Some confluence of forces in the universe meant that I recently enjoyed several virtually perfect days. Please know that doesn’t mean everything was perfect; I mean, look around, how can anyone say things are even remotely perfect unless your entire world fits into your kitchen? What I mean by perfect is that the major daily occurrences conspired to create a day which allowed me to breathe, smile, and play music really loudly in the car. I was so enthralled with this sense of satisfaction that the deconstruction of it has been on my mind because if I can isolate the dynamics and elements, perhaps I can repeat it on demand, and so can you.

Of course one man’s ceiling is another man’s floor so your perfect day might be my nightmare, hence the need for broad categories rather than specific events. If throwing yourself out of a plane with nothing but a scrap of silk strapped to your body is the centerpiece of perfection, I love that for you but no thanks. Also shopping for drapes, writing Christmas cards, refinishing furniture. No offence.

Once I began to categorize the elements of my day, it became quite obvious that the groupings mirrored what we know about health span, blue zones, and super agers. These perfect days don’t erase the pain and suffering around us, or the long-standing annoyances and grievances flesh is heir to, but they do provide a sense of perspective, that not everything is equal all the time, that life can delight and surprise as much as it can disappoint and injure.

* Purpose and accomplishment. My day began with a senior leader peer mentoring group workshop where I helped each of them elevate their messaging and their performance in simple and effective ways. Whenever I can leverage my knowledge, experience and attitude to add value to others I get an enormous shot of dopamine that fuels even better performance. It’s an ascending spiral, getting better and better the more I do it. Whatever it takes to make you feel you are tipping the scales of positive effort and intent, it’s likely going to be a major piece of your perfect day.

* Community, family, friends. I spent an hour or two drinking coffee at my daughter’s dining room table, each of us responding to emails and doing “work” while chatting about anything and everything. With two young children, she and I don’t often get uninterrupted, leisurely time. Maybe your golden time means moving beyond the incidentally rewarding encounters with friends, neighbours, colleagues or family, and carving out purposeful time together.

* Physical activity or exercise. With apologies to endorphins, many of us still exercise because we know we should, and only occasionally does it feel like we’ve treated ourselves to a workout. Of course the more you do it the more likely it will feel like a benefit, rather than an obligation. Because my work schedule that perfect day meant I could not go to yoga, or find an hour for a brisk walk, the exercise I did get consisted of several hours on the floor with the grandkids, making bear caves, pretending to be bears, and working on some yoga poses.

* Environmental dopamine. Many of you (hello friends in Atlantic Canada) are not as lucky as those of us on the west coast but sunshine, even in limited quantities, elevates the day immediately. Any day which requires sunglasses for even a brief time, is a superior experience even when the temperature is freezing.

* Music and nostalgia. Unlike some of my friends who are much more au courant when it comes to pop culture, specifically new music, I tend to playlist by decade, depending if I’m channeling high school, university, or the decades I should have been born in (20s, 30s and 40s). I suspect it’s my way to relive, or at least plug into instant nostalgia for simpler times. I know they weren’t simple, really, but in hindsight they are golden. BTW, I’m certainly not alone in being nostalgia driven. The marketing world is all over it like a rash and I look forward to exploring that angle in an upcoming post. I wrapped up my day on the highway, heading home, blasting a shuffled Van Morrison playlist. Everything fell into place, like the flick of a switch. At dinner with my mom the previous evening, we acknowledged that despite everything else, there are perfect days like this.

I’d love to hear about your perfect days and wish you many more.

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