Good Things Jar

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I’m not sure why I started The Good Things Jar or how I even got the idea.  

It is so named because it was an actual jar holding descriptions of good things that happened in my life during 2016. It was an election year with - well - you remember the challenges, that seemed debilitating at the time. I've been doing it every year since and I highly recommend starting one. 

 

What I like about it:

 

I’m an unreliable journal-er despite efforts otherwise. I tend to respond to 3- dimensional reminders I can view on a daily basis. And, I liked the potential ease of recording good things, seeing them accumulate, and returning to them any time. I remember that it struck me as a simple way to bring positivity into my daily life without much fuss. I admit, at first the whole thing seemed a bit too obvious and a tad hokey, too. 

It turned out to be an even better idea than I imagined.

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Those positive psychology people are on to something, you know. There's a whole body of neuroscience to back up the benefits of letting good feelings wash over you as often as you can. 

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It’s ridiculously easy to get started:
 

• Find a big jar (box or container)

• Decorate as you please - or don’t

• Put it where you can see it regularly

• When something good happens– big or small, for you or for someone(s) you care about – just write it down, include the date, and stick it in. One word or two will be enough to spark a memory. 

• If you can wait until the end of the year to look at each entry - you will be in for a treat.  

• Enjoy the jolts of good feeling you get and the knowledge that you couldn't possibly have remembered to write all the good things that happened so there were even more than this!

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2021 jar is ready to go!