The Gratitude Jar Experiment
how a simple mindset hack got me through 2023
A little over a year ago, I stumbled upon a concept called The Gratitude Journal. It was about a specific type of daily journaling helping you pen down a minimum of 3 things you are grateful for that day. I decided to set a realistic target, which is to make this weekly instead of daily, so it doesn’t seem like yet another chore, or task on my to-do list.
I decided to make it a Sunday ritual. It so happened that the first day of the year 2023 fell on a Sunday. I had that Sunday and the following day to think about what I am grateful for for the week that had just ended and by the time I got back to work on Tuesday, I got my assistant to get me a sticky note from the office. I wrote my very first 3 things I was grateful for the week that just ended. I didn’t even have a jar at the time but that didn’t deter me. I hid my sticky notes in books and drawers until I got a jar. On Sunday evenings week after week, I’d settle down and reminisce on what a week I’ve just had and find the little pockets of joys and memories I’m grateful for.
In searching for the perfect jar, I stumbled upon a sippy-cup which sufficed. It wasn’t fancy but it was transparent and felt just right.
I had very tough weeks in 2023, some days felt like there were 1,000 difficult things to do and difficult decisions to make and they had better be good decisions. This gratitude jar experiment helped me stay switched on. It helped me to see that whilst I may have had a bad day or week, it’s not at all a bad life. And in searching for things I was grateful for, I found more joys that I was grateful for and that was a mindset shift. I recently stumbled upon a video by the popular Dr. Sara Al Madani who said whenever her son is feeling sad or throwing a tantrum, she reminds him that his feelings are normal and valid and it’s okay to feel sad, anger, joy, etc. But always remember that your emotions or feelings are juices and you are the juicer. So you can control what you feel because you produced this. This little mindset hack helps get her son from feeling sad to feeling happy in just a few moments. And isn’t that what life is about?
Perspective is everything.
It’s like that popular old saying that goes; when life gives you lemons, make a lemonade. In dire situations, I always ask myself; where is the lemonade in this?
The takeaway from this little experiment is that I wasn’t sure about continuity when I started, but I started. The concept of it and how doable it seemed (once a week) helped me to get started and to keep it going. One year later, I’m glad I got into it.
In 2024, I’m doubling down on this Sunday gratitude jar ritual. Seeing how positively this experiment impacted on me, I’ve been able to get a few friends and family to join me in my journey. One of my best friends Monica joined me in this experiment halfway through 2023 and she says she could almost swear by it on how improved her outlook towards situations and life in general has become.
These are my thoughts. If you’re reading this, do what you must with it.
