Spill Coffee Every Day

Sam
Sam
Jul 21, 2017 · 3 min read

My new year’s resolution this year was to spill coffee every day. Sounds a bit odd, no? Like, isn’t that sort of a dumb resolution when a) I might do it anyway and b) I could have picked something a little more productive like waking up earlier, reducing sugary beverages, going to the gym…(no, wait, I already do that too much). But, I have my reasons, so let me explain:

In years prior I picked resolutions that made sense to me or were silly or fun, such as: drink more water, listen to more dubstep (I wanted to immerse myself in that light-hearted genre), or maybe even “be more kind” to myself. These worked, I guess, except I didn’t really treat them as resolutions. Whenever I found myself drinking more water or listening to dubstep, a feeling of accomplishment would come over me, and I would say to myself, “fuck yeah, I did it!” It wasn’t that I consciously choose each morning to fill up a 1 L bottle and lug it with out me outside, or go nuts on Soundcloud and find the “illest” wobbles and wubs. The resolutions became an affirmation that I stepped into, perhaps more gradually as year wore on, but mostly coincidentally. I mean, who doesn’t drink water? Who doesn’t wanna hear the bass drop?

I realized awhile ago that I spill coffee often. Like, nearly once a day. A lot of this has to do with my favorite reusable coffee mug which is decorated with a plethora of stickers I’ve collected over the years. I love stickers and I love sticking them on things; the mug is a hodgepodge of Satanic references, a Ragnar 2016 sticker from my favorite relay race, coffee shops, and more. The lid works, sort of, but I tend to fill the damn thing so full that when I carry it anywhere, coffee is bound to spill out. I spill coffee on the floor, on my self, on the stairs, in the car, on books…if you name something, I’ve probably spilled coffee on it. And it’s not limited to this mug — almost any vessel I fill with coffee is partial to spilling if it’s in my anxious, rushed hands. I just wanna get to the next thing, and drink my coffee, goddammit! *spill*

You probably see where this is going. Rather than come up with some crazy new year’s resolution (meditate for 10 minutes each day…who’s got time for that?!), I decided to make my resolution something I already do each day. The twist is, rather than get bummed when I spill my coffee (“fuck!”), I stay pretty chill, because, hey, I just completed my resolution. I turned something kinda dumb and annoying into a successful moment simply by reframing the idea. This concept of reframing is not new, and I was pretty stoked to find a way to integrate it into my life. I still have to make more coffee, clean up the mess, and get on with my day, but an act that once frustrated me to no end (“I’m such a fuck up…goddammit”) is now a silly, hilarious resolution that I nearly expect to happen every day.

Wake up. Make coffee. Spill coffee. Mission accomplished!

Please & Thank You in Louisville, KY. I have definitely spilled coffee here.