Gladsoon

Ideas

Things to look forward to, from this week to next year.

Having something on the calendar to look forward to makes ordinary weeks feel lighter. It does not have to be a big trip.

Here are ideas from small to big, and five ways to make any of them more fun to wait for.

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This week: small and close

  • A slow breakfast on Saturday, with the good coffee
  • An album you love, played start to finish with nothing else going on
  • A walk somewhere you have never been, even nearby
  • A film night with a blanket and the phone in another room
  • Cooking a dish you have never made
  • A long phone call with an old friend
  • A bath and a chapter of a good book
  • Coffee in the cafe you always walk past
  • Getting up for the sunrise once
  • An hour at the library with no plan

This month: worth planning

  • A dinner where every friend brings one dish
  • A day trip by train to a town you have never visited
  • A concert, a gig or a play
  • A beginners class: pottery, climbing, dance
  • A market or a late opening at a museum
  • A games night with an old board game
  • A night away in a cabin or a small inn
  • A morning swim in the sea or a lake

This year: the big ones

  • A trip, near or far
  • A big birthday, yours or someone else's
  • A wedding
  • A festival
  • Christmas, or another holiday you love
  • A reunion with people you have lost touch with
  • A long weekend away with old friends
  • A race, a retirement or another milestone

How to make anything more fun to wait for

Waiting for an experience tends to feel better than waiting for a thing (Kumar, Killingsworth and Gilovich, 2014). A few habits make more of it.

  • Reflect · 15 min

    Tell someone who will be glad for you

    Share what is coming with someone who will cheer you on. Saying it aloud makes it real, and they may send a message on the day.

  • Make · 10 min

    Start a small countdown ritual

    Cross off a calendar, move a pebble from one jar to another or light a candle each evening. A daily marker makes the wait feel good.

  • Reflect · 5 min

    Keep a one-line waiting journal

    Write one line a day about how you feel as it gets closer. Reading it back afterwards is surprisingly moving.

  • Reflect · 30 min

    Write a letter to open on the day

    Write to the person you will be that morning: what you did to get here and why it matters. Seal it and put it somewhere safe.

  • Dream · 20 min

    Plan a reward for afterwards

    Book a dinner, set aside the book you have been wanting or plan a lazy day. Knowing it is waiting makes the build-up sweeter.

Questions people ask

Why does having something to look forward to help?

Research on holidays found that people with a trip coming up reported more happiness than people without one (Nawijn and colleagues, 2010). The anticipation itself is a pleasure.

What if I have nothing planned?

Put one small thing on the calendar this week and one bigger thing this month. A date turns a vague "some time" into something you can look forward to.

What are some things to look forward to that cost nothing?

A walk somewhere new, a sunrise, a library visit, a long call with a friend, a film night at home, or a dinner where everyone brings a dish.

What if nothing feels worth looking forward to?

If everything has felt flat for weeks, talk to your doctor or someone you trust. A list cannot fix low mood, but small plans can help a good day along.

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