On this podcast, we focus heavily on writing habits because they help immensely in getting our writing done. Good writing habits don’t just involve things like productivity or trying to hit your count. One of the most important writing habits you can ever develop is to make a gratitude list every day.

 

Over the last couple of years, I have been making more of an effort to integrate this habit of “giving thanks” into my daily life, and it’s had a profound impact on my perspective.

 

A while back, I heard about the practice of keeping a “gratitude journal.” This sounded like a great idea, so I purchased a small journal and have been making an effort to write in it each day. There are only three things I write on the page: the date, “Today I am thankful for…,” and then three things I’m thankful for that day.

For example, here are some of the items I’ve written in my gratitude journal over the last year:

Today I am thankful for…

• The opportunity to choose my attitude and actions each day.
• A new ghostwriting client.
• A wife who is supportive.
• My son—a great kid who is funny, kind-hearted, and caring.
• My back feeling better after hurting it on a hike 3 weeks ago.
• Getting a good start on a new book.

I limit myself to three items every day to keep it short and sweet. Sometimes I write in the morning, sometimes in the evening. Sometimes I forget about doing it. But I try to do it daily, and the whole process literally takes less than two minutes.

As I’ve tried to integrate this habit into my life the last few months, here are four ways it has changed my overall perspective.

1. Gratitude helps me take the focus off my problems. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the problems and frustrations in life. But when I remember that I am a truly blessed man, it lifts my spirit and gives me a new energy that makes it easier to deal with problems.
2. Gratitude helps me be more generous. The practice of gratitude reminds me that I have been given many blessings in life. I didn’t earn them, and I definitely don’t deserve them. In turn, this helps me open my heart to others and be more generous.
3. Gratitude helps me realize that I need other people. Most of the time, when I’m writing in my gratitude journal, my thoughts turn to people who have helped me. I think of my family, friends, clients, authors, and many others who have made my life sweeter. True gratitude reminds us that there’s very little we can accomplish on our own.
4. Gratitude helps me be thankful for the little things. In one of my journal entries, I wrote that I was thankful for being able to take our Australian Shepherd, Madison, to the vet because I knew she was in pain due to an ear infection. I know that’s a small thing, but I was genuinely grateful for it. If we can’t appreciate the little blessings in life, how can we truly appreciate the big ones?

I would definitely recommend getting a small journal and writing down a few things you’re thankful for every day. This habit has truly impacted my life in a subtle, but important way over the last couple of years. I encourage you to give this a try and keep a gratitude journal every day for the next week.

Daily Question: How would gratitude help improve your attitude and help you become a better human being and writer?