Every four years, we receive a gift of time at the end  February  …  AN EXTRA DAY!  
 
Just for fun, I looked back on my 2016 Leap Day post on how I’d use this bonus in 2016. 
 
I was gobsmacked.  
 
Life has majorly changed in four short years!  Becoming a baby boomer orphan.  Rightsizing to the cozy yellow cottage.  Making new friends and connections.  Feeling more mellow about life after a milestone birthday (Can we start counting backward, please <wink>).
 
To reflect this new reality, I thought of five easy things to do to make the most of an extra 24 hours on Leap Day.  I hope these simple actions for finding quality time will be useful for you, too.
 
p.s....At the end of this post, find more smiles and inspiration for this gift of time from my favorite bloggers in our #Gr8Blogs 2020 Leap Year Blog Hop. 

1.  Find Your Happy Place

What place nourishes your soul and makes you smile just thinking about it?  Lofty mountains?  Countryside quiet?  Big city vibes?  Library or fave coffee shop? 
 
No worries if you can’t get there in person.  Just slip away in your imagination.  

Me?  I head to the beach (IRT or imagined).  It’s an easy 2-hour drive from my North Carolina home to our sandy beaches on the warm Atlantic coast (btw ... the NC coast is also the settings of two of my Sweet T Tales chapter books for young readers).
 
I can already picture it. Emerald-green waves tickling toes.  Kids splashing in tidal pools.  Endless blue sky punctuated by squawking gulls and diving pelicans.  
Maybe a pod of dolphins leaping offshore.  

​Instant serenity!  
​

​2.  Spread Kindness 

It only takes a moment to do something nice for someone, and your spirits will do the happy dance, too.  Promise.  

Today, I was waiting in line at the Dollar Store to check out with a few items when the woman ahead of me, who had a full cart, offered to let me go ahead of her.  I was so touched by her gesture!

My friend offers a ride to an elderly gent when she finds him crossing a busy 6-lane street to buy groceries.  Even when he declines because he enjoys his outing, he’s grateful for someone just noticing him.
 
Hey, you can even go high-tech. Ring, the video doorbell and home security, launched a Neighbors app.  The app makes it easy for people to celebrate their neighbors' good deeds by posting "Neighborly Moments," good things that that happen where they live.  How cool is that!

Try a super simple way to spread kindness on your bonus day ...  
​

Smile at a stranger (we do it all the time in North Carolina!) 
Reconnect with an old friend 
Allow someone to merge ahead of you on the highway  
Check on a neighbor or tired mom you haven’t seen in a while  
​Say thanks to an overworked cashier or teacher 
​

​3.  Get Outside and Walk
​
It’s hard to make time to get outdoors, especially when stuck at the office or corralling little ones at home. 
 
I’m lucky to live in an area crisscrossed by walking trails and parks.  It’s easy to open the door and be on my way.  Walking also returns me to the keyboard feeling energized and ready to write my next scene.  

How about bundling up the kids in the stroller and heading to a nearby park?  Even a lap around the block or parking lot during lunch helps you de-stress and be more productive.
​

 
 4.  Crack a Task 

I see you rolling your eyes here.  

Really, Cat?!?  More work?!?
 
Consider spending only 30 minutes tackling a task you've been avoiding.
 
Remember, back in the day, balancing your checkbook? I hated doing that!  Today's equivalent might be sorting out photos on your mobile (or boxes of print pics).   How about cleaning out that overflowing closet or garage?  Making an appointment for your annual wellness visit?  
 
You’ll feel better knowing you made a dent in your to-do list  Once you finish, reward yourself with #5 below.
​

do i
​5.  Be nice to YOU

Do you push yourself to do more faster and better?  Skip something you enjoy because there aren’t enough hours in the day?  

Leap Day is the perfect opportunity to be nice to yourself, too.  What if you .....
​

Grab a pedicure
Enjoy a favorite beverage with a friend  
Play with a puppy at the pet store  
Start a puzzle 
Give a neglected craft project some love 
Buy those shoes you’ve been eyeing
Make time to read

.
Whatever your neglected passion, find few minutes for it on Leap Day.  You know you want to!  Might as well.  You have a whole extra 24 hours!

Your Turn

How would you use your Leap Day?  What other ideas can you suggest? Please share in the comment section.  

​Hey, before you go, discover more inspiration and smiles by clicking over to my blogging buddies in our  #Gr8Blogs 2020 Leap Year Blog Hop.  Thanks a ton!
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I see you shaking your head.

Goal setting fun?  And sexy?  No way!
 
I get it.  Writing goals and going to the dentist are tied on my list of least favorite chores.
 
However, when I discovered New Zealand author Julie Schooler’s latest book in her Nourish Your Soul Series, Super Sexy Goal Setting, I knew that if anybody could entice me to come up with goals, it would be Julie.
 
Julie and I met a few years ago online after she tickled me with her children’s books, Maxy-Moo Flies to the Moon.  Since then, she’s drawn me into her upbeat series of non-fiction books for grown-ups with her quirky, cut-to-the-chase writing style. 

