“I spy with my little eye,” is the opening line to a children’s game many of us played on long car trips. I usually took joy in finding an object that would stump everyone else in the car or in finding something unusual.

Whether it’s birds, cars, people, plants, or memes, whatever you enjoy watching, keeping a journal of unusual sightings can be particularly satisfying.

Name it.

Classify it.

Describe it.

Connect it.

In the past I’ve kept a record of lists of birds or plants I’ve seen in a day, but I’m proposing a more focused record of your best sighting of the day.

My family and I get a good laugh out of watching the fashion choices of people we pass. We often say to each other, “There’s your next look.” My wife likes to make-up a story to explain some people’s unusual wardrobe choices.

My son and I keep an eye out while we drive for unusual cars. With the end of the sale of gas-powered cars and light-weight trucks coming to California by 2035, we find ourselves really valuing the different cars we can see.

Whether you keep track of your daily favorites for yourself or to share with others, the process of describing them in a journal will enhance your observation skills and make you more mindful of the distinguishing features of whatever it is that you enjoy watching each day.