A few years ago, I saw an interview where Emma Watson talks about what’s in her purse (side note: I love this woman so much she is so cool). One of the things that she had was a small notebook that she wrote in every single day. The notebook contained the following template:
- What were 3 things that were joyful from yesterday?
- What were 3 things that were kind from yesterday? (Either something someone did for you or something you did for someone)
- What were 3 things that you did well yesterday?
I became obsessed with this idea. But let me back up.
I have kept a journal since I was 12 years old. My journals have evolved with time. When I started them, I detailed the end of the world, life shattering events that only a preteen can feel. It evolved to the melancholy but somehow still gripping verses of my teenage world (including an entire page about how deep a boy was because he said that he loved fire because it was “ever changing”). My journals may be less exciting nowadays (and hopefully less cringy) but they are still the place where I can release everything inside of me without judgement.
That’s why I became obsessed with this whole thing that Emma Watson was doing. But I could not commit to daily writing (not only have I tried this as a “this is what I did today” but I’ve also done the “stream of consciousness” upon waking and it’s really hard okay guys). So I changed it to doing this every Friday and doing 5 (instead of 3) for the whole week:
- What were 3 things that were joyful from this past week?
- What were 3 things that were kind from this past week? (Either something someone did for you or something you did for someone)
- What were 3 things that I did well this past week?
Some weeks it’s hard. Some weeks, I can’t figure out what was kind about the week before. Some weeks I have to struggle to remember what I did well. Sometimes I will write the same thing all 5 times for what I did well (“I did not rage quit my job” “Willow is happy” “We have a roof over our heads”). Sometimes I will think about the most basic thing that was kind (“Someone at the store said Willow was cute” “a car actually let me merge in on the freeway”). Sometimes the most joyful thing from the week before was just that I have Willow.
Some weeks are really hard.
But some weeks, 5 things that were joyful wasn’t nearly enough. Sometimes I absolutely killed the week and I made it my bitch. Sometimes I can’t contain how much I love everything.
Some weeks are really amazing.
These lists help me to remember that life really does ebb and flow and that even when the week is hard, I have so much to be thankful for (even when it feels like I don’t). The “tiny” things being just a giggle from Willow because she’s discovered that the bottoms of her feet are ticklish or a really bomb ass sandwich I ate – those things get me through the hard weeks.
If you need a reminder of how the small things can really get you through hard times, do this. It really has helped my mental health and I hope it helps yours.
**Notice I never called my writing “dramatic”. That was deliberate. Because I was not and continue not to be “dramatic”. Until people refer to men as dramatic as much as women are referred to as dramatic, I will not be shoving myself inside the box of “dramatic”. Sorry, am I projecting? How thrilling of me 🙂
Writes with Wolves 