Stop Waiting for Life to Feel Exciting: 100 Simple Ways to Romanticize Your Life

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This post is based on an episode of The Glow Up Guide Podcast. Press play below to listen, or keep scrolling to read the full article.

Welcome!

When we think about romanticizing our life, we tend to think of expensive designer clothes, trips to Europe, $8 coffees every day, and somehow always having perfect lighting. 

Spoiler alert: could not be further from the truth. 

The best moments in life cost nothing. 

They’re just moments we usually ignore. 

If you read my last post, you already know that romanticizing your life isn’t about changing your life, it’s about changing how you experience it. 

Now let’s actually do it. 

Here’s 100 simple ways to make everyday life feel a little more memorable. 

Morning

1. Open your curtains first thing in the morning
2. No phone for the first hour after waking up
3. Eat breakfast outside
4. Stretch by an open window
5. Listen to music while getting ready
6. Drink your morning beverage without scrolling
7. Watch the sunrise
8. Write one thing you’re looking forward to that day
9. Light a candle while getting ready (if safe!)
10. Wear your favorite outfit just because

Nature

11. Watch a sunset
12. Cloud watch
13. Sit under a tree
14. Walk a new route
15. Listen for birds
16. Go outside after it rains
17. Watch leaves moving in the wind
18. Notice flowers you never paid attention to before
19. Walk without headphones 
20. Visit a local park
21. Dance in the rain
22. Look up at the stars
23. Watch the moon

Food and Drinks

24. Make homemade lemonade
25. Bake and decorate cookies
26. Try a new recipe
27. Eat outside
28. Have a picnic
29. Plate your meal like you’re eating at a cafe 
30. Try a new fruit
31. Cook a real breakfast
32. Eat without watching TV
33. Freeze fruit for a snack

Get Creative

34. Read a book outside
35. Journal
36. Start a scrapbook
37. Paint something
38. Write a poem
39. Print your favorite photos
40. Press flowers
41. Start a reading challenge
42. Write a letter to your future self
43. Color in a coloring book
44. Make a playlist
45. Buy a book

Friends and Family

46. Go on a sunset walk/run
47. Play board games
48. Visit a cafe with someone
49. Make friendship bracelets
50. No phone dinner
51. Go thrift shopping
52. Start a new tradition
53. Go to the library with a friend
54. Go shopping and actually enjoy the experience

Get Off Your Phone

55. Have a no-phone hangout with your friends
56. Go on a walk without your phone
57. Read a book before bed instead of scrolling
58. Screen-free day
59. Delete one distracting app for a day
60. Use a real alarm clock
61. Put your phone away when talking to someone

Your Space

62. Rearrange your room
63. Water your plants
64. Diffuse essential oils
65. Hang up some photos
66. Add fresh flowers
67. Create a cozy reading corner
68. Open the windows to let fresh air in
69. Declutter one space in your room
70. Use natural light instead of harsh overhead lights

Mindset

71. Say “I get to” instead of “I have to”
72. Celebrate small wins
73. Stop saving things for special occasions
74. Use your good makeup
75. Wear the clothes you never wear
76. Notice one pretty thing each day
77. Appreciate ordinary days
78. Remember that tomorrow isn’t promised
79. Stop rushing every moment
80. Remind yourself to be present

Random Acts of Kindness

81. Smile at strangers
82. Give someone a compliment
83. Write a thank you note
84. Donate things you no longer use
85. Thank your teachers
86. Tell your parents you appreciate them
87. Let someone go ahead of you in line
88. Make someone laugh
89. Encourage someone who’s having a bad day

Capture the Moment

90. Keep a one-line journal
91. Print one favorite photo each month
92. Take cute photos for fun, not for Instagram
93. Start a memory jar/box
94. Record one second every day
95. Write down your favorite moment before bed
96. Make photo albums on your phone
97. Make a monthly favorites list
98. Start a memory journal
99. Create a cute collage
100. Start a gratitude log

Conclusion

You don’t have to do all 100 of these things. 

Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it. 

Pick one or two that sound genuinely fun and start there. 

Romanticizing your life isn’t about creating a picture-perfect routine or pretending everything is magical. It’s about paying a little more attention to the life you have. 

Ordinary days become memorable when you’re actually living them. 

Here’s to a summer you’ll actually remember.

Image Credits

• Hero image — Photo by Maryann Kariuki on Pexels.
• Morning — Photo by Isra Atan on Pexels
• Food and Drinks — Photo by Tanya Dudenkova on Pexels.
• Get Creative — Photo by Junjira Konsang on Pexels.
• Get Off Your Phone — Photo by Om Thakkar on Pexels.
• Your Space — Photo by Ansiveg on Pexels.
• Random Acts of Kindness — Photo by KoolShooters on Pexels.
• Capture the Moment— Photo by Евгений Шухман on Pexels.