Have you ever been in the drive through at Starbucks only to find out someone paid for your Grande Skinny Latte with Stevia before you got to the window to pay for it yourself? Perhaps someone brought over an unexpected plate of cookies, opened the door when you were carrying a heavy load, or gave you a cold bottle of water on a hot summer day. Random acts of kindness are like medicine to the soul. It feels good to the person who does the act and to the person who receives.
Personal Experience
I recall last Mother’s Day walking through a grocery store and a clerk handed me a single stemmed rose. I didn’t see anyone else in the store with a rose. Initially I assumed they were handing roses out to all moms, but it felt personal, I felt singled out in a good way and I didn’t see anyone else in the store with a single flower. It was the icing on the cake for a day that was already so special.
The Challenge
With January upon us, it seems like a pretty good time to consider an Acts of Kindness Challenge. Of course, it doesn’t have to be at the beginning of a new year. It can be any time of the year. What a world of good could be done if everyone made an effort to consistently do acts of kindness.
Are you Ready
So, what do you say? Are you up for a 30 day Acts of Kindness challenge? The goal, do one act of kindness every day for 30 days. Maybe make it a new habit that carries on past the 30 days. Below are 30 ideas you can use, of course you can think of your own as well.
- Pay for someone’s coffee, meal, doughnut etc, in the drive through.
- Randomly send someone flowers.
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
- Write kind words / positive notes on the sidewalk with chalk.
- Make a meal for someone.
- After a big snow, clean off the neighbor’s driveway/sidewalk (my husband is excellent at this!).
- Offer to babysit / watch a friends kid to let them get out of the house for a bit.
- Make a care package.
- Donate food to a shelter.
- Fill up your spouse’s gas tank.
- Wash someone’s car.
- Pick up litter.
- Write letters to soldiers.
- Celebrate your mentor…write them a note, send flowers etc.
- Volunteer at your kid’s school.
- Call your Mother In Law. (Jacquie…I know you’re reading this) 😘
- Call your Mom. (Hi Mom!) 👋
- Offer to take a picture for a group so everyone can be in the photo.
- Have your neighbors over for coffee or if you have an espresso machine, a latte! (Cheers Natalie!)
- Open the door for someone that has a stroller or whose hands are full.
- Make breakfast in bed for a family member.
- Donate clothes to a charity or person in need.
- Share your professional skills for free. For example, I often help friends with their resume due to my HR background.
- Give someone a ride or offer to pick them up if they don’t have a car and you do.
- Give bottles to be recycled to a kids club or donate the money to a charity.
- Help a child ride a bike, throw a ball, play outside.
- Give someone a giftcard you don’t intend on using.
- Water plants for a neighbor when they are out of town.
- Publicly acknowledge someone for their talent, strength, good work.
- Send a good old fashioned letter to an old friend.
Would you like more Acts of Kindness Ideas
If you want more ideas, check out my friend’s blog/post for 160 Small Acts of Kindness To Do With Your Family…click here!
What are Your Thoughts
What other ideas do you have? Do you have any favorite acts of kindness that have been done to you? Let’s spread a little love…c’mon, join me in the 30 day act of kindness challenge!
These are such great ideas! Especially #29 – that’s such an invaluable thing to share with people.
What a great idea for a challenge! Love all the ideas you gave! My husband definitely deserves some breakfast in bed, so that may be one of my first ones!
These are all such great ideas! What an easy thing to do yet I always find my self forgetting things like this. Thank you for the inspiration!
This is such a cute message, definitely want to channel my kindness more next year! Your challenge con help 😀 <3
What wonderful ideas! I am definitely going to be doing some of these! There is no better feeling than making someone else happy 🙂
I was so pleased to read your post. We are living in a world where people forget how to be kind and meanness seems to overrule. Practice makes a habit, maybe if everyone reading your post selects one kindness practice to do for 30 days we will have a better world. Every day, I greet the crossguard near my daughter school. Some days, I stopped and have a small chat, and one of the mothers thought I knew him, I just wanted to be nice. We can brighten someone’s day or even world by greeting and smiling at them. Thanks for sharing.
I totally agree Marjie! What a great thing you are doing with the crossguard!
Aww, I love this so much!! I am definitely up for the challenge!
I love this challenge! Happiness is my middle name. I was hoping to join the challenge but couldn’t see a sign up for that.
Thanks Joleisa…I hadn’t put a sign up, was just hoping to inspire people, but I really like that idea It wold be great to get a count of how many people are actually doing it. Will look into adding a sign up soon!
thank you sharing with others we do all need this in our lives
The coming new year brings many resolutions. Your new year challenges bring a new and needed outlook.
We often do #6! I love Stuff like this! It keeps the kindness alive in the world!
Great ideas!! Today world needs a lot of kindness for the mankind to survive!!
I love this challenge. Looks like a great way to start the new year with love and kindness
Kindness is what makes the world run. It is what makes the world a better place to live in. This challenge is a great way to spread the cheer of kindness.
It takes so little to make someone else’s day. And you never know just how badly someone might be needing a kind gesture. Thanks for the reminder of how important small acts of kindness are!
Wonderful ideas! I am always looking for ways to teach this type of thing to my boys, and a lot of these are kid-friendly as well!
I love love love this post. some of these little acts of kindness can stay in a person’s heart for ever!! what an inspiring read. I will make my best effort to perform some of these next week!
Everyone needs to read and accept this challenge! Spread more good in the world! Love this so much!!
We could all use an extra boost of kindness during these grey days- what a great way to put our positive thoughts into action! I did a challenge like this a while back and definitely believe that no gesture is too small or simple. Really, it’s the little things that totally turn someone’s day around. Thank you for the inspiration to be intentional about giving everyday!
I really love reminders like this. Going into the new year, I should really do more of these things often.
Wonderful idea for a challenge. I enjoy the surprise and joy on people’s faces with random acts of kindness.
love your challenge and great list of ideas. At different times in my life I have participated in several. That is why I love your list there are ideas for everyone
This is such a great list! I found things on it that every member of my family can do. Love the idea of passing the kindness
I love this challenge. Its amazing how your perspective changes when you start to focus on doing things for others!
This sounds like a great thing to do. I will have to remember all 30 of these things for the next month and try to do one a day. Thanks for the great idea.