How to perform 50 good deeds in 50 days

Secretly, I wasn't convinced I could pull it off. Since I live and work in the suburbs, I can go days without seeing a stranger. And I had already settled on some stiff ground rules: When I did a good deed, I couldn't expect anything concrete in return. So favours for friends didn't count – unless done undercover. I also ruled out repeats. Every single one of the 50 good deeds would have to be different from the ones that it followed. But I rolled up my sleeves anyway.

For ideas, I trolled websites of groups such as The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation (www.actsofkindness.org). I skimmed newspapers. I researched virtual volunteer opportunities such as those on the website www.nabuur.com, where you can donate your skills online. Then there were things I'd long meant to do, which is how I came to join the bone marrow registry on Day 2. And sometimes the opportunity for doing a good deed simply presented itself. On Day 4, however lame, it was easy enough to give a panhandler a few coins as my husband and I left a restaurant. When I took my daughter to the library on Day 6 to find a three-year-old upchucking her lunch onto the carpet, I helped her mom clean up.

Often, when I woke up with no idea what I'd do that day, I found inspiration right under my nose. On Day 7, while cleaning out the pantry in a desperate bid for more shelf space, I thought of organizing a small food drive in our community. Emily found her wagon, I downloaded guidelines from the food bank's website, and we collected cans and jars from our neighbours. Sure, it meant walking our streets instead of using the time to do much-needed chores at home, but we got some fresh air, chatted up our neighbours and even picked up a playdate for Emily.

Not every good deed was grand. Some days all I did was pick up litter, compliment a stranger on his garden or donate my Canadian Tire "money" to charity. But, if you think about it, each of these acts had the potential to lead to something positive, something bigger.

Other deeds meant setting time aside. I snuck over to my neighbours' house to mow their overgrown lawn while they were at work. I brought used toys to a daycare centre. I pulled weeds at a local school's garden. Surprisingly, the deed didn't usually eat as much time out of my day as I'd thought.

Passing it on
Each day, I'd tell my family about what I'd done, whether it was cleaning dog poo from the lawn of the old lady on the corner, or making an online donation for earthquake victims. This banter around the dinner table was beginning to affect Emily. She announced that she'd started a "good deed contest" with her friends at school. Then one day my daughter came off the school bus with bigger news: She'd launched a Litter Club, prevailing upon her pals to help her pick up garbage from the schoolyard. The idea evolved. When word had got back to the teacher, suddenly the school was announcing a weekly, outdoor litter cleanup. I tingled with pride.


Page 2 of 3 - Read page three to see how doing good deeds can change you in the long run