawer.  It took all of 15 minutes.  Why had I thought it would take HOURS?   

While not directly responsible for my forgetting the cinnamon, this organizational step has saved us countless times we’ve lifted each jar, looking for the exact ingredient.  And perhaps it will offer a visual cue to missing jars so future recipe mishaps are avoided. 

Matthew arrived soon after (with two jars), and we finished making breakfast.  

And we are indeed thankful for all those labeled lids. 

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This year, will you commit to doing something your future self will be thankful for? 

How about 15 minutes of focus per month?  Or per week?  Or, dare I say it, per day?

Whether it’s soul care, chipping away at a mountain of a project, or tackling quick wins, a little bit of effort goes a long way.  At this time next year, you’ll be so grateful for the progress you’ve made.  And it will feel great!

What’s something you want to commit to?  We’d love to hear about it.  Email us at possibilities@seedimpact.org

Sonja

* I’m not sure to whom this quote is attributed. A similar quote, “Do something today that your future self will thank you for,” is attributed to Sean Patrick Flanery