It’s not that I haven’t tried others. Waking up at 5am. Running a mile. Doing 100 pushups.
It’s just the reality. I've always had trouble starting and keeping any kind of daily habit. I’ll have a good two-week run if I’m lucky, reward myself with a day off, and then it all collapses.
But last week when I flipped through the Moleskine hardcover I specifically purchased for this ritual recommended by my coach and saw that I had 6 months of consistent entries I was pretty blown away.
It's simple: Every night I task myself with remembering 4 small things that went right that day and writing them down. As someone who has been historically really good at uncovering all that’s wrong about a situation, I've found this practice to be invaluable for training my brain to focus on the positive.
Even if I miss a day or four, I always make sure to go back and fill in the highlights - from the big to the very small. Career related or personal.
Here’s a real-life example:
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Went to Speedplay workout
Caught up with artist friend at brunch
Worked on writing and vocals for new song
Grocery shopped, made meals for the week
It can be plain, sometimes painfully mundane. But it works.
Since I’ve started the practice, I’ve become more aware of my tendency to find the fault in everyday things - the crack in the wall, the mispronounced word, the dirt under the fingernails of life. And while that attention to detail has been helped me succeed in many ways, it has also hindered my pursuit of happiness. Allowing myself to be grateful for the highlights (in spite of or in light of the imperfections) is making me a better human. More pleasant with myself and with others.
Here’s to celebrating the little things.