What’s Good
Notice the bright spots. Celebrate the small wins.
Track daily highlights, energy levels, and moments of gratitude
Encourages pattern recognition and mindset shifts
Our days are often filled with things that light us up and other things that blow out our flame. Our natural inclination, often unconsciously, is to latch on to those things that create negative emotions or dim our spark. These undesirable thoughts and emotions feel louder than what’s good and going well. They can feel like a heavy dark cloud and take up a lot of real estate in our minds.
Let’s flip that script.
Paying attention to what’s good and right can balance out, and possibly quiet, the attention on what’s wrong. Noticing the good can trigger positive thoughts that create positive emotions allowing you to bask in more light and less darkness. The trick? We need a lot more energy spent on noticing the good. The bad gets plenty of our attention!
Noting three good things that occurred each day is one of the most well-researched interventions to boost positive emotions. This evidence-informed exercise can be part of your evening ritual to flood your mind with good thoughts before bed. You can also jot good things down in the moment as they occur.
If you choose to do this in the evening, find a quiet place as you mentally scan your day looking specifically for good things that happened. It may be as simple as “I woke up on time”, or something bigger like “I got a job promotion.” The magnitude of the event is not important. What’s important is the noticing. If you find yourself having a hard time finding good things from the day, instead you can write three good things you will do or pay attention to the next day. This will prime your brain for the next day. As you notice good things, identify what you did to create this win or positive element of the day. Seeing your role in bringing good into your life is an essential part of the exercise.
This monthly calendar will help you give some love and attention to the good in your life.
Three simple steps:
Notice what’s good
Write it down
Own it, what did you do to create it?
Bonus: When you are having a particularly challenging day, take a look at your list and review past goodness. This simple act can relight your flame.
Not sure where to start? Notice the good in your physical health, your work, your family, your mental health, your friends, your community, your home, your pet, or your financial wellbeing.
Time to amplify the good and proactively cultivate some positive emotions!
