A concise guide on how to romanticize the mundane.
I won’t pretend to be the first one to tell you that life is stressful, tough, boring, and at times depressing. Things don’t always work out the way we want them to, jobs fall through, and we burn out. Life and reality?? They suck. My solution? Romanticizing things to the point of delusion.
That would probably be the last piece of advice a therapist would give, but sometimes all you need is a reminder that even our worst moments and failures in life have beauty! Bear with me because I know how cheesy this all is going to sound. When I started to romanticize the daily and mundane, it made life infinitely more enjoyable. Waking up at 5 am to work my bakery job? Main character. Spilling hot bodega coffee all over me on my way to school? Main character.
So as someone who has been told my hopeless romanticization of life is something to be admired, here is my concise guide to casting yourself as the main character of your life <3
Plotting and scheming
Your first task on this journey to becoming a main character? Reframe and reorganize. This is me essentially giving you an excuse to buy (or thrift) a whole new wardrobe, dye your hair, try a new makeup look. Think about how you want your life to look and make it happen.
Easier said than done of course but making a Pinterest board is the perfect way to start. Begin by making a board for all aspects of your dream life and get to pinning! Everything and anything relating to your dream job, wardrobe, makeup/hair, manifestations–essentially a mini vision board for the life you want. This is you plotting and scheming and laying the plot for it all.
Setting the soundtrack
Every good movie needs a soundtrack and now is the time to craft your own. Think about your favorite movies. What songs are playing when the lead is crying? What about when she is busy running around the city? Is it cheesy? Yes unbelievably. But life is cheesy! Who cares if it makes you smile?
Embodying your inner frazzled English woman
For this next step, we are taking cues from some of rom-com’s best leading ladies–-the frazzled English woman. Think Bridget Jones from Bridget Jones’s Diary or Iris from The Holiday. Be messy! Be creative! Be you–even if that’s not perfect.
Have you ever seen a main character who HASN’T messed up at some point?? Whether it’s embarrassing herself in front of her crush or having an existential crisis overload, these leads remind us that the main characters are meant to be human and so can you. No perfectionism allowed.
The next time you are readjusting your scarf over your shoulder for the fourth time, out of breath from lugging your over-stuffed tote to and from school, just know that is sooo something a main character would do too.
Making life sweet
Once you now have a clear view of how you want your life to look, start taking action! Did you pin cute coffee shops? Save $5 one week and take yourself on a date. You pinned some cool jeans your main character would wear? Try and thrift a pair or style the ones you own differently. You will never regret taking time to invest in yourself and you will often find that the time you do spend investing in yourself, makes life so much sweeter.
Find a favorite color and buy things in it. Peel an orange mindfully. Tie ribbons on your hair and bags and shoes. Bake a sweet treat. Personalize your water bottle. Even the smallest actions can make your day-to-day more fun!
Do it for the plot
Quite literally do it for the plot. Don’t hold back or put restrictions on yourself. There is enough time to do your work and have a little fun too. If you don’t make time for yourself or the things that bring you joy, you will miss out on joy. So accept the last-minute invite to a party! In fact, I order you to. There will be plenty of time to do everything you need to, I promise.
And just like that…you are romanticizing life like a pro!! Make a soundtrack, be messy, treat yourself, and above all–do it for the plot <3