I am looking forwards to a planned holiday in the summer.
I'm looking forwards even more to a child free night in the autumn!
Small things I build in when the bigger things are too far away or otherwise unreachable - an afternoon just for me, blocked off in my diary, when I can be home alone or else disappear out somewhere to do some people watching.
New book by a favourite author - from library if I can't afford it - and time to sit and read it.
A new recipe or a planned day to bake an old favourite.
A day off from reality - paper plates and instant food and no boring rules about needing vegetables, a silly cheesy DVD so well known we can all quote all of it, and pyjamas and a locked front door.
A trip to somewhere free - we have a local stately home with free entrance for locals, or a petting farm, a lovely ancient hilltop to fly kites on, or a lonely stretch of river to walk along.
An evening with friends where we each bring a dish and everyone gets stupidly giggly - only happens once in a blue moon but it's lovely when it does, and we plan it a good month or so in advance.
A trip to ikea - dump the children in the soft play and sit drinking free coffee refills whilst mentally reorganising the entire house, skandi style. Then treat the kids to meatballs, stock up on Useless stuff and cheap candles from the market place, and come home again.
Every few months my daughter requests a do nothing day where we snuggle in bed all morning watching films. It's lovely.
Right now, I'm looking forwards to clean sheets, and a deep deep bubble bath. Which for various reasons, can't happen until tomorrow. But it gives me motivation to sort things out in the morning.
I do need things to look forwards to. They don't have to be huge, but when the day is full of rubbish and the diary is full of stress, then having something concrete I can hang on to really does help.