​Have a peek at Super Sexy Goal Setting (it'll rock your goal-setting world!), meet Julie, and learn more about this mum of two humans, who lives in the bottom half of the world, in my author Q&A.

About the Book

Title: Super Sexy Goal Setting - The Fun and Simple Goals Strategy to Create a Life You Love Author: Julie Schooler | Publication Date:  March 2018 | Publisher: BoomerMax, Ltd | Pages: 120 | Genre: Adult Non-Fiction
​

JulieSchooler.com/books

​

​Are you sick of New Year’s resolutions that go nowhere?

Does goal setting seem too serious or boring to even start? 

Ditch everything
you were taught about goal setting
and embrace super sexy goals
 that lead you to a life you love.
​

​​Follow Julie's short, chunked down chapters in Super Sexy Goal Setting to:

• know exactly how to determine what you want in life
• wake up each morning with a sense of excitement and zest for life
• lead and inspire others to live life on their terms
• feel like you are living the life you were meant to live, one with excitement, meaning and true joy

​* Four super sexy goals *

* One year *
​
* Your life transformed *

Q & As
with Julie Schooler: writing, goal setting and more
​

Cat:     What inspired you to write this book?     
Julie:     Super Sexy Goal Setting, was written to help people – anyone from 9 to 90 - to write and take action on exciting and meaningful goals. 
 
Less than 10% of us write out goals – less than 10%!! Yet goal setting is proven to be one of the powerful things that bring clarity, joy and a sense of accomplishment to our lives. 
 
I believe that people don’t write out goals because they think it is too hard or too boring or they can’t see the point. This book smashes through these myths by getting the reader to figure out FOUR super sexy goals for the next 12 months. It is the perfect book to read now at the start of a new year. 
​

Cat:     Do you usually reach your goals?
Julie:      Yes, because I only set a few each year plus I make them inspiring and fun. 
 
Cat:    What is your top goal for 2020?
Julie:     I am still writing out my 2020 goals (in fact I am doing it right after this). I will have four goals – one main one in each of health, business and relationships and the fourth one is around fun or side projects. My top author business goal is to write and publish the next book before May 2020 – I better work out what it is quick smart!
​

Cat:   What is your one best piece of advice to help people who dislike goal setting (like moi -:D)?
Julie:     Read my book of course!
 
If you are short on time or can’t read my book right now, I challenge you to do this: Write down just ONE goal. Decide on just one thing you want to take action, master or complete in say the next two months. When you can check that goal off through focus and work you will see in practice the real power of goal setting and hopefully it makes you want to create more goals. 

Cat:     What is your next book project?
Julie:      To be honest, I don’t know! I am currently working out my top four super sexy goals for 2020 and part of that is working out the next book writing project. I have lots of ideas but haven’t settled on the first one yet. Any suggestions are welcome!

Cat:     If you could be a Disney character who would you be and why?
Julie:      Sleeping Beauty. It is currently summer school holidays here in New Zealand. I have had weeks of two kids climbing all over me, fighting with each other and complaining they are either bored or hungry. So the thought of a nice, long, uninterrupted nap sounds like bliss. 

Cat:     Favorite book you read as a child OR favorite book you read to your children?

Julie:    My favorite book I read as a child was an old copy of Little Women that I found on my grandparent’s bookcase and read whenever I went to their house.

I have read that series of books so many times!

​I just watched the new film version of the books and loved blubbering my way through it.

He gives her the piano.

​So. Many. Tears. 

Cat:     Favorite genre to read OR last book finished?
Julie:    I read a LOT of non-fiction self-help books as I write in that space. Love Brené Brown so much and am currently reading Rising Strong. For fiction I read anything and everything - latest bestsellers and recommended books are top of the list. If I had to narrow it down, I guess I would mostly read women’s fiction. The last book I finished was out of a pile of novels that I won at the start of 2019 and it was NOT great so I won’t say its name. There is nothing worse than an unsatisfying read! 

Cat:     What else might readers like to know about you?
Julie:     I lost my job as an accountant four years ago and been writing ever since. Have not looked back although I do have to admit that I like to create spreadsheets for my book sales!

Cat:     Thanks a ton for stopping by, Julie!  All the best with your writing life and keeping up with those two young 'uns. With your focus and talents, we know you'll reach your 2020 goals.

Meet the Author

Julie Schooler is an author of 9 books and mama of 2 beautiful tiny humans. 
 
She wants you to rediscover YOUR sparkle so is on a mission to help busy people have all the love, energy and fun they deserve without the guilt or overwhelm. 
 
Her Easy Peasy books provide simple and straightforward information on parenting topics. The Nourish Your Soul book series shares delicious wisdom to feel calmer, happier and more fulfilled.
 
Julie lives with her family in New Zealand, a small, magnificent country at the bottom of the world where you may find her trying to bake the world’s best chocolate brownie.  

​Connect with Julie
@ JulieSchooler.com 
or look for Julie Schooler on all the socials. 

Find all Julie's books on
JulieSchooler.com/books