In a world that often feels frightening, depressing, and baffling, completing a tiny project is one way to feel a little more powerful.
You have the power to make something beautiful.
You can beam positivity into the world like a lighthouse.
You can create something small but mighty. Something that makes a difference in your life and in other people's lives, too.
Here's a list of tiny project ideas for you. Pick one and do it by yourself. Or do it with your kids, friends, clients, anybody you want. You could even do 1 tiny project per day, 10 days in a row. A tiny project festival.
Tiny projects can create a big ripple effect.
Tiny Project Ideas
* Write a beautiful “thank you” letter to someone who has touched your life. Whether this person is living or dead.
* Write a list of what you’d do if you had 24 hours to live.
* Write a list of things you definitely want to accomplish (or experience) before you die.
* Write a short statement about “my biggest lesson from 2020, so far” and post it online, share it with your family, or both.
* Write a short statement about "what the pandemic of 2020 felt like" and then seal this into an envelope for your kids or grandkids to read one day in the future. Share how the pandemic impacted your life and career. The scary moments. The big lessons. The silver linings.
* Pick a theme like "Peace" or "Power" or "Joy" and make a playlist on Spotify or wherever you listen to music. Send it to a someone you love.
* Draw a picture of your best friend, take a photo of it, and text it to them. (You’re “terrible” at drawing? Perfect. That means the picture will be extra hilarious and wonderful.)
* Record a short audio message for a friend who’s going through a hard time. Let them know that they’re loved, that you’re here to listen, and that they’re not alone.
* Doodle, draw, or paint a very small piece of art. Write an encouraging note on the back. Hide it somewhere so that one day, eventually, a stranger might find it. (Inspired by my friend Linda Mercury.)
* Make a helpful checklist. Any topic you want. “Pack for a trip” checklist. “Steps to launch a business” checklist. “Get ready for college” checklist. “Kitchen upgrade” checklist. Keep it for yourself. Or share it with others.
* Write a glowing 5-star review about a book, product, or business that you really love.
* Ask an elder (parent, grandparent, auntie, etc.) to describe their childhood home. Where was it? What did it look like? Feel like? Record their response on your phone (or Zoom) and save the audio.
* Make a poster with an inspiring message that the world needs to hear. Put it somewhere in your city (bulletin board, pinned to a telephone pole, bus stop, etc.).
* Write a “You are totally awesome” note to someone who always makes your day a little better—a bus driver, teacher, barista, assistant, intern, whoever you want.
* Write a letter to an elected representative (mayor of your town, senator, etc.) to say “thanks for the great work” and/or encourage them to make a particular change that you’d like to see.
* Make a cheese and fruit platter (or some other meal or snack) and deliver it to a friend's doorstep, or to a small business owner, teacher, or essential worker in your community. Extra credit: include a “3 reasons why you’re amazing” note.
* Do a tech-decluttering project. Delete apps from your phone. Unsubscribe from 10 mailing lists you don't need. Bulk-delete 1,000 emails from last year that, let's be honest, you're never gonna read. Do tiny things to create tons of space.
* Plan a Screen-Free Sunday. All devices: turned off and put away. Read books. Plant herbs. Stargaze. Discuss history. Tell stories about mistakes and embarrassing moments. Or go through this list of 100 questions with your loved ones, and answer each one.
* Mail out 5 postcards to 5 people reminding them to vote in the next election.
* Write a fan letter to someone you admire with no strings attached, and no expectation of getting a reply. Purely just to say, “Your work has touched my life.”
* Or come up with another tiny project that sounds inspiring to you.
By completing a tiny project, you can remind yourself:
"I am creative. I am powerful. I can start a tiny project and finish it. I can make a difference in people's lives. In big ways and small ways, too."
Tiny things are a big deal.
-Alex
PS. If you love tiny projects–and you love the idea of writing a tiny book–this is for you.
PPS. A few years ago, while going through a period of grief, I had very low energy levels. It was really hard to focus and get things done. Completing "big projects" felt incredibly hard. So, I gave myself permission to shrink my ambitions down to very tiny goals. Tiny projects. Tiny wins. This helped me to feel competent and accomplished during a difficult time in my life. And, later, it inspired me to create the Tiny Bit Better card deck.
PPPS. Which tiny project are you going to do? Or is there another tiny project you completed recently? What was it?