START A GOOD THINGS LIST!
Signed, someone who almost wrote a list of everything that annoyed her this month instead.
I was going to write a Substack this week detailing the trials and tribulations of our second drop, and how many things went wrong and how tough it is to be an entrepreneur. I don't want to sugarcoat shit and make it look like everything is going swimmingly at all times because that's just not the reality.
HOWEVER!
As I was going through my Notes app to find my list of every little issue we had (so we don’t repeat them), I also found my good things list, and boy, did that change the trajectory of this piece and my day.
What is a good things list, you ask?
It’s exactly what it sounds like. A little list of all the goddamn amazing things that happen to you every month.
I share one with my sister so that we can stay accountable and hype each other up. The good things can be as small or as big as your little heart desires. You made the perfect grilled cheese for your 7-year-old and he asked for seconds? Good thing! You faced your fear of sharks? Good thing! You signed a big contract? Good thing! You felt exceptionally happy one day? GOOD THING!
Guess what? The more you look for them, the more you find them. All of a sudden, those stressful moments don’t seem so all-consuming anymore. Hell, maybe they even become good things because of what they taught you.
It’s truly incredible how a tiny little practice like this can change your entire life.
Go start your list right this second. Tell me the good things that have happened to you lately. Your good things are my good things!!!
Before I share my list, I just wanted to say that reading yours made me smile. It was lovely to see all the good things that have been happening in your life. You seem genuinely happy and excited about them, and that happiness is contagious.❣️💯
Congratulations on everything you've accomplished so far. It was also a good reminder that meaningful things often take time, effort, and consistency, even when we don't always see that part of the journey.
I think this is a wonderful idea. Sometimes we focus so much on what's going wrong that we forget to notice what's going right. The more I thought about it, the more good things I realized I had to be grateful for.
My Good Things List:
• I'm continuing to move forward despite my anxiety and depression. Some days are harder than others, but I haven't given up on myself or my dreams.
• I'm finally improving my English pronunciation. Speaking English used to scare me, but little by little I'm becoming more confident.
• I'm saving money. It's not easy and it requires sacrifice, but I'm proud that I'm sticking with it.
• I'm finally taking steps toward learning acting. I've wanted to do it since I was a child. At 36, I've realized that if a dream stays with you for that many years, it's probably a real dream and not just a passing whim, even if some people think I'm too old to try.
• I'm planning to start running. Mainly for my health, but also because I think it could be fun and rewarding to try something new.
Thank you for sharing this idea. It made me stop and realize that there are more good things happening in my life than I thought.
Yeeeeyyy!! I love this!!! I starting doing a good things list in February last year because I was feeling down and needed to remember the good stuff, and now I can look back and see soooo many good things that happened to me throughout the months!! And you’re right, the more you look, the more you find, I can see a HUGE difference between March last year (3 bullet points) and March this year (like 37 or something). And I can write down anything I want! Free will!! Eheh I can write that I had a nice coffee with friends, or that I got a yellow phone case or that I bought a house! The possibilities are endless!! This is amazing!!