Unlock the Surprising Power of a Gratitude Journal That Could Change Your Life Forever
- Don’t limit yourself to writing about big, momentous things. Be grateful for the little things, too.
- Ideally, you’ll practice gratitude at the same time every day, such as in the morning while sipping coffee or as a before-bed ritual. This helps to build a habit.
- You can use a dedicated notebook for your gratitude journal or mix your gratitude entries into any journal you’re already using.
- Don’t set unrealistic constraints on your gratitude journaling. There can be some days when you write about one thing you’re grateful for and other days when you make lists of things you’re grateful for. Be flexible.
- But be committed. The point of a practice such as gratitude journaling is to do it regularly and to stick with it. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you miss a day, especially if there’s a good reason for it. But get back to it as soon as possible.
Over the years, I have kept a gratitude journal on and off. I find that after a few weeks of daily gratitude, being thankful becomes second nature. Though some days there’s not enough time to write down my thoughts, I try to start off each day by thinking about at least one thing that I’m truly grateful for. The result? My attitude is more positive, it’s easier for me to put a smile on my face (even when I’m dealing with adversity), and minor annoyances tend to roll off my shoulder. I feel better overall. I’ve also found that thankfulness in myself and others (or lack thereof) has given me plenty of writing ideas, especially when I’m creating characters. And maintaining that positive attitude has done wonders for my writing. I’ve found it even wards off procrastination.
