There's a notion that I share with my mother that is somewhat similar to the concept of critical non-essentials. We have always said if you can make the small things in your life beautiful, then why wouldn't you? Why not love everything your surround yourself with if you have the chance? I think this has developed out of our shared tendency to notice small details. As a result, it makes a big difference to us if even the smallest details of life are beautiful. So, whilst, the design of a mug for your tea, or the colour of your ring binder is not particularly important to some people, it can bring us a little bit of a happiness. For example, my mother can start her day happy just thanks to little things she loves. The coffee beans my family uses instantly make her day pleasurable. She gets a cup of coffee every morning and thinks 'I love these coffee beans'. It's a tiny thing. Most people drink coffee every day as part of routine. But this tiny part of my mother's routine, and her attention to it, makes all the difference. When you think about it, this is not the hardest thing to do. Find little things dotted throughout your day that you don't have to go out of your way for and it can be made. You just have to take the time to do it. Heck, on my walk to class I can find the colour of a particular leaf on the ground intriguing, and it makes me smile.
Paddi Lund has developed a business concept similar to this called 'critical non-essentials'. Lund suggests that the little things in someone's business can make the world of difference to a customer. Little things within customer service, that are by no means essential to what the customer is really there for, can massively improve the quality of their experience. For example, Paddi is a dentist. Paddi improved the experience of his patients by including a few practices in his service - patients are greeted by their first name upon return to the practice and that they are served tea or coffee almost instantly upon arrival. Now, if someone needs a tooth removed is it essential that they are addressed by their first name or given a drink? No - that's not an essential part of dental practice. But, it does make a difference. It makes people feel at ease. These things are not critical for dentistry, but essential for a good customer experience. I think that same concept can occasionally be applied to your life. It is not critical to pay attention to small joys in order to get through whatever tasks you have set that day, but it can greatly improve your well-being.
There's a website I frequently go to that alerts you to these small pleasures - http://www.1000awesomethings.com/ This website brings me so much joy. It reminds you of the tiniest things, that could be easily overlooked, that are actually 'awesome'. For example, stepping on an immensely satisfying crunchy leaf, or the amazing waft of freshly baked goods from just walking past a bakery. Things like this can be relatively cheap or cost nothing at all. Yet, we forget them. I took the time to read through this website (frequently nodding or smiling, and thinking 'Oh yes! It is so great when that happens!') and to make my own list of little things that make me especially happy in my diary. Sometimes things can all feel a bit too heavy, and it's so beneficial to take a moment and enjoy these little things.
So, here are some of Rachel's Critical Non-Essentials:
- Eating peanut butter straight from the jar with a spoon
- Throwing myself up the stairs as fast as I can like a child
- The smell of summer - the warm, floral wave that hits you when you step out of your front door
- Sitting before the natural glow of a lit candle
- Warm rain on hot pavement
- The feeling against your fingers of a second hand book's pages
- Drawing a perfectly straight line
- Handwritten notes
- Walking barefoot
- The first kick from a cup of coffee
