Become a Better Person With This 30-Day Kindness Challenge

By Hilary White

Updated on 1/1/2020 at 11:15 AM

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Getty | Mengwen Cao
Getty | Mengwen Cao

Small, sweet gestures make the most difference on a daily basis. It's easy to get so preoccupied with our own lives that we forget about others, but with just one simple act of kindness, we can change the way someone else's day goes, and we can better ourselves in the process. This 30-day challenge is designed to have you take time out of each day to do something for someone else — and hopefully they will pay it forward to the next person!

  1. Put extra change in a meter that's about to run out.
  2. Pay for the order of the person behind you in line.
  3. Sit with someone who is eating alone.
  4. Leave a nice note or flowers on the windshield of a car.
  5. Give a very generous tip to your server.
  6. Pick a good cause and donate whatever you can to it.
  7. Go out of your way to make a new friend.
  8. Run an errand for someone.
  9. Pick up any trash that you see.
  10. Offer to babysit or pet-sit for someone for free.
  11. Call a loved one you haven't spoken to in awhile.
  12. Give someone a compliment.
  13. Bring treats to the office and share with all of your coworkers.
  14. Donate blood, or sign up to be an organ donor.
  15. Help someone carry their bags.
  16. Leave a funny note or a little bit of cash in a library book.
  17. Put stray grocery carts back where they belong.
  18. Let a car merge in front of you and then give them a smile or a thumbs-up.
  19. Write a letter of appreciation to someone who positively influenced you.
  20. Volunteer at an animal shelter, soup kitchen, or nursing home.
  21. Give up your seat for someone else.
  22. Say thank you to someone who has a hard job that not many people would take.
  23. Bring food and water to someone in need.
  24. Make a personalized playlist for a family member or friend.
  25. Cook a meal for someone.
  26. Cover for a coworker so that they can leave work early.
  27. Donate clothing and books you don't need.
  28. Ask someone how they are and really listen when they answer.
  29. Give encouragement to someone in need.
  30. Spend a day saying only nice things to — and about — other people.