Take the challenge!

Today I would like to inspire you. Inspire you to do something most of you know you should be doing. Something that I didn't do for years. Something someone else inspired me to do 2 years ago and I have done nearly everyday since.

Are you ready to find out what that is?

Journal writing.

Yup. I keep a journal. There are a lot of things I don't do. There are a lot of things I get down on myself for failing in.

Keeping a regular journal is not one of them.

For years and years, I kept a sporadic record. Meaning, I wrote something in there 1-15 times ALL year. Someone then shared with me a secret that has made keeping a journal easy and rewarding for me. I'll share that secret in a moment.

One problem I had, the biggest problem I had, with keeping a journal was that it was intimidating to try to write all the things that were going on. This is especially troubling if you haven't written in 18 months. I didn't do anything so many times on the grounds that there was too much to write and I didn't know where to start.

I also have the obstacle which made it appear that I only wrote in my journal when I was upset over something. That wasn't how I want posterity to remember me.

If you have these problems also, let  me share with you the secret that got me going.

Get a journal, notebook, whatever you want to keep a record in. Then each day pick 3 things you are grateful for. Write just those 3 things.

For me just having to think of 3 things too so much of the pressure off. It also helped me to keep my eyes open to what a great life I really have.

I'll admit it, some days it a bit more difficult to think of 3 whole things to be grateful for.

Some of my entries include things like-

• I am grateful for chapstick.
• Running hot water.
• That the baby generally sleeps better than she had that night.
• My bed.
• That I usually have more control over my temper than I seemed to have that day.
• That my kids had never before poured whole pitchers full of water on the living room rug.
• My dishwasher.
• Ice cream.

Most of my entries are only about 1/2 of one page. I love going back and looking over things. Everything is so positive. I have reminders of funny things that kids said or did. I have good things to turn to on bad days.

I have learned to love my journal dearly. It makes me happy I have been doing it for so long, for all the happy memories to reread. For how simple and quick it is.

So grab a notebook and think of your first 3 things.