Carpe Diem: Seizing the moment to build a snowman like this one on West Liberty St. is one way to avoid “pleasure procrastination.”

Dennis Sparks/Contributor

Carpe diem. Seize the day. Who can disagree with that as a worthy New Year’s Resolution? And yet for many of us, fully enjoying each day remains a perennial challenge despite our best intentions.

According to a New York Times report there is a reason for our difficulty. Many of us, the article says, are “procrastinators of pleasure,” which the report describes as a “strange impulse to put off until tomorrow what could be enjoyed today.” Pleasure postponement can become “a self-perpetuating process if you fixate on some imagined nirvana,” the article claims.

Few of us are able to avoid some variation of the “I will be able to enjoy life when . . .” theme—when I graduate from college or graduate school, finish this project, the kids are gone, or I retire. Each “someday” is an expression of our personalized nirvana. Fortunately, daily happiness is within our reach, often by simply taking advantage of what is readily available to us. Ways to seize the day

I resolved in 2010 to each day do at least one of three fairly simple things that add immensely to the quality of my life—listening to music, walking, (preferably in a natural settings), or reading poetry. Poetry is an easy one—the Writer’s Digest promptly delivers a poem every morning to my email inbox. While listening to music and taking walks often require a bit of planning, they’re usually not difficult to schedule because I often use them as a reward for engaging in other activities that seem less appealing.

I was curious, though, how my friends and colleagues added pleasure or joy to their daily lives. Here’s what they told me:

• “Morning workouts and evening walks are very much a part of my life, and have added quality to my daily experiences in many ways—health, reflection, clarity, creating spaciousness, meditation . . . to name a few.” (Everyone I asked mentioned exercise.)

• “Making a mental list of those things for which I feel gratitude to balance my life view.”

• “Connecting with people energizes me, linking me to the past and at the same time increasing my appreciation of the present moment.”

• “Listening to music touches me on a non-cognitive, emotional level that helps the present moment become more fully alive.”

• “Learning new things about the world through reading, listening, and viewing.”

• “Setting goals and reflecting about my ‘stage in life’ helps me overcome inertia and to think about what I want to do.”

• “Looking for the humor in everyday events is emotionally helpful and energizing.”

• “Cooking healthy meals like a pot of vegetable soup is satisfying.”

• “Taking a cup of coffee to the patio in warm months and reading the paper. It’s a quiet activity, and I like the smell and ambiance of the outdoors.”

• “Keeping my eyes peeled for things that need fixing in the house. When I’ve nailed down another problem, I feel fulfilled somehow.”

• "Putting on my gear and my helmet and firing up my motorcycle. I am transformed. I become totally engrossed in the activity of riding, steering, leaning, hyper alert and in the moment."

• “Talking with my adult kids just about every day.”

• “Falling asleep every night I think about something in my day that made me feel like the work I do is worthwhile. It's not really a prayer, but has that kind of feeling, just a recognition of something that affirms my effort.”

• “Appreciating nature whenever I have a chance to do so. I go outside and look at the geese that frequently fly over my house. I drive by the lake at every opportunity.”

What activities or opportunities for seizing the day can you add to this list? Dennis Sparks’ “Things Observed” photos and essays encourage readers to see familiar things in new ways. You can contact him at dennis.sparks@comcast.net.