Here are 3 things you can do each day that will help you feel happier that take less than 5 minutes total. I call them the Three 3s of Chasing Joy. I honestly don’t recall where I came up with the first two 3s. I have been doing from time to time since college. I am sure I read it somewhere or was somehow inspired to start doing them. The last of the 3s I cannot take credit for. It was advice from a woman from my book club. She said it helped her when she was dealing with being laid off and unemployed.
You don’t need anything special to do this, just a pen and some paper. If you want you can get fancy and get a special journal. Or, if you are more technically inclined you can use the notes section of your cell phone or create a special file on your laptop. The most important thing is to do this every day for the maximum benefit. Ok, so here they are, The Three 3s of Chasing Joy:
- Three Things you are grateful for
- Three things you like about yourself (at least one should be a physical characteristic)
- Three things you need to accomplish today (if you do your list in the morning) or tomorrow (if you do your list at night)
See it is really simple. By making this list of nine things, three from each category you are focusing on the Pillars of Joy. Listing three things you are grateful for helps you focus on gratitude. Gratitude can also be closely tied to faith as you can pray thanking God for the three things you are grateful for. Listing three things you like about yourself is a form of self care. Learning to love yourself will help you in your relationships with others. Lastly listing three things you need to accomplish gives you purpose and a reason to go about your day. You can use the three things to help you work towards a goal or even to help you become more well versed in giving back.
These three 3s of Chasing Joy, in only 5 minutes a day, can help you to grow as a person, get things done, and see more good in the world. These three 3s of Chasing Joy will help you feel happier and have more Joy.
Here is what is on my list tonight.
- Three things I am grateful for – my cat peanut who keeps me entertained and brings life into my home, my car that allows me to be independent in my where I spend my time, and modern medicine that is allowing me to pursue my Single Mother by Choice journey.
- Three things that I like about me – that I am a logical, that I am sincere, and my boobs (you can laugh but I think they are pretty awesome).
- Three things I need to accomplish tomorrow – go to the salvation army, pack away my sweaters, and move all of the coats to the downstairs closet.
What are your three 3s?
