What if you could come up with a resolution that is easy to keep, but will make a huge impact on your life?
Here it is: Practice giving thanks by keeping a gratitude journal. Don’t make it too complicated. You can purchase gratitude journal software, but you don’t really need someone else to map it out for you like that. Open a word doc on your computer, name it gratitude or thank you, and get started. Or buy a journal or a spiral-bound notebook and designate it as only for positive use.
The process is simple:
- 1. List 5 things you are grateful for.
It can be anything you want. In my own journal, I have written about gingerbread lattes, a quiet moment with my son, a kind word from my boss, a good lunch visit with my mom, reconnecting with an old friend, and buttered popcorn jelly bellies. - 2. Write in your gratitude journal everyday.
It only takes a few minutes to write a few things down, but the positive effect takes place once this becomes habit.To make something a habit you have to do it every day. Find a time that works for you, and stick with it. Maybe you can’t get a moment until you sit down at your desk at work, or until the kids go to bed at night, but find a way to carve out 5 to 10 minutes a day. - 3. Only allow gratitude in your journal.
If you have to write “no complaining” at the top of it, or draw smiley faces, do it. If you find yourself delving into negativity, just gently guide yourself back. Don’t beat yourself up, because it’s a process. We are inundated with negativity every day, and it requires practice and daily effort to tune it out. Just recognize the negative, and step away from it in your mind.
According to Robert Emmons, PhD, founding editor and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology, gratitude is beneficial for two reasons:
“First, gratitude strengthens social ties. It cultivates an individual’s sense of interconnectedness. Second, supporting the power of gratitude is that gratitude increases one’s sense of personal worth. When we experience gratitude, we understand that another person wishes us well, and in turn, we feel loved and cared for.”
I suggest giving it a try, see if your daily thoughts change as a result. I know mine have. I find myself looking for ideas to include in my journal, which means that every day I am searching out the positive. And you know what? I always find it.
This is a great idea. I’ll have to try this one.