Here we go! 31 days of kindness is starting August 1, 2017.
This year we want 1,000+ people on board who, collectively, will do more than 31,000 acts of kindness in 31 days! AWESOME! Sign up here to get the daily email reminder.
First time you are hearing about this? Still join in and take the challenge, we hope you will!
How it works: Each day we do one act of kindness listed below and use #31DaysofKindness to share, comment and connect with others who are taking part in the challenge.
Make sure to post photos and share updates because at the end I will collect photos and make us a HUGE collage to share with everyone who participated! You can also share this with your friends, family and neighbors to get them on board! The more we have join, the more good we do as a group! So share away!
We have also created sharable images for you to use in your home, office and with your family and friends: Printable Poster, Facebook Banner, Instagram Post and Twitter Image.
Our goal is to retrain our brain to remember to be kind to others on a daily basis and to show the world we can do BIG things when you join together. So are you ready for the 31 Days of Kindness Challenge? Refer back to this post to see what each day looks like or get the daily email reminder. Let’s make the difference in the lives of thousands and here… we… go…
DAY 1 (August 1st) – Write a handwritten thank you letter
The hardest part about this act of kindness might be to remember where your stamps are or to drive to the post office to get them. Take time to get a letter written and sent out to someone in your circle of friends, family or community who you can encourage, inspire or thank!
DAY 2 – Pick up a piece of trash
There is always trash on the ground and we can do something about it! Think what would happen if everyone picked up one piece of trash everyday? Let’s keep our eyes peeled for what piece of trash we can pick up to clean up our streets, sidewalks or neighborhood!
DAY 3 – Buy someone coffee/tea or a drink
Most of us take time out of our day to go and grab a drink of coffee, tea or late night drink. Take the time to buy the person’s coffee behind you. If you don’t drink coffee or tea, pull through a drive though coffee shop pay $3 for the person behind you and drive away! See how good you feel!
DAY 4 – Compliment a stranger
Walk by and complement a stranger on what they are wearing, their hair or smile. Bonus points if you give them a high-five when you walk by!
DAY 5 –Donate an item of your choosing
Most of us can agree we have more than we need. What is in your closet that you can donate to a local shelter or Goodwill and have someone else get benefit from your amazing fashion sense? What about kitchen goods or toys?
DAY 6 – Pick something up that has fallen down
If you are walking down the street and see one of those fallen sandwich boards or you are in the grocery store and see something that fell off the shelf, find a way to put it back up! This might encourage others to do the same when they see you going out of your way to do something kind for others!
DAY 7 – Treat Yo’ Self!
We had this idea brought to our attention from a participant of #31DaysofKindess! He reminded us that many of us often need to be kinder to ourselves – so true! Treat yo’ self to a pedicure, a new book, leaving work 30 minutes earlier or fine leather goods. If you need more ideas, see where this idea stems from.
DAY 8 – Donate at least $5 to an organization you have never donated to before
Research a cause you believe in and donate at least $5 to their mission. It might not sound like a lot but those little donations add up for organizations and can be a big benefit if a lot of people do this. When 100+ of us do this, we will have given more than $500 collectively today to good causes around the world!
DAY 9 – Give/send someone a small, anonymous gift
Of course receiving gifts on birthdays and holidays are fun but even better is a random gift for no reason! You could look up someone’s ‘wishlist’ on Amazon and send them something. You could leave a coffee gift card on your coworkers desk. You could also buy a small something, leave it in a park with a note saying “For you!”
DAY 10 –Recycle something
It blows my mind how many people still do not recycle! This is one of the easiest ways to give back and be kind to our environment. Take time to recycle and if you don’t have recycling at your office or home, what can you do today to help make that a reality in your area?
DAY 11 – Bring snacks to work to share
Oh this is my favorite because my wife is my only co-worker and she is participating in this challenge with us! I hope she bakes something good! Take time to make something homemade or go to the store and grab something for your fellow co-workers. If you are unemployed at the time, go and bring a snack to a friend or a nearby office (shoot, even deliver snacks to the office where you want to work!)
DAY 12 – Support local
Instead of grabbing a bite at Subway or getting a few items at your local Target, stop by a local shop and support your community entrepreneurs by eating at a local restaurant or buying what you need at a local shop.
DAY 13 – Create a care package for a soldier
I invite you to take time and invite others to join in especially your family or friends to help you with this one. You don’t need to spend a lot of money (you don’t even need to spend money at all). You can write letters, send candy or books and so much more. Here is a good site to use called Any Soldier. If you are outside of the USA, see what your government allows and how you can support your troops. Give thanks to those who provide us with our everyday freedoms.
