Apartment Therapy Weekend Projects is a guided program designed to help you get the happy, healthy home you’ve always wanted, one weekend at a time. Sign up now for email upda tes so you never miss a lesson.
Something that snaps me out of slogging through another groundhog day is getting something done. Finishing a cleaning chore, processing an online return, or getting my walk in (especially if I do them in the morning) can set my whole day on a productive, upbeat, different-than-the-others path. Now, when I’m mired in blah , I just try to remember I have this trusted way to turn things around!
That’s why I love weekend projects. Being nudged into a cleaning or organizing project feels good when I’m done. I get to feel accomplished, have a novel day, and grow my home a bit in tune with how I want it to be.
But another thing I’m working on is remembering that there’s a sense of accomplishment and even joy to be found in doing things just for yourself—things that don’t have to be done. When I decide to take a bath instead of mopping the floors, or shut the door on the mess in the closet while I snuggle and chat with my husband, that decision has value beyond feeling good in the moment. As long as I don’t let them become excuses to duck out of my responsibilities, these choices are an investment in myself. And, by extension, my loved ones.
This weekend, I want to give this idea a twist and perform a task that will pep up your future self. You’ll still get that I did it boost of dopamine all while giving yourself something to smile about a bit down the road.
This Weekend: Do something nice for your future self.
It’s easy to do right now, and it’ll feel good both now and later. Here are some ideas for little gifts you can give to future you:
Write a note to yourself and stick it in a nightstand drawer you rarely open.
Write an email to yourself and delay delivery to a certain date in the future.
Buy a gift card, hide it somewhere, and set a reminder on your phone for several months from now to go get it and use it.
Slip a piece of paper money between the pages of a book you plan to read.
Request a random day off of work if you are able to.
Slip a favorite printed photo between your t-shirts.
Write a few favorite quotes on future pages in your paper planner.
Hide a Snickers bar in the back of the fridge.
Weekend Projects
You can catch up with weekend projects right here . Share your progress with us and others by posting updates and photos on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #atweekendproject .
Remember: This is about improvement, not perfection. Each week you can either choose to work on the assignment we’ve sent you, or tackle another project you’ve been meaning to get to. It’s also completely okay to skip a weekend if you’re busy or not feeling the assignment.
