Planned Acts of Kindness

Everyone talks about random acts of kindness, where you go around spreading joy in every direction, wherever you go, without rhyme or reason. I’m going to challenge myself (and you if you’re willing!) to do planned acts of kindness.

Make a list of everyone you know who is unhappy or going through tough times. Now add people you don’t know very well but would like to get to know better. Lastly, list people you either don’t like or who are hard to get along with. I challenge you to do something special for each person on your list. It doesn’t have to be now or in the next week, but pick one person on the list and make a plan for something nice you will do for him or her. Once you accomplish that planned act of kindness check off that person and pick another.

Some ideas:

Put some fun magnets or pushpins in their office/cubicle

Write “You rock!” on a post-it note and put it where they will see it

Give them a frame with a special picture in it

Put some flowers from your garden in a vase and give it to them

Put up some holiday decorations in their office/yard

Give them a house plant or seeds/flowers for their garden

Put some candy on their desk

Mail them a card

Buy their favorite soda from the vending machine and put it on their desk

Ask them out to lunch/coffee

Send them an e-mail or text, telling them how awesome they are

Cut and paste your faces into a silly picture and give it to them

For some people you will want to personally deliver the kindnesses. For other people you may want to do it anonymously. There are some people you may just not want to deal directly with, and others who don’t want to be pitied.

Doing nice things for people you don't like is especially important.  Maybe if more people are kind to them they will be kind to others.

Now go forth and be kind!