1. This week I sent a cousin a graduation card with actual money in it without being told to do so by my mother.

2. I also got all of my mother’s day presents in the mail on time.

3. I bought a vacuum specialized for hardwood floors. I’ve lived in my apartment with said hardwood floors for two years.

4. I took out the recycling not once, but twice in the last week.

5. Also yesterday, when I got barbecue sauce on my new hoodie, I didn’t just try to suck it off. I washed the hoodie right when I got home after spot treating the sleeve.

6. I told someone I wasn’t interested in that I wasn’t interested instead of just slowly but surely distancing myself and hoping they either got the hint or assumed I died.

7. I made an eye doctor appointment again, without being told to by my mother. And I know they take my insurance so I’m not going to be surprised when they expect me to fork over a bunch of money at the end of the appointment.

8. And I also made an appointment at the DMV for when I get back from vacation next week.

9. I’m not scraping by to afford to go on vacation next week. I actually planned it out. I have a dog sitter and everything.

10. Instead of just waiting until my current summer ~sandals~ literally fell apart while I was walking in them, I went out and bought new ones.

11. This week, while in the middle of a fairly serious (but ultimately manageable) financial problem, I kept my cool and handled it by myself. This is the type of thing that two/three years ago would have made me spiral out of control and call my mom in a fury of tears but now, I was able to keep my head on my shoulders, buckle down, and take care of it. Specifics aren’t important, I was just really proud of myself for not having a total meltdown because of something I was obviously capable of handling.

12. I’ve been making a conscious effort to taking better care of myself. You know like, eating leafy greens and running four to five times a week. It’s harder than it should be, but I am not too proud to admit that it obviously makes me feel better.

13. And on that track, I’m starting a challenge when I get from vacation. And even though I’m not excited to do things like drastically change my diet and weight lift, I’m excited to see how my body responds.

14. I’ve been thinking a lot about the future and not in the “lol we’re all going to die someday” kind of way. (As much.) So I’ve been working on projects and planning and actually trying to become one of those, people who has at the bare minimum has an idea of what’s to come.

15. I did laundry and actually put the clothes in the dryer right after instead of forgetting about this bundle of wet clothes that probably started to get mildewy.

16. I apologized to someone who I let down. And it was uncomfortable made both of us feel a little awkward. But she deserved it so it was worth it.

17. I’ve actually been responding to emails in a timely fashion instead of just triaging and then having to do the never-ending, “Sorry for the delay on this!” song and dance.

18. I made my bed once.

19. I’ve kept going, even when I really didn’t want to and would have preferred to just curl up in bed and sleep forever and ever.

20. Even though I haven’t started packing for vacation, I’ve made a checklist. Which for me, someone who frequently packs at 2 AM the night before she leaves, is progress.

21. I wrote this and then went back to doing my actual work, instead of pretending like it took me 3 hours to finish so I could procrastinate.