Sometimes the only way life feels bigger is when you actually slow down and notice the small stuff. So I decided to do an experiment: treat my life like it deserved a cinematic montage. One week, one mission: romanticise everything. Here’s what I learned.
1. Make Your Routine a Ritual
Tiny changes make mundane habits feel refreshed. I moved my morning coffee to the windowsill, made my toast look pretty (even if it was just peanut butter), and slowed down enough to actually notice the sunlight hitting the kitchen counter. Routine became ritual, and ordinary mornings felt like movie scenes I wanted to live inside.
2. Stop. Look. Photograph. Repeat.
I carried my camera everywhere to capture the pretty and comforting things I saw throughout the day. The neat rows of pastries in the bakery, the array of flowers carefully maintained along a footpath, a Studio Ghibli-looking storefront - suddenly the world felt so lovely and romantic. Finding these small details became treasures, and my week became a visual diary I could look back on.
3. Write Down What Makes You Happy
I made a point to list the small moments of joy that I want to remember and share. It wasn’t just about nostalgia; it was about intentionally noticing happiness instead of letting it slip by. The result? Moments I’d usually forget became part of a personal highlight reel of the week.
4. Be a Villager
I reached out to friends and family more often, not for any particular reason, but to exist in their orbit. Texts, voice notes, calls: small interactions reminded me life isn’t just aesthetic. It’s connection, warmth, and having a little village holding you as you hold them, even on ordinary days.
5. Change Up Your Look
Hair, shoes, accessories—switching even small things shifted my energy. A scarf, a bold necklace, or simply wearing shoes I’d forgotten made my reflection feel like a reveal in my own story. Familiar streets suddenly looked new, and people’s reactions felt like subtle affirmations: yes, this is a character worth noticing.
6. Find What You’ve Lost
When I was missing things- literally or mentally - I asked my house to help me find them. It might sound like witchcraft but most of the time I actually feel like I found my missing item quicker. Placebo or not, it felt cosy to be at harmony with my house.
7. Choose the Scenic Route
I ditched the train for my bike. The refreshing breeze, peaceful river, and slight leg burn - it was nice to take the time and enjoy the journey rather than rush to make a train time. Seeing nature, street signs, and daily life at my own pace was a quiet reprieve against the rushed subway rhythm.
8. Take Time
Above all, I slowed down. Not just walking slower, but letting my eyes, hands, and heart register the little things. Romanticising life isn’t about staged photos; its noticing beauty in ordinary moments and treating them with the same reverence as a holiday or vacation.
By the end of the week, my life hadn’t changed on the surface, but I was inhabiting it differently. Ordinary moments felt special, small joys felt monumental, and even mundane errands became mini-adventures. Romanticising your life isn’t about grand gestures, it’s about presence, curiosity, and a little cinematic attention to the everyday.
Like this article? You may just like our piece on rewriting your personal mythology.
Or if you want to add a bit of whimsy, check out 12 craft projects you can do in 2026.
Written by Susan Craggs for Colin Magazine Edition 12
