Make a Gratitude List in 4 Steps

 

Ok. So back in January, I shared with you that I was choosing a scripture to focus on this year instead of making a resolution that I’d end up breaking in a matter of days. I decided to focus on being more intentional about being grateful.

My verse for 2016 is 1 Thessalonians 5:18,

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

I’ve really been trying hard to focus on the many little blessings all around me, but it’s hard when life seems to spin uncontrollably at times or our days are so intensely busy that I can’t seem to look up at all.

I need a plan so I can get more in the habit of taking note of what I’m thankful for each day.

So I’ve been thinking about how to do this…

I found several examples of a Daily Gratitude List online, and that caught my attention!

What if, when you woke up tomorrow, you only had the things you thanked God for today?

So, let’s do this! Let’s focus more on being thankful together!

Here are four steps:

One. Ask a friend, family member or small group to be your Gratitude Partner.

Touch base with one another on a regular basis to share what’s on your lists. This accountability will be good so we’ll not only stick with the list but we’ll have more of an opportunity to capture moments of our own gratitude too, as we hear what the other person is thankful for.

Two. Make the decision that you’ll write down at least 5 things you’re grateful for each and every day. I’ve heard of some people using a notebook or journal. Others are using their cell phones to jot down notes each day. You could send each other your lists every day or text them to one another. You could create a document on your computer and just add to the list each day. I even saw where one person suggested using a calendar with large boxes for each day and she jots down her 5 things on the calendar each day. The point is, we want to be able to look back on what we’ve focused on so we need to write it down and keep it handy to look at later. We might gain some perspective along the way.

Three. Don’t get hung up on how to write your list each day. Some entries might be very simple, one word items. Others might be more like a journal entry and more long winded. The point is just for us to be more intentional each day about our surroundings and the many blessings around us. We just need to think about what we appreciate in our daily lives. That could be very broad things or extremely specific things.

Four. Give yourself grace. There will be days when we don’t think there’s anything that we’re grateful for. If you find yourself having one of “those days” where life feels pretty yucky and gloomy and you can’t decide whether to even get up off the couch, don’t worry! Write anyways! It might just be that you woke up, or that the sun is shining, or that your baby slept through the night. Take out your Gratitude Notebook/Document/Calendar (whatever it is) and look over all the wonderful, good, positive things in your life from your past entries. I’m hoping this will be a great tool for me on those hard days when I find myself struggling. I’m hoping by looking back I’ll be able to move forward, focusing on joy instead of doubt and fear and dread.