People say that the days are long, but the years are short and I agree with that. For me these long days look like: wake up early for classes, go to class, work, rehearse, study way past midnight and repeat. It can be a pretty exhausting schedule that makes my college days seem even longer. Because of this, I find that it can be all too easy to get stuck in a rut and before you know it, the year has flown by and I spent so much of it just in routine. So I try to find things that make every day more enjoyable, no matter how simple they might be. A few of those things are…

For about two years now I write down one thing I am thankful for every single day.

I love looking back at dates that were monumental and seeing just how much I have to be thankful for in a year’s time.

Next to what I'm thankful for I write out a verse that pertains to the day or something that is on my heart.

It’s amazing to see how applicable Scripture is and how God reveals Himself again and again through His Word to me.

I make lists of simple things that I love and reread it every once in a while.

This is an easy way to show myself how much joy I can find in simple things. My list has basically everything on it from fresh cherries to bubble baths to petting puppies to seeing someone’s face when you give them a gift that they love.

I take a few minutes out of every day, no matter how busy it is, to do something that I love to clear my mind.

Oftentimes this looks like watching Gilmore Girls while I unload the dishwasher or iron my clothes. Sometimes this is singing country music in my car with the windows down while I drive to class. I can’t go non-stop 24/7 and these little breaks really help me refresh.

It can be so easy to say to myself everything will be less stressful in the future and that I just need to make it past today, but every day is full of new surprises and something to be thankful for. This semester I’m trying to enjoy every day a little more instead of wishing it away.