Good morning, dKos community. I would love to get your input: A friend of mine is compiling a list of things that are simple to do but can make a person's life dramatically better (see examples below the fold). In other words, small changes that make a big difference.
It can be a change of habit, a new action, something you've stopped doing, a tip, or a product...anything you've discovered that has made a positive difference without needing you to change your whole life around.
Everyone has a few. What are yours? (If you can, submit them in a few sentences like the examples below. If not, just give me the shorthand like, "Once a week I go through the TV guide with a highlighter so I don't miss anything and surf a lot less").
Thanks!
Samples:
"I always found myself filling up on bread at restaurants because I was so hungry when I arrived. I also had been told I needed to drink more water throughout the day. I found that by drinking 12 ounces of water on the way to the restaurant not only helped with my daily hydration, but made it easy to pass on the bread and butter or chips and salsa."
"My driving habits needed help. I found that whenever I was running late, I would speed more and take a lot more risks like speeding up as the light was about to turn red. I was also much less likely to be courteous to the drivers around me. So I started employing the "ten minute rule". Whenever possible, I would tack an extra ten minutes on to every estimate as to how long it would take to get somewhere. Then I would leave ten minutes early. I can't tell you the difference it made in my stress level. We can't find more space on the road, but we can find more space in our schedule. It's also nice to show up on time instead of always being late."
"I had a huge fear of traveling, not because I'm squeamish, but because I'm a light sleeper. I was always worried about finding the most quiet hotel room possible. Then I found these new earplugs. They literally changed my life. They aren't those foam ones that do no good and don't fit right. They are made out of a soft wax that molds to my ear. They cut out an incredible amount of noise. Now my only fear when I travel is. `Did I remember my earplugs?'"