Every day holds a story.
Not always a blockbuster, not always a plot twist, but something.
Our team is reading Michael Dicks’ book Storyworthy right now, and he introduces a simple yet life-changing habit:
Homework for Life.
Here’s how it works:
At the end of your day, ask yourself:
“If I had to tell a 5-minute story about something that happened today, what would it be?”
As boring or as small as it may seem, what was the most storyworthy moment from your day?
Something that moved you.
Surprised you.
Made you laugh.
Made you think.
Something that reminded you you’re alive.
You don’t have to write the whole story. Just one or two sentences. Enough to jog your memory later.
Then put it in a spreadsheet. That’s it.
I started doing this.
One recent entry?
“Jimmy the plumber came to fix a pipe. Told me he bought 13 books at a thrift store before this. Said, ‘Can you believe we have the world’s knowledge at our fingertips, and libraries are closing down?’”
And you know what? Jimmy’s right.
There are meaningful moments all around us.
Your interactions with the bus driver, the flight attendant, or the cashier can end up being material for your talks.
I would know this because all of these are people that I have mentioned in my keynotes.
As a creative person, your job isn’t just to generate ideas.
It’s to pay attention.
To live wide awake.
To be a noticer of life.
And a translator of it.
Because storytelling isn’t about making stuff up.
It’s about catching what’s already there and passing it along.
So, what was your storyworthy moment today?
Doesn’t have to be life-changing. Just life-revealing.
Start your spreadsheet.
Because years from now, you won’t remember most days.
But you could.
And what a gift that would be.
Keep noticing.
Keep telling.
The world needs your stories.
(And hey, if your story involves a plumber-philosopher named Jimmy, even better.)
Sam
P.S. If you’re interested in being part of a community of elite speakers that are honing their storytelling skills, please DM me on Instagram.
