But how does one make gratitude a habit? This post discusses five ways to become more grateful and make the gratitude lifestyle a habit.

1. Start simple

Start simple by thinking of three happy thoughts each night before going to bed. These can be something profound that happened to you — like you got a new pet or a promotion. But most people don’t have really profound things happening to them every day.

Start by thinking about the simplest things that gave you happiness on that day. Maybe a child smiled and complimented you. Maybe you played with a puppy and gave it food. Maybe you saw some pretty flowers that brightened your day. Start with the simplest, smallest things before going to bed, and watch how they improve your mood as you fall asleep.

2. Maintain a gratitude journal

Once you’ve gotten into the habit of thinking three happy thoughts and saying thanks to them before going to bed, you can take it one step further and start writing them down in a gratitude journal.

The point here is not to write amazing, life-changing incidents that made you happy. The point is to seek happiness in the mundane and be grateful for life’s simple pleasures. Even the smallest of happy incidents can light up your mood. Don’t hesitate to write something because you don’t think it’s important enough. Include the smallest details even if they made you smile for a fraction of a second during the day.

3. Express your gratitude to the people who matter

The next step in your journey towards embracing gratitude in your life is to let the people who matter know. It may be your friends, family members, or your partner. Just tell them how grateful you are to have them in your life and praise them for all the amazing ways they have added value to your life.

It might not be easy, especially if you’re not used to expressing your emotions freely. But you can do it with practice. Start small by just smiling more and appreciating them, and then you can move on to actually thanking them for the great things they do.

4. Fit gratitude into those moments before expressing your anger

Every time you are about to burst into a fit of rage, pause for a few moments and take a few deep, calming breaths. In those moments, recall three things you are happy to exist in your life and count them over in your head. 

Take a moment to express your gratitude to them. Visualize how fortunate you are and how much they have improved your life. Know that this moment of anger isn’t going to upend your entire life. Is it even worth it?

These few seconds of intense self-reflection before getting angry at someone can go a long way in reinforcing your gratitude habit. It will make you more thankful and gracious in general and help you embrace gratitude in your life.

5. Turn to technology to make things easier

You can do this in four ways:

• When you can’t access your gratitude journal, record yourself saying the three things you’re grateful for. You can also send a text message to yourself about your daily gratitude journaling points.
• Download a habit tracker and track the days you wrote in your gratitude journal. Seeing an unbroken streak for a long time will motivate you and help you keep the momentum going.
• Hire an accountability coach from this directory of Accountability Coaches. They will help you keep track of your habits and make getting back on track easier if you skip a day or two. 
• Learn from the experts at Better Humans. They write the most detailed tutorials on self-improvement.

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This article discusses five simple steps you can adopt right now to make daily journaling a part of your routine.

1. Know your WHY

“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

While Nietzsche’s quote is on a deeper, more spiritual level, it can be applied to simple tasks. If you know why you want to journal, you’ll have a much easier time sticking to it and making it a part of your schedule.

Understand why you want to journal. Maybe you want to organize your day or outline your tasks for a fixed period, or maybe there’s an issue bothering you that you want to get off your chest. You can solve all these and more by journaling. Once you know your WHY, you can be rock-solid in your resolve and not get deterred by small hurdles along the way.

2. Decide on what to write about

Based on the core idea behind including a daily journaling habit in your schedule, you can decide what to write about.

For example, if your purpose is to get a clear idea about your goals in life and how to achieve them, you can go on an intense self-reflection journey by writing the answers to prompts like:

• What skills do I have that align with my goals?
• How do I achieve the goals within a short period of time?
• What else do I need to learn to turn my dream into reality?
• What are the steps needed before I can execute the next phase of the plan?

These are some examples, but you can keep thinking about similar questions and focus your energies on that manner. 

Learn from the experts at Better Humans. They write the most detailed tutorials on self-improvement.

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3. Find a comfortable way that suits you

There are several ways to use a journal. Some use it as a planner, while others use it to write down ideas, to-do lists, and deep self-reflection prompts. You can find a way that works for you depending on why you want to do it. When you know the reason, the way to use your journal effectively will come to you automatically.

Pick a way that fits your schedule and stick to it every day. There’s no secret formula in succeeding in your daily journaling habit. All it takes is a bit of extra effort and some willpower.

4. Set aside a fixed time

Many people swear that mornings are the best time to write in your journal. Your head is clear, and you get a perspective on how you want your day to pan out. However, not everyone can afford the luxury to set aside a few minutes each morning to journal your thoughts. That’s why many daily journalers also do it in the evenings or at night right before going to bed. The argument is that you can sort through your thoughts at the end of a long day and focus on the most positive and uplifting ones.

You pick a schedule that works for you and sit down to journal at that fixed time. It doesn’t have to align with what the world says is right. As long as it suits your needs and fulfills your goals, you can make this a habit.

5. Hold yourself accountable 

Find a friend to do it with so you can keep track of your daily progress and make sure you don’t relapse. In case you can’t find anyone trustworthy, you can also hire an accountability coach from the directory here at coach.me.

You can also download a habit tracker for free to keep track of the days you managed to accomplish your daily journaling goal. Tracking your progress is a wonderfully effective way to hold yourself accountable.