Ways To Make Someone’s Day: Part 2

The inherent need to feel like we are contributing to positive change, creating impact, and making someone’s day is a large driving force for our everyday behavior. This urge leads the way in our professional & personal lives and in our decision making; and ultimately our decisions make us. Our decisions and moments create the aura of what we leave behind with friends, family, or complete strangers. For as mysterious as making an impact sounds, it isn’t so.

Making someone’s day starts with small & easy acts of kindness and gestures that take the ordinary and elevate it. Nothing in this list is relatively difficult but the impact it can create is bigger than the gesture.

Here is a list of things you can do today to make someones’ day and contribute positivity to the everyday. 

Now go forth, make someone’s day and make an impact.

Return the shopping cart for an elderly person or a mother with her children.

The elderly are forever precious even if they aren’t related to us. We can have a simple look at them and can see wisdom and hear stories. They’re the smiliest of the bunch but often not the most mobile. Mothers all have special places in all our hearts. Helping the elderly or busy mothers with their grocery cart could relieve them of what may feel like an errand.

Leave a sincere romantic note in your spouse’s car or purse:

Marriage and relationships may get stale over time due to the routine we allow ourselves into. (That’s totally fine. Humans are creatures of habit.) Throwing them a quick curveball with a romantic note takes them out of their routine and can fill them with all the warm and fuzzies. It can be as easy as a post on their steering wheel. It will always be a nice surprise.

Allow someone to cut in front of you at the grocery store.

This is probably one of the easiest ways to make someone’s day but rarely done and it’s a great way to start the positivity. It also plays a tremendous role in breaking up the monotony in something that has become so routine such as a grocery run.

Surprise your spouse with lunch at work.

    If the notes don’t elicit a reaction show up to your spouses place of work with lunch ready. This right here is a sure-fire way to spark a smile on your spouses face. Who wouldn’t like to have lunch with their spouse more often and break up the routine of Monday – Friday?

Send someone a YouTube link to a song that reminds you of them.   

Most people love to hear that someone is thinking about them. No ifs, ands, or buts, an songs have an amazing way to send us on a first class flight to a state of Nostalgia and allows us to relive specific moments in time all over again. Sending someone a song can spark feelings, conversation, and put someone in a great mood.

Leave a note for your spouse while they are at work.

    This is a spectacular surprise! If you’re tight on time and can’t spend a lunch hour with your spouse, this is an amazing way to make your spouse’s day and guaranteed to elevate your partner’s spirit and mood.

Show up to work with your co-worker or boss’s favorite dessert.

Don’t wait for it to be a holiday, birthday, or a Friday to treat yourself and co-workers to a treat. The element of surprise can be far more impactful than waiting for a special day. “Just because” surprises are great and very memorable, just think about the time you and your friends went somewhere or did something on a whim without planning it and it turned out to be an awesome time.

Surprise neighbors with treats on their doorstep, ring the doorbell and run.

At first, your neighbors will be confused and take a look around the neighborhood to figure out who or what rang their bell. Leave some baked goods, their favorite drinks, or share some dinner to make their day and spread delight.

Let a friend or family member know how they inspired you.

Sometimes people need reminders of how awesome they are and spreading positivity have no adverse effects. A handwritten note goes a long way in today’s digital world.

Surprise gift an item someone has been wanting. 

Listen to your friends and family when having a casual conversation with them and whenever they’ve mentioned something they’ve been looking for or something they’ve wanted, make note. You can quickly exit the room or slyly browse for the item on an online retailer, purchase the item, and have it shipped to them. You can even choose to leave a gift receipt and add a little note. They’ve explicitly said they’ve wanted the item so you can be sure their day will be made when the item arrives.

Make a funny face to other drivers while driving.

Sometimes it’s both hilarious and refreshing to have a bit of childish fun. Put your favorite “silly” song on the radio (it can totally be “Who let the dogs out”) and get to making funny faces. Of course! Be careful and drive safely!

Gift an umbrella on a rainy day.

Keep some spare umbrellas in your car, and as you’re driving around on rainy days, quickly pull over and hand them the lifesaving umbrella. This may cost a few bucks to keep a couple of umbrellas on hand but imagine the happiness you’ll bring someone who felt they got caught in the rain.

