I’m Making My Life a Little More Interesting on Purpose

August 29, 2026

Routine has a lovely predictability about it that brings peace. Peace has been a state I have yearned for, honestly, for many years, and now that I’ve built a life with structure and contentment, I’m craving a little more, well, excitement!

The schedule that marks the tasks and keeps the peace doesn’t create much in the way of memories. The weekly schedule that goes just as planned, the chores get accomplished right on schedule, and meals are prepped and ready to go. I thought that was the pinnacle to a life well lived. To me, those things are still my foundation to a good life, but it ends up being the same, week after week.

I thought I could make more time for adventures when the chores are done, and now I realize, the chores are quite literally NEVER done.

And I try to find the good in that: dishes in the sink means we have been eating, dirty laundry because we’ve been active, messy house because we’ve been creating, yard work because things are growing. Also, what is perfect? An empty sink, all laundry done, everything in its place, and an immaculate yard? It makes me shake my head trying to even imagine that as my reality. That is just fantasy land!

I entered a phase of my journey where the execution of the schedule and the daily ease is no longer the goal. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still have my non-negotiables, like a good night’s sleep! I can say that I will let any chore wait if it means I will miss out on sleep to get it accomplished.

I have started to ask myself whether my daughter will appreciate her laundry clean, folded, and put away more than an evening of paddleboarding with me. Considering her room floor is covered with Legos, stuffies, and hand puppet dragon bits, I’m 100% confident she’d rather have the paddleboarding experience. And honestly, me too.

But there is something that still tugs at me that I “should” do it all, and the more I try to, the more I realize how overwhelming that is and utterly unachievable. It is just sad to me that when I feel overwhelmed, the paddleboarding gets put to the side, not the never-ending chores.

It is in part why I created a 2026 Bingo Card (you can read about that here). The items on my Bingo Card were extravagant enough that some are just not at all likely, but they get me out of the mundane and into the daydreaming! Perhaps next year, we’ll create a family Bingo Card for 2027, where we are all in to make memories happen.

One of the things on my Bingo Card this year was an immersive dining experience with the family. We ended up doing this on my husband’s birthday, mostly because he loves to go out to eat, and it happened to be a weeknight! So we ended up being out way later than normal, no chores got done, the puppy didn’t get her usual walk, but what happened was that we laughed as a family.

Me and my hubby at his birthday dinner, April, 2026. (check out my cute earrings!)

We enjoyed a delicious meal, and it was at the Melting Pot, so my daughter basically also got a cooking class. I have this most hilarious picture of her dipping a piece of bread into the cheese dip, and the cheese wouldn’t break away, so she was practically standing up with the biggest smile on her face and the longest string of cheese ever!

I guess I could have had a cheaper, healthier meal at home, a tired puppy, a tidier house, and 30 minutes to sit on the couch and relax. Looking at that picture brings me infinitely more joy than getting a few chores done for the night.

While that particular outing was on the extravagant side, it doesn’t all need to be like that.

Giving myself permission to be a little less productive is my flex.

So if you see me make a new earring design, out on the water, at the pickleball courts, crafting anything, please know I made a conscious choice to let the dishes sit. I might have mildewy laundry in the washer, and a million other chores I let wait.

First try at painting a stencil on my Hope Line. Do you see the Chief Happiness Officer in the background?

Maybe being responsible for my life also means being responsible for making sure I actually enjoy it and reduce my stress so that my family also enjoys more moments of creativity and joy.

Here’s to making more moments and opportunities for adventure and excitement, and a little less pressure to have it all “perfect.”

Wear Hope. Share Hope.
Nicole