The thought of doing a good deed might pop into your head from time to time, but due to your busy life, it might get pushed to the back burner more than you'd like. The truth is, most good deeds don't require the amount of time and organization you think they do. The opportunity to do a good deed pops up every day - it could be in the grocery store, on the daily commute to work or while baking a batch of cookies.

We encourage you to start performing good deeds on a daily basis, and to get you started, we've provided a list of 50 days worth of ideas - so, no excuses! The thing that will surprise you the most is how good you'll feel about it.

1. Make a double-batch of something delicious and freezable and give it to an older neighbour who doesn't cook for him or herself as much anymore.


2. Buy a bag of good groceries - high-quality coffee, whole-grain pasta, a box of decadent cookies or other treats you'd normally buy for yourself - and donate it to your local food bank or shelter.


3. Cut an armload of fresh flowers from your garden and bring them to your local nursing home so the residents can enjoy the smells of spring or summer.


4. Bring your well-behaved dog for a visit at a local nursing home. There's nothing like a happy pup to raise someone's spirits.


5. When out shovelling your walk or raking your leaves, it's not too much more effort to do the same for a neighbour. Consider it good exercise as well as a good deed.


6. Hold the door for people behind you, especially if the person behind is carrying packages, bags or kids.


7. Volunteer at a local breakfast program. A warm smile and a friendly welcome go a long way.


8. Bring someone less fortunate a plant or some fresh flowers. This is something they might not want to spend money on.


9. Make soup for a friend recovering from surgery or an illness. Cooking is the last thing you feel like doing when you aren't feeling 100 per cent.


10. Take your sibling's kids out for the day - to the movies, apple picking, for a hike. The parents could probably use a break and the kids will love it.


11. Put together a basket of treats for a friend who had a death in the family. Deliver it after the funeral has taken place, when most friends have gone back to their day-to-day lives.


12. Drive your grandparents, elderly parents and their friends to church, doctor's appointments or the movies. They (and their aging bodies) will value the gesture.


13. Volunteer for a charity. Pick a cause that's near and dear to your heart and donate your time to them.


14. Sit down with your family and estimate what you'd spend on each other for gifts. Instead of buying each other gifts for birthdays or holidays, donate the estimated amount to a charity.


15. If you head out of town, drop off your monthly public transit pass at a youth or job centre. They'll pass on the pass to someone who is in need of it to job hunt or attend school.


16. Take your neighbors trash to the curb while you're taking yours. Imagine their surprise when they see that the chore is already done.


17. If you're in line at the grocery store with a full cart, let the person behind you who only has 5-10 items go in front of you.


18. Offer to take care of a neighbour's pet when they go away on a small vacation. They'll be comfortable knowing their pet is in good hands.


19. Make dinner for friends with a newborn baby (or, if they're far away, send a gift card for the grocery store or a favourite restaurant so they can pick something up).


20. Pay for the person behind you at the drive thru. It will make someone's day!

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