Help someone with their new hobby.

A new hobby can be a very exciting thing for someone so listen to them when you’re having a conversation with them and they mention anything new. You can just as easily buy them an item or items that gives them a head start in their hobby from an online retailer and have it shipped to their house with a note with something along the lines of “Good luck on the new endeavor!” or whatever you feel is fitting.

Gift blanket to the homeless.

Buy a couple of blanket throws and keep some in your car. Whenever you come across someone who is sleeping in the street you can simply pull over, grab a blanket throw from your trunk and hand it to them. If they’re asleep you can place the blanket throw next to them so they have a delightful surprise when they wake up.

Leave change or a dollar next to the vending machine.

If you pair this with a handwritten note spreading the good and positive vibes,  this is guaranteed to have someone say “Oh, wow. This is my lucky day.”. This also may inspire the person to pay it forward and continue the gesture by leaving some change themselves.

Listen to someone vent.

2020 has been a trying year for some and having an ear to vent to can be exactly what the doctor ordered for those who are feeling the added stress. No need to try to save the day for them, but just listen and allow them to “let it all out”. It can be incredibly freeing to just listen to someone and chances are by airing out their stresses and having them recite them out loud will allow them to draw their own solutions. Showing up for someone lets them know you’re there for them and will elevate their mood.

Show a friend some love on one of their social media channels. 

Visit someone’s social media page and like a string of their photos or posts. If they have notifications enabled on their phone it will make the screen light up like a Christmas tree. The notifications will grab their attention and subsequently interrupt their routine and day and put a smile on their face and prompt a quick text or phone call often paired with a laugh.

Share a win.

Did you just have a great day or a moment you are proud of? Share it. Sharing those wins and joy will lighten the mood and invite positivity into the room and they, too, will begin sharing their joys, wins, and gratitude.

Wish someone a happy birthday a day or two BEFORE the actual day.

This works two-fold. It lets the person know that you remember their birthday and weren’t leaning on a Facebook notification to remind you it’s their birthday; and you were most likely successful in disrupting their day and reminding them their special day is approaching. The element of surprise is at play here. Their phone is lighting up all day their birthday and letting them know you’re thinking about them before the special day wil leave a lasting impression and feeling.

Check-in with a friend or family member.

Even if you visit and speak to your friends and family on a routine basis, a quick phone call or text can be a very meaningful gesture. “Hey. I know I spoke to you on Sunday, but just checking in to see how you are. Big virtual hugs!” Letting someone know you are there for them is a meaningful gesture and it will inspire them to do the same with other friends and family.

Send someone a joke or meme.

Similar to sending someone a link to a song that reminds you of them or simply wanted to share, sending a joke or a meme elicits laughter and a response. Who knows? Maybe you’ll start a trend of sending each other jokes to elicit laughter. Laughter is good, right?

Compliment customer service workers

Employees in customer service positions often deal with frustrated customers as a part of their daily routine. They can’t help it, it is part of their job. Complimenting or commending them can shed a huge light on them and could be the bit of encouragement that puts a smile on their face. Who doesn’t like being praised?

Gift someone a plant or flowers.

As children, we didn’t understand the elegance and awesomeness of a plant. As adults, we understand that plants and flowers are these little explosions of nature sent from heaven. They add a moderate dose of zazz to any room and there is a sense of pride in keeping plants and flowers alive. A “just because” plant gift is a clean and thoughtful touch.

Let someone know you love their energy.

This is a huge compliment for someone as it speaks to the person as a whole and the fact that they are a treat to be around. People love feedback, especially when it is about them. Being proactive in giving feedback can easily make someone’s day.

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It’s important to notice the simplicity of the items on this list. We don’t have to jump off a plane, write a hit song, or have a surprise dinner with balloons and the whole nine for someone to make their day. 

While the aforementioned will still accomplish the goal, we don’t have to complicate things. Making it simple to accomplish makes it possible to be more frequent. 

The simplicity of these ideas are a starting point to start flexing your “Make Someone’s Day” muscle; And as you begin to do this more often you will begin to see more opportunities to do so as you become accustomed to being in the giving mindset.

Because of course, if you have the power to make someone’s day you’d be crazy not to.

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