Good Things Jar

A few years ago, about this time of year, I was telling a friend about how I hadn't gotten enough done that year.

I guess I was complaining a bit, even though I didn't mean to. I was definitely beating myself up.

That's when he told me about his solution for end-of-year blues - The Good Things Jar.

He told me that every year he took an empty jar, wrote "Good Things" on it, and left it on his desk. Over the course of the year, when a good thing happened, he wrote it down and stuck it in his jar.

Could be a little thing, like a hug from his wife, or a big thing like hitting a goal. The size of the good thing didn't matter. Writing it down and putting it in his jar did.

Then, on New Year's Eve, he'd pour a glass of champagne, open the jar, and look back on all the good things that happened that year.

He said that invariably he'd be reminded of good things he'd forgotten about. I've been doing this ever since. It helps me appreciate those good things when they're happening. Then at the end of the year, opening my jar and reading those slips of paper is joyful and energizing and gives me a serious case of "the feels".

If this sounds like a good idea, please make your own jar, and get started creating a joyful end-of-year moment for yourself next year.