A Gratitude Journal Shared with Others
/Starting Something New… Again.
It’s probably been a solid 15 years since I last regularly kept a gratitude journal. For a solid 10 years, I spoke my gratitudes at the end of the day - part of an evening ritual with my husband. But for the last 5 years or so, and as I’ve entered middle age, I’ve managed to deprioritize this daily practice. So, in 2024, I’m working to flip this.
Returning to things I’ve done before.
When I return to doing things I’ve done before, I need to modify and iterate on it. I’m not good at just repeat it exactly. I’ll be bored and stop doing it, or it becomes a “chore” and an obligation. That’s not always a bad thing, but it’s the reality of my life.
In an attempt to change things up with this old habit that I dropped, I bought new journals, and when that didn’t work, I started using a notes app. These and the new pens all don’t seem to be doing the trick. I start the journal for a day, maybe 3 tops, and then forget, make excuses, and basically avoid incorporating the new (old) habit into my workflow because everything is more important.
As I reflect on the commitment challenge I have with keeping a gratitude journal, I realize I avoid making time by claiming that I need to prioritize other personal and professional goals. One of those goals has been to more regularly write and publish my writing. Instead of writing, I spend a lot of time reading articles, watching videos, and doing things I’ve never done before.
Writing is learning.
When given the choice to create or do something or write, I normally choose the former. However, I have pretty strong memories of (the grueling process) most of the papers I have written, and spend way too much time crafting and recrafting social media posts for them to owned by to media giants. So, I’m taking ownership and being inspired by the gratitude journal to start small.
By taking time to reflect, write, publish, and share my daily moment of thanks, I’ll be nurturing the habit of regular self publishing, and starting a base of work that may be valuable somewhere else.
Two goals merged into one equal no excuse to not start today. Which is what I’m doing now and here. We’ll see how far I make it. Thank you for making it this far and for experimenting and learning with me.
January 1, 2024
I am thankful for…
1. my cat, Mardi Gras who I adopted almost 9 years ago.
2. Down time from the daily and weekly norm so that my brain can breathe and family can connect.
3. A world filled with amazing art that can be consumed 24/7. It’s kind of prolific how many stories humans can create and tell in such short time. So much content in this last decade. One can never keep up, so enjoy and awe when indulging.