This post was sponsored by Good Memories, a company founded by two parents who honed in on the simple things in life after they had their first child in 2020. They recently published their 3 Good Things journal as an analog guide for others who wish to form better memories. They reached out to me to give their book a try. This is my honest review.
We all need a little more good these days. In a world rank with anxiety and worry, we can easily get lost inside our own heads. I know I do. As a new mum, I’ve been riding a roller coaster of the best days of my life riddled with the worst days of my life. Searching for gems requires work. But since I want my time with Casey to be commemorated by core memories that are good, I make the effort. 3 Good Things is a journal that rewires the brain to solidify the good moments through gratitude.
The practice of gratitude journaling is not new to me. For years, my planners facilitated taking note of blessings. But I have never done much more than list three things I am grateful for. Like any other habit done without intention, the practice didn’t exactly change my life for the better. At most, I was taken away from my daily ills for a few seconds. I was alleviated until I closed my planner and moved on with life. So when 3 Good Things came along asking if I wanted to try their journal for a more intentional practice, I didn’t have high expectations. But I was wrong. This journal changed the way my mind is processing gratitude and actually making my life happier. Finally, a gratitude journaling practice that works!
3 Good Things
There are more than 3 good things that happen in a day. But when I started using this journal, there were days that took me quite a few minutes to pull up just three. In an ordinary day, non-ordinary things happen, most of them good. But why do we not realize it? Most of the time, it’s because our minds aren’t present even when our bodies are. Partially, it’s also because we remember the bad things way more easily than the good things. This is a result of evolutionary hard-wiring that naturally selected for humans who could learn from bad experiences in order to avoid the dangers of the world. I mean, you are here in existence after all. Don’t beat yourself too much over it.
3 Good Things does something unique that no other journal has done before. For each gratitude you list, it asks you WHY you are grateful for it. Yes, this leads to more writing. Yes, you have the time. Just do it. It seems silly to me now that I used to write things such as “Grateful for this morning’s coffee.” But where did writing that down lead me? More coffee, I suppose. But WHY was I grateful for this morning’s coffee?
I am grateful that I developed a ritual that intentionally resets my mind each morning as I prepare a meticulous cup of delicious brew. I am grateful for the bag of beans we have from that third wave coffee shop which we got to visit as a family over the weekend. We had a date morning there. That was a really fun morning and I cherish our coffee dates. I am grateful for the few moments of silence and alone time I had this morning, because my baby slept in, or because my husband took care of my baby so that I could relax. What I am really grateful for is the opportunity to have peace and quiet so that I could have the energy to give to my family later on in the day. That happened because my family knows that I cherish these moments and makes the space for me.
By answering Why, I realized that there was a lot more to what I was grateful for. I uncovered themes such as peace, security, comfort, family, love – these are the true things I am grateful for. How have I never seen it before? Now that I know, my mind is more present and picks up on those subtleties. The weather was beautiful, but really I am grateful for being outside which meant I wasn’t inside working. I have the ability to create a work schedule that is well balanced with my personal life. Also, I can go on a walk outdoors because of where we live which is why I was able to enjoy the weather. On yesterday’s walk, I stopped multiple times – to watch a bird soar, to feel the sun on my back, to sit on a park bench, to feel the chill in the air, to look for animals in the ravine, to study the blue mountains… to explain to Casey “follow the hills home”. A month ago, I would just write in my planner “Beautiful weather” and shut the book.
Something, too, is oddly happening that I didn’t expect. My bank of positive memories is growing. So many days of my parenthood journey blur together. It’s something no parent wants. I had forgotten the little moments that made us laugh. I remember the not so good stuff (thanks to my brain’s hard-wiring). But the daily stuff that was good but non-threatening-so-my-brain-doesn’t-register was slipping away from me. I know that future me would be sad if I couldn’t recall the daily joys in Casey’s teenhood. However, gratitude journaling with 3 Good Things is forming positive memories. How?
By meditating on the good, I am training my mind to remember. By asking “Why?”, my brain is gaining understanding. I am overcoming my negative thought patterns and replacing them with good ones. By enhancing self-awareness and seeing the good in the world around me, I am discovering the moments that make life meaningful. Plus, I have a collection of pages that remind me what those things are.
After using 3 Good Things Journal for a few weeks, I am now flowing at the end of the day with a plethora of things to jot down. The journal is transforming me from having gratitude to being grateful. It’s truly a remarkable result for a practice that has been in existence for years. I highly recommend giving it a shot in the New Year.
