Meaningful days lead to a more fulfilling quality of life. Everyone deserves a life filled with people, activities, and events that make them feel valued and fulfilled. How you plan each day is based on your interests and experiences. Each day’s activities are driven by your values, hopes, dreams, choices, and life goals. Planning for a meaningful day means choosing activities that have a purpose. Those activities could mean learning new skills, exploring new things, and connecting with others. It is more than just going to work and coming home. A meaningful day can include time at your job, in the community, discovering healthy living, and social relationships.
Look at the examples below. Which one do you believe encompasses the definition of a meaningful day?
Example 1: Scott wakes up in the morning around 10:00 a.m.. He usually forgets to eat breakfast, and plans to grab something from the vending machine at work before clocking in. He heads to work at a local distribution center where he unloads trucks and sorts merchandise for a large retail chain. He eats lunch alone and rarely socializes with others. When Scott gets off work, he heads straight home and watches television while eating his favorite tv dinner. He goes to bed around midnight. He does not have any future plans to socialize with others and does not explore new hobbies or interests. He usually does the same thing day after day.
Example 2: Scott wakes up at 7:00 a.m. each morning by alarm clock. He gets dressed and heads to the local YMCA where he lifts weights and runs on the treadmill for an hour. When he returns home, he makes himself a nutritious breakfast before showering for work. At 10:00 a.m., he heads to work at a local distribution center where he unloads trucks and sorts merchandise for a large retail chain. Scott eats his lunch at work with several coworkers he has befriended. When Scott gets off work at 6:00 p.m., he stops by the video game store where he signs up for a Fortnite tournament happening over the weekend. He then heads home where he works on a model car he’s been painting, watches his favorite sitcom, and eats his favorite tv dinner. He makes breakfast plans with a friend before he heads to bed at 10:00 p.m. after setting his alarm for the next day.
If you chose Example 2 as the one that best meets the definition of a meaningful day, you are correct! Example 2 shows how Scott simply plans his day with activities he enjoys. You can do that too!
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You can also contact us at: CCLC@iu.edu or call (812) 855-6508
