"I’m on a never-ending quest to become my best self. You know, the one who wakes up at 5:30 a.m. to meditate, hits the gym daily, drinks a green smoothie for breakfast, and is never caught whining to her girlfriends about a tough day at the office. But in reality? I can often be found running late and rushing out the door in the morning, wolfing down a latte and pastry on the subway, and skipping my workout in favor of a Real Housewives binge-watching session at the end of the day.
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But the one wellness habit I keep going back to is a gratitude practice. I’ve tried journaling, daily affirmations, and gratitude meditations, but I never keep up with them beyond the first week or two. So when I stumbled upon a TikTok trend titled, “Good Things Are Always Happening to Me”—the idea of writing out just one good thing you can find each day—I thought it might be the perfect practice that can improve my mood but feels doable enough to sustain long-term. I decided to give it a serious shot for one month. Spoiler alert: I’ve stuck with it for 30 days, and the results were better than I even expected. Here’s my experience trying the “Good Things List” and why it may transform your life, too.
What Is a “Good Things” List?
The idea is simple: Every day, write down one good thing that happened to you, whether in a journal or as a note on your phone. Ideally, each day you’re writing down one unique thing so that over time you build a collection of positive moments that you can revisit whenever you need a mood boost or a reminder of all the good in your life. It can be a beneficial practice for people who need a friendly nudge to see the positives of everyday life (ahem, me) and also for those who have a hard time sticking to a full morning or evening gratitude practice but still want to reap the benefits (also me). Since this practice only requires listing one new thing each day, it’s not as overwhelming.
Research shows that regularly focusing on the positive can increase overall happiness, improve mental health, and reduce physical stress. Practicing gratitude also leads to increased optimism and mental resilience.
My Experience Trying It
I decided to use my Notes app for convenience and ease. I started my “Good Things” list on a Monday since it represents a fresh start and because my Mondays always feel like a grind. Since following through on new habits can be tough for me, I set a reminder on my phone to add to my list each night as part of my evening routine. It was very easy to work my “Good Things” list into my evening routine by habit stacking with brushing my teeth each night. While brushing my teeth, I’d think over all the good things that happened to me during the day and decide which one to add to my list, and then I’d immediately add it to my list.
On the first night, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I had many good things to choose from: I had a killer post-work Pilates class, I received positive feedback from my boss’ boss about a project I was leading, and I had a great hair day because I took my time to blow out my hair the night before. I settled on the work feedback to officially kick off my “Good Things” list since it seemed like the most significant of the three and also something I’d want to remember down the road if I needed a mood boost. The next day, I added a great walk I had with my dog, and the day after that, the glass of wine I had with a friend from college I hadn’t seen in a while.
For the next 30 days, I mentally combed over each day and picked out something good to add to my list. Sometimes, it was something big like receiving a bonus at work, while other times, it was something small like trying a new coffee. At the end of the 30 days, I had a long list of memories of positive things that happened to me that I likely would have forgotten had I not written them down. It felt comforting to know that whenever I had a tough day or was feeling unmotivated, I had this list to turn to to remind me of all the positive things I’d experienced. I’m happy to report I’ve kept it up past 30 days (currently 56 days and counting!), which is something I was never able to do with other types of journaling, meditation, or wellness practices.
My Takeaways
1. When you look for them, you’ll be surprised how many new things you have to be grateful for.
When I decided to start this new habit, I was worried that I’d be writing down the same things each day and would struggle to find new things to add to my list (this was a problem I encountered when I tried keeping gratitude journals in the past). It’s easy to get into a routine of being grateful for your job, your partner, a roof over your head, etc., and I think that’s why I always give up after a few weeks. Knowing this about myself, I tried really hard to notice new and unique good things I could jot down each day and was surprised to find that it was hard to stick to the one-item limit and pick what to add out of all the options each day.
2. Gratitude is a tool to be more mindful and present.
After a few days of adding to my “Good Things” list, I started noticing good things throughout my day that I never would have noticed before. I noticed small, seemingly mundane things, like the subway arriving exactly when I needed it to, finding a prime parking spot downtown (an impossible feat!), or receiving a notification that the fall sweater I wanted was finally back in stock. Surprisingly, these things carried almost as much weight as some of the bigger things I included on my list, like dinner at a nice restaurant with my husband or the positive feedback at work. I was tuning into life’s more subtle joys, which made every day feel a little brighter.
3. More gratitude also means less negativity and stress.
As a self-proclaimed chronic worrier and overthinker, I usually raise an eyebrow at any quick-fix remedies that promise reduced stress. While I won’t try to claim that all of my worry-wart tendencies were solved by keeping a “Good Things” list for a few weeks, I did notice that I felt less stressed during situations that would normally get to me, like running late meeting a friend or forgetting the lunch I diligently packed the night before. Instead of letting those things bother me, I was more easily able to shake them off and shift my focus on what had gone right. For example, my forgotten lunch meant I could treat myself to a meal from my favorite lunch spot, which didn’t disappoint, and it ended up making the list for that day.
I tend to be a realist and expect hiccups or negative experiences to occur, but after completing 30 days of my “Good Things” list, the practice has made me think more positively overall. I am less likely to get annoyed at someone walking slowly in front of me as I rush to work, and I expect things to go my way a lot more because I have tangible proof of how good things are. It sounds cheesy, but I genuinely felt luckier having a list of tangible reminders to back that up.
4. Gratitude does not have to require a lot of time or effort.
As someone who loves to try new wellness trends but can feel overwhelmed with keeping up with them, I’m thrilled to report that I was able to get the same benefits of larger gratitude and mindfulness practices in a fraction of the time. Taking 30 seconds to jot down one good thing each night was just as impactful to me as a 30-minute journaling session or 15-minute meditation. I experienced the same benefits you get from traditional gratitude practices (such as increased appreciation for day-to-day life and a boost in positivity, which were two things I experienced after completing 30 days of my “Good Things” list). It’s hard not to feel happier and more appreciative when you have a whole list of things going right in your life.
5. When you’re experiencing more gratitude, people around you will notice.
A big testament to the “Good Things” list is that after a few weeks of maintaining it, my husband noticed a positive change in my overall outlook. We were out for a Saturday morning walk when I pointed out a few positive things that had already happened for me that day: I didn’t snooze my alarm and made it to my early workout class, we had a great brunch at a restaurant that’s usually impossible to get into, and the weather was sunny but not too hot. After sharing those things, he noted that I had been unusually chipper lately. I read a few things from my list to him, and he was impressed by how such a simple practice helped change my perspective on otherwise mundane things. Considering my husband doesn’t usually notice things like this, I took it as the ultimate seal of approval for the “Good Things” list.
My Final Verdict
I plan to keep up my “Good Things” list daily. The practice is an easy commitment that takes little time and offers tangible benefits, which (from my experience) is something that can’t be said for many wellness trends. This habit is manageable, sustainable, and impactful.
Tips to Try It
- Set a reminder on your phone at the same time every day (like right before bed) to add to your “Good Things” list so you don’t forget until it becomes a habit.
- Use whatever method is easiest for you to maintain your list: the Notes app on your phone, a sticky note on your bathroom mirror, or a designated notebook.
- If you’re struggling to think of something to add to your list when first starting, remember that good things don’t always have to be big—something as small as a great cup of coffee or having a somewhat good hair day counts.
Devin Cleary Gooden, Contributing Finance Writer
Devin is a Toronto-based content creator with 10 years of writing experience. She is passionate about helping women create the life they want, whatever that may look like. She is currently a senior manager of content at a fintech company, where she works on websites, emails, social media, videos, and podcasts.