1. The Charm of Things That Don’t Try Too Hard
There’s this weird category of stuff I keep ending up loving: tiny, useful things that don’t try too hard. Like, they don’t beep, they don’t charge, they don’t require me to make an account or agree to cookies. They’re just… there. Doing their job. Silently. Like emotional support objects, but not embarrassing.
One of them is this tiny folding pocket knife I keep in my bag. I almost never need it, but when I do? Oh, the satisfaction. Opening boxes like a boss. Slicing an apple like I’m in a cottagecore TikTok. Fixing a loose thread on my coat. I think it’s like $9 on Amazon and it has brought me more joy than 90% of the apps on my phone.
2. Everyday Magic in Unexpected Tools
Then there’s the lighter I carry even though I don’t smoke. People think that’s weird. But I light candles. I melt the ends of frayed shoelaces. Once I used it to reheat a key that was frozen in a lock. I was the hero of the moment. It felt like carrying a spell in my pocket.
I feel this way about certain types of snacks too. Like the exact right trail mix, with those salty roasted almonds and not too many raisins. Or crackers that snap just right and don’t crumble in the bottom of your bag like edible sand.
3. Small Utilities That Quietly Organize Your Life
Another random thing I underestimated: a pencil case. Not the stiff kind from third grade. I mean the soft zip-up pouch where I now store 3 pens that actually write (big achievement), lip balm, gum, earbuds, and a weird plastic coin from 2011 that I refuse to get rid of. Feels like the adult version of carrying a charm bracelet.
Which brings me to a recent surprise favorite: eco friendly lip balm. I didn’t expect to care that much, but here we are. It works, it doesn’t make my lips sticky, and I don’t have to toss a plastic tube every few months. Somehow, that tiny swap made me feel slightly more like someone who has their life together.
4. Comfort You Can Wear (and Hear)
Clothes count too. That one hoodie that’s just oversized enough. A specific pair of socks that magically never slip down, even on a hike. And don’t even get me started on the perfect beanie.
Music is another one. Having 3-4 songs downloaded at all times that I know will revive my energy if I’m slumping. They’re like digital espresso shots. You don’t even have to like the songs publicly, they’re just for you. Mine include a chaotic mix of 2000s pop, moody Icelandic stuff, and one techno remix of a sea shanty. Don’t ask.
5. Quiet Joy in the Overlooked Things
I think the point is, little things matter. Not in a sappy, “it’s the little things that count” kind of way. More like: your brain notices when your pen writes smoothly and your hoodie fits right. It’s quiet joy, and I’ll take it.
The other week, someone gave me one of those solid body wash bars and I threw it in my drawer, thinking I’d never use it. Joke’s on me. It ended up in my gym bag and now it lives there like a loyal gym sidekick. Doesn’t leak, smells good, doesn’t offend the planet. Wild how much better life feels when you’re not chasing shampoo around the bottom of a soggy toiletry bag.
Anyway. All that to say: honor the random things that make your day 3% easier. The pencil that doesn’t smudge. The playlist that hits when your brain is foggy. The gum you actually like. These aren’t the big things, but sometimes they’re the exact things.