Simple Wisdom Tip #68: A Simple Practice to be Happier

In his fascinating little book entitled The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor suggests (and others have made similar suggestions) that each day one write down three good things that happen to him or her.  They don’t have to be large things but even relatively little things such as:  had a good nights’ sleep, had a great lunch with a friend, enjoyed a lovely sunny day, completed a project that has been a struggle, finished my taxes, etc.  Anchor maintains that, when you write down “three good things” that happened to you that day, your brain will be forced to scan the last 24 hours for potential positives; in just five minutes a day, this trains the brain to become more skilled at noticing and focusing on possibilities for personal and professional growth, and seizing opportunities to act on them.  And…you’ll feel happier.

I’m blessed by being naturally positive and optimistic but I began doing this several months ago and never had to look too hard to find some rays of sunshine in an otherwise challenging day.  To me, it is interesting how just writing down three simple little positives every day can improve one’s mood and outlook.

Want some help doing this?  Let us know at mike@brunnerandassociatesinc.com.