Simple Wisdom Tip #109: How to Be Happier

Here is a great tip I got from reading Shawn Achor’s book, The Happiness Advantage.  He recommends that each day a person 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:  got a lovely compliment from Sally, had a good nights’ sleep, Phil invited me to lunch, enjoyed a wonderful walk outside, completed a challenging project, had a productive coaching call with a client, finished my taxes, etc.  Achor 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 this practice in 2017 and love doing it.  It works!  I’ve never had to look very 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.