37,376 minutes to go…

As of this exact moment, as I am writing these words, we’ve got 37,376 minutes to go until the beginning of a brand new year.

Thousands of life-minutes. Minutes you can spend sleeping, snuggling, moving, writing, working, hugging, baking, laughing, reading, listening, sharing, making plans, making memories, making amends, making someone’s day a little better…

What will you do?

How will you choose to spend those minutes?

You can do anything you want.

This year is not over yet.

Before the end of this year, you could…

— Send a letter to 5 people who have enhanced your life.

Here’s a free booklet with letter-writing inspiration if you’re not sure what to say. Your letter doesn’t have to be super long. Even just a simple “thank you because…” or “I love you because…” can lift someone’s spirits for the entire day.

— Start and finish a creative writing project, just because it feels good.

Here are 7 beautiful, meaningful writing projects — letters, emails, lists, recipes, and more — that you can complete very quickly. (I promise.) Finishing anything, writing-related or otherwise, always feels so satisfying!

— Deactivate your social media accounts.

If you want to. You certainly don’t have to. But maybe social media is no longer helping you to feel happy, purposeful, alive, or fulfilled. Maybe it’s taking up too much of your time. Maybe it feels like a distraction instead of a place for meaningful connection. Maybe it’s a little of both. Or maybe you’re not sure anymore.

Just as an experiment, you could take a “social media sabbatical” for a few days or weeks. Log off. Give yourself a temporary breather. Connect with friends in other ways, instead. See how it feels. (It might feel really wonderful.)

— Print out these 100 questions.

Cut the paper into little slips with one question per slip. Put the slips in a bowl. Keep them on your kitchen table. When you’re lounging around, solo, or with your family, pull out a question at random and answer it. You might learn something fascinating about yourself — or someone else.

— Read this.

And remember that even in our frightening, violent, uncertain world, there are still lots and lots of reasons to be happy and hopeful about humanity, the future… and everything.

Stay hopeful. Please don’t give up on yourself — or the world — just yet.

Anything could happen. Miracles could happen. To you. Around you. Or because of you.

After all, we’ve still got 37,376 minutes to go.

This year is not over yet.