A perfect day

Today was a perfect day.

[Today was Monday this week]

Not everything I did was perfect, but there were enough moments I truly got inspired by what I was doing.

Perfect days don’t need to be 100% perfect.

I’ve never believed in perfectionism, I’ve never tried to accomplish perfectionism, and I’ve never been upset if something was not perfect.

Perfect is a waste of energy.

And still, today was a perfect day.

So what made it perfect?

First, it was real.

Real because it didn’t start as I had planned.

Perfect does not mean everything always goes according to plan.

Erikjan Lantink

I was late to the gym because I needed to solve an iPhone-related issue at home. The apple fan in me wants to help when one of the family members is having an issue.

I solved the issue but showed up for my workout nearly 45 minutes late, including a bad traffic jam. It never became a source of frustration.

For the rest of the day, nothing extraordinary happened.

But.

The work-related activities I was engaged in were inspiring, the sports I did were energizing, my daily learning was thought-provoking, and being outside was rewarding.

In between, I enjoyed a healthy sandwich and a flat white coffee at my favorite coffee place.

Plus, I cooked a good, tasty and nutritious meal.

Inspiring. Energizing. Thought-provoking. Rewarding.

So what made it special and nearly perfect?

Many of these activities happen daily.

I work. I exercise. I learn. I cook.

But not every day turns out as today did.

What made it special was the fact that it was the most gorgeous late summer day with pleasant temperatures, I got to do some sports three times (workout in the gym, hit a few golf balls, swim in ice cold water for 10 minutes), and my mind felt calm and aware.

That’s it.

Sun. Sports. Serenity.

Ingredients for a perfect day.

An ordinary Monday where I get to experience gratitude.

Gratitude because it was a day where I was fully aware that I can plan my days almost always the way I wanted to.

A day with the freedom to turn my calendar upside down because I want to sit in the sun with a flat white.

A day where I still accomplished what I set out to accomplish.

Because I demonstrated flexibility to alternate the things that I had to do with the things that I wanted to do, hitting golf balls and swimming for the last time this season outside in ice-cold water.

A day I used to prepare myself for a pitch that will set me up greatly for 2023.

Looking back at it, all the biochemicals got to play their pivotal role in making me feel grateful by the end of the day.

Days like this don’t happen all the time, but they happen more often than before.

Because I’ve created the right mindset to take life day by day and enjoy what faces me, even if the day does not turn out as I expected.

Any day has the potential to be a perfect day.

Erikjan Lantink

It just depends on how we approach our days.

Before I let you go, please pause for three minutes and forty-four seconds to listen to this song called ‘Perfect Day’ by Lou Reed.

Your turn: how do you create perfect days for yourself?

Do more of what makes you happy!

Erikjan