DAY 14 – Leave a $2 bill on the ground and watch them pick it up
This is one of the best and most interesting acts of kindness we will do. First off, go to your local bank and ask for a $2 (they will love you for taking those off their hands). Then go and place it somewhere a random person will see it and pick it up. You might be surprised by how many people walk by it before one person notices it!
DAY 15 – Lend your skills/services for free (answer questions)
There are several ways you can do this. Use the #question on Twitter or Facebook. Post on your social media that you can help <BLANK> with <BLANK> and the first person to reach out gets <BLANK> minutes of support. Go and volunteer for an hour or put your skills to the test. This one will make you think and question, what value can I add to others and who can use my skills/services?
DAY 16 – Promote a cause you believe in
There are so many great causes and organizations working hard to create positive change in our world. Talk about one of these causes that is important to you either in person with people and/or social media.
DAY 17 – Send a nice email to a company
We might take the time to send a complaint to a company who did us wrong but how often do we send an email or letter to a company who we appreciate is doing the right thing or treating their customers with respect? Send a nice email thanking that company for what they do, the products they offer and services they provide!
DAY 18 – Let someone go in front of you in line
Whether this is at the grocery store, at the coffee shop or waiting to pick up your burrito, this is a kind gesture to extend to someone!
DAY 19 – Share an uplifting quote
You never know what kind of day someone is having and often when we see positive or uplifting quotes, it can help reset our minds. Share an uplifting quote with a friend or via social media.
DAY 20 – Hold the door for someone
This one is another tricky one because we have to be on the look out all day for this opportunity. Take the time to look around for when someone might need the door opened for them. Smile, maybe give them a high-five and do it as many times as you can!
DAY 21 – Treat yo’ self and someone else
Reference day 7 for what this means except this time, include someone else! Treat your mom to a pedicure, your dad to lunch or your friend to that delicious cupcake in addition to yourself! Throw kindness around like confetti!
DAY 22 – Donate a used book to the library
Your local library could really enjoy some of your old childhood books or best-sellers that you never read anymore. Children, adults and teens can really benefit from those books we don’t use so select some off the shelf, drive by your local library and donate them!
DAY 23 – Introduce yourself to a stranger
Say “hi” to someone you walk by. Sit next to someone else at lunch. I bet there might be people at your office you don’t know fully, say hi and introduce yourself. A hi can go a long way!
DAY 24 – Share an article to a friend who could benefit from it
Have you read a great article recently that you know could benefit a close friend, peer or family member? Take time to show you care by sending them an article with an email to say “Hey, saw this and was thinking about you. Thought you would enjoy it.” Please don’t send one of those obnoxious FWDs. Send an article that adds real value to their life.
DAY 25 – Leave a 100% tip
This one will make your day! It does not have to be on a $50 meal. It can be on a $2 coffee you buy or $8 lunch you purchase. Leave that 100% tip and talk about doing a HUGE act of kindness. Those waiters will be talking about that for a while and you spread more kindness that way because they in turn go and talk about what just happened to their friends and family!
DAY 26 – Leave a fun treat for your mail carrier in your mail box
I would recommend nothing that can melt in the southern states this summer but pick something that is fun, sweet and says thank you! You can even write a note letting them know how much you appreciate always delivering your mail.
DAY 27 – Send a love letter to someone
There is something magical about receiving a letter in the mail and something extra magical when it’s a love letter! While we recommend sending one to your significant other if you have one, there are plenty of other family and friends you love in your life!
DAY 28 – Forgive Someone
This one is tough but we never said this challenge would be easy. Let’s be kind today by forgiving someone that hurt us, let us down or disappointed us. This will make room in your heart and mind for more kindness when you release resentment. You could let this person know they are forgiven by a letter, phone call or meeting. Another option would be to write a letter forgiving them and put it away without mailing it because the action is more important for you.
DAY 29 – Give thanks to one community servant you don’t personally know
Is there a firefighter, police office, civic servant or someone in your community who is adding value to your community that you need to thank? Go to their office, write them a letter or give them a call to say thank you for all they do to make our community safe!
DAY 30 – Smile at 10 people throughout the day
You know that feeling when you randomly lock eyes with a stranger and he or she flashes you a pleasant smile, which you hopefully return? Now it’s your turn to be the one intentional about putting on a literal happy face and smiling to at least 10 people throughout the day!
DAY 31 – Leave behind a note of kindness
Get your sticky notes or a piece of paper ready and leave a note (or notes!) of kindness somewhere along your day. This could be on a bathroom mirror at a restaurant, on a bookshelf in a library or even on someone’s windshield. To get your creative juices flowing, here are a few examples:
“You matter and you are important!”
“The world needs your specific creativity and energy!”
“Have a marvelous day!”
When we do all of this, imagine what we will have accomplished together as a team! Let’s spread the word! Think you know others who would like to join us?
