February 23 is official “Inconvenience Yourself Day.” (Some assembly required. Instructions not included.)
I’m not entirely sure how this one works, but in the spirit of full observance permit me to offer some suggestions as to how you might inconvenience yourself today:
1. Lose your stapler and spend 45 minutes looking for it. (Bonus points if no one else benefits from the loss.)
2. Forget your coffee in the microwave (or on the counter) so you have to reheat it 3-4 times before it actually gets consumed. (Note: this gets double credit because you not only inconvenience yourself, you also have to drink some really funky coffee.)
3. Dress in the dark and accidentally put on two different shoes so you have to stay at your desk all day to ensure that nobody notices. (Been there, done that…and they noticed anyway. It’s a long story, so I’ll tell it another day.)
4. Answer the phone, even if it’s a telemarketer. Don’t hang up without explaining exactly why you’re not interested in buying whatever they’re selling. (And for once do not let yourself swear, impugn the honor of the caller’s family members or threaten to mail live rodents to their home or place of business. Unless that’s just me. In which case, nevermind.)
5. On the way home, stop at a store you didn’t need to visit, buy something unexpected for someone you don’t appreciate nearly enough, and tell the recipient exactly how much (s)he means to you. Face to face. Preferably without laughing. (And don’t tell me everyone in your life already knows how much you love them. It’s a convenient lie, but today is all about inconvenient truths.)
Any more inconvenient ideas? Hop into the comments and share!