Not every New Year’s Resolution is successful and not every habit sticks, but I’m proud to say that last year I made a goal to begin a habit and I’ve stuck with it for a whole year! And I don’t plan on stopping. I started a gratitude journal.

I’ve always loved journaling. In high school and as a young adult, I wrote every day, and I love going back and reading about my courtship with my husband and all of our experiences (we met in high school). Unfortunately, once kids came around, I wasn’t quite as great with my journaling. I still write occasionally, but definitely not every day.

But a gratitude journal is a little different. It does require you to write everyday- but it’s super simple! And it’s up to you how much or how little to write.

The basic idea is exactly as it sounds- to write something down every day that you’re grateful for. Some people write one thing, I personally write 3 things. Some days it’s super simple come up with things I’m grateful for: I’m grateful I came out completely unharmed in a car accident in October, I’m grateful for the generosity of the family who left a helpful monetary gift on our porch this january, I’m grateful for the healthy birth of my beautiful daughter this July, etc. It’s hard not to be grateful in these circumstances!

But then there are those days that are hard. Everything seems to go wrong, my anxiety gets the worst of me, and the whole world seems bleak. I’ll be honest- it can be hard to find things to be grateful for on those days! But those are the days when it is most needed and I still make myself write 3 things. Maybe all I can find gratitude for is the fact that the day is over and tomorrow is a new day, or maybe I’m grateful that I can finally lay down in my comfy bed, or maybe I’m grateful for second chances, a pint of ice cream, a binge-worthy TV show, a hot shower. But do you see how even on the bleakest of days there is always something to be grateful for?

I’ve noticed a shift in my mental health mindset over this past year. I’m definitely not perfect and still have many ways to improve, but I’ve noticed that I automatically look for things to be grateful for as the day progresses. Maybe it’s a beautiful patch of sunflowers I drive past, or a particularly spectacular sunset. Maybe it’s the fact that I found time to fold and put away all the laundry, or that my grocery pickup had no substitutions. Maybe it’s gratitude for my 2 year old’s expressive little face, or my 4 year old’s giggle. Maybe it’s gratitude for my Savior, for the chance I have to be with my family forever. Each day is different, but I have found that as I have taken the time every day to write down 3 things I’m grateful for, my mindset has slowly shifted into more gratitude for the everyday things. And I know as I continue this habit, that will just keep increasing.

If you’ve never kept a gratitude journal, I strongly encourage you to give it a shot! You can buy a beautiful journal that speaks to you or just a regular .88 composition notebook- but start writing something down every day. It takes less than 5 minutes (and many times less than 30 seconds!), but you’ll start seeing how much good there is to be found in your life.

I’m actually going to have my kids start joining me. I found these darling journals that I know they’ll be excited about, and I’m going to encourage them to start writing in them for part of their nightly routine. How cute are these??




I love that there is a space for each day, as well as a place to record people they are grateful for and random acts of kindness they can write down as well. I included a link to the shop I bought them for in the sources below if you’re interested!

I want my children to learn to notice these things, because grateful people are happy people!

Have you ever kept a gratitude journal? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Share with us in the comments below!

    Camille Hoffmann
    Monthly Newsletter Contributor since 2014
    Email the author! camille@dvo.com