I found 256 things that made me happy this year – there’s one clear lesson for 2026 |
As an eldest daughter and chronic overthinker, I am not a happy person by design.
I am constantly setting New Year's resolutions I can't possibly stick to, my to-do lists are long and unnticked, and I'm always on the hunt for the next gold star to tell me everything is ok.
But this year, I decided to slow everything down. No New Year's resolutions, no goals to complete before Q1 ended - only a simple task of looking for the things that made me smile in my everyday.
On January 1st, I cracked open the Notes app on my phone and wrote down my "Small Joyful Things in 2025".
I started writing my small joys list on January 1, 2025. (Image: Rebecca Carey)
The premise was simple. There was no pressure or rules to follow - no set amount I had to write in a day, week or year. I was just to add an item when I felt compelled to.
It was a little tricky at first. I wasn't in the habit of doing it, and so there are days, even weeks, when I didn't put anything at all, and sometimes I'd second-guess myself about whether they were important enough to include.
But over the coming months, I started to notice things. I began picking up on common threads. Threads that I inevitably pulled on to discover more about myself until I started actively searching for those spools of happiness myself (yes, embroidery made it on the list).
I found doing embroidery in my bed incredibly joyful and calming. (Image: Rebecca Carey)
I didn't start the list with any intention to write about it or share it anywhere. This list was just for me. I hoped to train myself to make time for the things that bring light to my day in........