There’s no denying the positive benefits that come with keeping a gratitude journal. From your health to your mindset, keeping a track record of positivity is a great way to fuel you this year. New year, new you, right?

The Challenge

Spend five minutes every morning and/or night on your gratitude journal, making a simple list of the things you’re grateful for. Your list doesn’t have to fill 10 pages a day. This isn’t about quantity, but quality instead. Your list can include anything from the support and love you receive from your family to being thankful for the portable heater that grants you comfort while working from home. The point of this challenge is to start gratitude journaling!

Week One:

Start today! Pick how you want to log your gratitude; I personally have a completely separate journal to keep my gratitude lists. I also purposely choose to write in bright- or neon-colored pens. Your gratitude journal is not a place to hold back.

Find a time that works best for you to take five minutes to yourself to jot down things that you’re grateful for. I find the best time is while I’m sipping on my first coffee of the day, or when I first sit at my work desk. Some people prefer to keep their gratitude journal on their nightstand and jot down some notes before bed.

Week Two:

You’ll have seven entries in your gratitude journal, so try and take some time to reflect on them this week before sitting down and writing out your new entries. Stick to five minutes of gratitude journaling a day, however, this time, look back at the previous entry and try and feel those same great feelings.

It’s time to replace any ‘ungrateful’ thoughts. If you catch yourself having a negative thought, think about how you can flip this into a positive…and definitely write that positive down in your gratitude journal! When you go back and reflect, you’ll be sure to feel better about any kind of ‘ungrateful’ thoughts of the past.

Week Three:

Your gratitude journal should never be stale, so this week, continue to reflect and add new entries, but also add some images and affirmations to accompany your entries. My stationary obsession has led to an overflow of stickers on my end, so I like to use them to deck out my pages as well as some of my favorite magazine cut-outs that left me inspired.

There are various ways to go about this! If you don’t have an influx of stickers, then use those calligraphy skills to add some favorite quotes and inspirational mottos to each and every gratitude journal entry this week.

Week Four:

It’s time to put your gratitude into action. There’s absolutely nothing wrong for showing some appreciation to the people around you, so while you’re continuing your daily gratitude journal entries, be sure to jot down acts of kindness that you’re grateful for from the people around you. Maybe a coworker took on a deadline to help you, or perhaps your best friend brought you coffee at work.

Write down a little thank you in your journal, and don’t forget to actually thank them in person and let them know how much they helped you out.