Happy New Year! Wow…we made it to 2021! What a year we just endured. I’m grateful just to turn the calendar to January! And with the flip of that page comes the all-too-daunting thought of a new year’s “resolution”!!!
Have you ever told yourself that “This is the year! This is the year I’m going to set a resolution and stick to it!!! This IS the year!!!”. I suspect we’ve all said it once or twice this time of year – always with the best of intentions and a desire to make positive changes in our lives. Yet, what typically happens? If you’re like most people, the positive intentions quickly fade away and you’re left with the thought “well, there’s always next year!” But what if there was a resolution that was free, easy, and had the potential to change your life in ways that may shock you?
You might be asking yourself, what is this magical resolution that can be such a game changer? It’s actually pretty simple…it’s the practice of gratitude. I know – you might be thinking, “Ok, great, I can say thank you to people that do nice things for me, but, how can practicing gratitude be so impactful?” Well, if you just look at science, we can see that a practice of gratitude can have a ton of benefits. Practicing gratitude can:
- make us more optimistic
- improve our physical health
- help us sleep better
- improve our friendships
- make us happier
These are just a few of the things that cultivating a grateful mindset might do for you, so who wouldn’t sign up for all of those amazing benefits? But, with all resolutions, being successful in making positive changes in our life takes work – whether that’s dragging your tired body out of bed in the early morning to head into the gym or preparing the week’s worth of healthy meals to keep you focused on healthy eating. It’s no different for gratitude. Initially it takes real, intentional “work” to develop a habitual practice of gratitude. So, how can you practice it? Well, here are a few fun activities that can help you start building a practice of gratitude that can, in turn, lead you to a happier and healthier life in 2021.
- Take a few minutes each morning or evening to write down 3 things for which you are grateful. Placing priority on this list will open your mind over the course of the day to help you recognize and notice those things which bring you joy.
- Write anonymous notes of thanks to those who have positively impacted your life. There are undoubtedly many who come to mind. Drop the note in their mailbox and know that it will bring a smile to their face and joy to their heart. Also, since it’s anonymous, it will cause them start wondering who it is that thinks they are so awesome.
- Start a “gratitude jar” at home. Drop notes of gratitude for your family members in a jar and read them together at the end of the month and let the feelings of goodness and togetherness ensue.
- Send a “gratitude letter” to someone who has made a major difference in your life. Pick a person that you’ve never fully expressed the depth of your appreciation toward. The impact you might have on this person through your words could be profound.
- Donate your time or skills to a local charity. Strangers helping strangers – an awesome way to know you are making an incredible impact on those less fortunate.
So, over the course of 2021, look for ways to build a regular practice of gratitude. Have fun with it and as you begin to form a habit of gratitude, you’ll quickly see some really amazing positive changes in your life. Oh, and best of all, for this New Year’s resolution, you won’t have to drag yourself out of bed at 5:00am to get to the gym on those cold winter mornings.
Happy New Year everyone!