New Year’s Resolutions – Karen Creamer Author, Coach, Speaker

I passed by the TV in the common area at work and they were interviewing someone or other (I am guessing it was Gretchen Rubin) who was talking about how important it is to write down things for which you are grateful. Further, if you take the time to write a gratitude list, you will be happier.

If they say it on The Today Show, it must be true, right?

I am no stranger to the gratitude list. I have twice in years past kept an official Gratitude Journal. I faithfully (well, usually) wrote down 5 things every day for which I was grateful. I thought about doing it this year, too. . . and that’s all I did. I thought about it, then it went the way of so many of my great thoughts…just completely disappeared from my head until I saw this post’s title that I started a week ago and forgot about (hello, midlife monkey mind).

I know what stopped me: I didn’t buy The Gratitude Journal and so therefore I could not record my gratefulness! Then I stumbled upon this site:

The Simple Abundance online Gratitude Journal

Yay! Excuses begone! I am taking the plunge with the online journal. I don’t think a day goes by that I am not on the computer for something (email, Facebook) so it should be easy, right?

Right?

Here’s today’s:

January 12, 2013
1		Spicy Eggnog Coffee
2.		Sleeping until I wake up without the alarm
3.		No appointments
4.		My family and friends
5.		My new job

You don’t have to pay to sign up if you don’t want to. Just type into the feature, then cut and paste it to a folder on your desktop.

I’m feeling happier already!

Last year I was inspired by My One Word to choose one word as my New Year’s Resolution. I chose “Edit”, which soon morphed into two words, “Focus”. I optimistically wrote my words on an index card (one on each side, so I was still looking at just one word at a time!) and put it on my desk.

As you can see, it soon became surrounded by other words…is that wrong?

This year I chose “focus” again (guess why!) and added “balance” as my second word, after attending a yoga class taught by my favorite yoga teacher (and friend), Kristen, on New Year’s Eve.

Soon thereafter, however, I came across a Facebook post by another friend, Jody, that mentioned the word “hope” in connection with 2012. Then today, another image depicting the word “hope” showed up in my email inbox.

I can take a hint; I’m figuring out that I need to add “hope” to that mix. Therefore, I’m officially adopting “hope” as my third word for 2012. Hey, three is my favorite number anyway!