Last month, I was stumped on Spirit goals for June, so I crowdsourced some ideas. Justin Kownacki suggested the exercise of writing down three things I felt grateful for at the end of every day. This fit nicely with my goal to journal daily in DayOne, so I accepted the challenge.
I had low expectations. I had heard that this type of ritual can help increase your general happiness and blah blah blah. I was mostly looking for a way to document small memories of this important time in my life… to remember “how it felt to me,” as Joan Didion perfectly describes the benefit of writing things down in one of my all time favorite essays, On Keeping a Notebook (emphasis mine):
So the point of my keeping a notebook has never been, nor is it now, to have an accurate factual record of what I have been doing or thinking. That would be a different impulse entirely, an instinct for reality which I sometimes envy but do not possess. At no point have I ever been able successfully to keep a diary; my approach to daily life ranges from the grossly negligent to the merely absent, and on those few occasions when I have tried dutifully to record a day’s events, boredom has so overcome me that the results are mysterious at best.
I accepted Justin’s challenge, and I must say, I am rather shocked by the results. As the month went on, I found that my habits of mind noticeably shifted: I became aware of my gratitude in the moment. I started thinking, “I’m feeling so grateful to have this right now – this will be one of my three things today!” This was a revelation. I am not a live-in-the-moment kind of person. I am a futurist to the core, and usually thinking, mulling, planning for the hours, days, months, years to come. Feeling grateful in the moment was new to me, and at the risk of being redundant, I’m grateful for it.
I also noticed that most of the things that immediately came to mind at the end of each day were rather, well, small: a bite of fresh food, a chat with a friend, a good laugh – hardly none of the seemingly epic milestones that constantly stress me out made the list. Another seismic mental shift: The small things are the big things.
I’m so pleased with this challenge that I’ve decided to continue it, logging at least one moment of gratitude each day. And, I had so much fun with it, that I welcome NEW Life Olympics challenges for July!
My 90 moments of gratitude from June:
I’m grateful for…
- Lunch with Ted
- My new standing desk
- My new bag
- Small problems
- The Sangria Series
- Nerd lunch with Robbie
- Jen
- Knowing so many insanely talented and creative people
- Under-promising and over-delivering
- Girlfriends
- Cream puffs
- My health
- Friends who take me to the theatre
- Aguachile
- Celia
- New office chairs
- Summer naps
- Having Mom back home
- The farmers market
- Ripe blackberries
- A new lamp
- My grill
- My amazing team
- Form D filing done!
- People who get it
- Katie
- Paige
- Great press headlines
- Investors who believe in me
- Privacy options on Facebook
- Bossy ladies
- New friends who skip the small talk
- Ignite talks
- Strategic partners
- Inbound sales
- Custom Slack icons
- Being able to afford a new roof
- Friends who inspire me to get in better shape
- Bikram Yoga Baltimore
- In season cherries
- Mango sticky rice
- Sore muscles
- Bourbon
- Honesty
- Good neighbors
- Bursts of creativity that feel like magic
- Moments of silliness
- Froyo on a hot humid day
- Kelly
- True professionals
- Cadbury caramellos
- Visits from faraway friends
- Women who support other women
- Productive meetings
- Dinner with Dad
- Memories of Pop
- Long drives with good views
- Picnics
- Crystal
- Family traditions
- My relationship with my father
- Poolside yoga
- Small favors
- Perspective
- Welcome home cuddles
- Fast friends
- A fresh notebook
- Erlinda
- The sleepy feeling after a full day
- Dunkin Donuts iced coffee
- A successful first webinar
- Laughs that make me cry
- A team that always raises the bar
- Working with people I love
- Scott’s questions
- Whiteboard sessions
- Team happy hours
- Friday night sleeps
- Finding new music I love
- Lazy Saturdays
- Food Delivery
- Berry season
- Fresh tomatoes
- Shopping trips with Mom
- Opportunities to help friends
- Partners who fill in the blanks
- Serendipity
- Work session with Steve
- Rendezvous and hugs at the train station
- A sense of humor
