How to Be Thankful Every Day
Even when you don’t feel like it.
“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” ― Marcus Cicero
Holidays like Thanksgiving remind me of how rarely the mass population seems to reflect on the concept of gratitude. This makes me sad, because there’s a lot to be thankful for every day (even when you’d rather punch whoever’s suggesting such a thing).
Everyone has bad days sometimes, but it’s possible to change your perspective at any given moment. So, I wanted to share with you how easy it is to start a gratitude journal and stick with it. Then — on the days you feel like shit — you can scroll back and remember all the reasons why life is good.
Change your mood, change your life
In July 2018, after waking up in a funk (again) for no apparent reason (and probably after reading one too many Ben Hardy articles), I decided I was the problem. If I was in a bad mood, it was up to me to change my mindset. From that day on, I decided to write down something I was grateful for every morning before doing anything else. I haven’t missed a day ever since.
Here’s my first entry:
July 10, 2018: Here goes. I’m thankful for being alive today. It’s a perfect, sunny, cool day that feels more like fall than summer. I’m grateful for waking up at 6am for the first time since I moved to Bulgaria. Also, today was the first time someone highlighted something in one of my Medium stories :)
That’s a pretty cool coincidence, actually. I don’t remember writing that entry — especially the last line. And I certainly wouldn’t have seen it today if I didn’t decide to write this particular article (on Medium). I’m still grateful for everyone who reads anything I write, by the way, so thank you.
Anyway — moving on!
The secret to gratitude
The secret to starting each day with gratitude for precisely 515 days in a row (yes, even when I was hungover) is setting the bar super low.
Commit to jotting down one sentence or one word per day. That’s it.
Everyone can think of at least one thing they’re grateful for, even if it’s the same thing every day. But what comes out might surprise you.
Sometimes, punching in a short phrase leads to a paragraph or a page of all the things I’m feeling grateful for. Other days, I can barely eke out a few words. But I always come up with something.
Some entries are endearing, some are telling, and some are borderline comical or kind of pathetic (Aug 10: “I’m grateful it’s Saturday, I guess.”).
Some are also a bit sobering (Sep 3: “I’m grateful we survived Hurricane Dorian and everyone is safe.”).
July 25, 2018: I’m grateful for picking apples from wild fruit trees.
August 19, 2018: I’m grateful for seeing the moon rise while I was walking home last night.
September 1, 2018: I’m grateful for learning how to express myself through videos. I love it.
March 14, 2019: I’m grateful for mind-expanding experiences and dancing in the snow.
I’m not gonna lie — some days were a struggle. There have been many times that I would much rather hit the snooze button or check Instagram than contemplate something to be grateful for.
But, when in doubt, go back to basics: family, friends, food, shelter.
How to start
The hardest part of forming a new habit (or doing almost anything new) is starting.
The key to success is to pick a time or place that’s sandwiched between other habits, like turning off your alarm or brushing your teeth. Get specific.
When will you do it? Where will you do it?
Here’s my advice:
- Choose where to log your gratitude each day. IE: a journal, planner, or an app on your phone (I use WorkFlowy).
- Choose when you’ll do it (I recommend making it the first thing you do every day before checking e-mail, messages, or other notifications).
- Start now. Stop reading this article and write down one thing you’re grateful for in the app or journal of your choice, per Step One.
- Set a reminder in your phone to repeat for the same time every day into infinity. Daily reminders have helped me stick with a daily gratitude and meditation practice for years now (Did you meditate today?). If you’re going to have notifications popping up on your phone, at least one of them should be reminding you to do something good for yourself each day.
10 Lessons From 800 Days Of Meditation
The only wrong way to meditate is not to meditate.
medium.com
You’ve got this
There you have it. You can commit today to be grateful every day for the rest of your life. There’s no reason not to. And it will change you. Once you start expressing gratitude on a daily basis, you’ll find yourself appreciating seemingly minuscule things that other people seem to overlook.
Give it a try, see how it goes, and don’t beat yourself up if you forget or miss a day. Every day (and every moment) is a new opportunity to start over.
“You always have more than enough time to do the things that are important.” ― Tim Ferriss
