What Are Three Good Things That Happened To You Today?
Like many, each day presents its fair share of challenges to me, whether it’s interrupted sleep at night with a baby, the stress of managing my own business, getting into heated discussions with my husband on where to live next, or simply facing the ups and downs that life throws my way. This is the reality of life.
Yet, I’ve recently discovered a practice I use every night before going to bed that keeps me grounded and focused on positivity: naming three good things that happened today.
You might be wondering why I focus on such a simple exercise.
Although I'm naturally inclined toward positivity, I’ve realized that sustaining this mindset—especially during tough times—takes conscious effort. My friends often say, “You are always so positive,” but my life, as for many of us, is far from just roses and butterflies—something you can read about in this article I published a while back.
The secret to cultivating a positive mindset is you need to actively make it a habit. As Steve Chandler once said, “Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” Life will always have its difficult moments, and if we rely on motivation alone, we might only feel positive when things are going well. But a true positive mindset has to be cultivated, practiced and ingrained into your daily routine—especially when things are tough.
By naming three good things that happened at the end of each day, you’re training your brain to focus on the positive, even when the negatives seem to dominate, and, as a result, end up creating a powerful habit. Over time, this practice helps shift your mindset, making it easier to see the good in every situation and approach life with resilience and optimism.
Let’s say you had a challenging day at work where nothing seemed to go right. At the end of the day, you might feel drained, but when you stop and reflect, you probably will realize there were still some positive moments.
Perhaps a colleague stepped in to help you, or maybe you learned something valuable from a mistake you made. Or, if nothing else worked out, you were at least able to start your day with a freshly brewed cup of coffee. However small, these positives help balance out the negatives, and, by consciously making an effort to recognize them, you start to see opportunities instead of setbacks, where earlier these opportunities would have remained invisible to you.
So, ask yourself, What are three good things that happened to you today? And continue asking this yourself every day.
