Tag Archives: journaling

Good things

When your job involves a lot of finding where things are broken and fixing them, it’s easy to get in the habit of only paying attention to broken things. To help me offset all the criticism I regularly pile on my own head (there’s a lot), a friend recommended a simple little app called 3 Good Things.

It’s so basic that it seems absurd to have an app for this, but the design is friendly and spare, which I like. You set a time to receive the prompt, “What went well today?” And then you can journal about the high points of the day. On some no-good, very bad days, I confess I just write things like “had a nice cup of tea” or “tv on the couch” or “my socks are warm.” On better days, there’s better stuff, like “great conversation at dinner” or “the kids’s joy at the trapeze lesson.”

A mobile screenshot of the 3 Good Things App Store listing

It’s silly and minimal, but it helps me notice where hope, love, and sometimes even joy, are hiding in my life. You might like it too?

Saturday morning journaling 

Coffee with my best girl.
Amelia’s proud of her writing.
Reading to Baxter about himself

This morning Tom is making banana-chocolate-chip pancakes and bacon, and Amelia and I went out to sit on the back porch and write in our journals. I’d like to encourage Amelia to keep up her writing practice through the summer, and journaling seems like a good way for us to do something special together, get me writing more, and have her keep writing through the summer. As we write, Baxter is jittering around in our orbit, making us laugh. He does silly things and then tells Amelia to write about it. Then she reads him what she wrote, and he does more silly stuff. Repeat as necessary.

 

Today is shaping up to be a really good one. We’ll have a delicious breakfast, then hit the grocery store for some provisions (we’re out of maple syrup, for example), then I’m taking Amelia for a mommy-daughter lunch (probably sushi) and then to Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden for an hour or so. Then we’ll do some trailer prep in the afternoon, getting ready for our big camping trip next weekend. This evening, I’m having dinner with my sisters — probably at Jade Teahouse — and then we’re taking a painting class at The Loaded Brush. I love how these (semi-corny, yes) group painting classes help me quiet the critical judge in my head and help me get used to following my gut. Tomorrow Tom goes on a three-day business trip, so I’m trying to get all the fill-my-emotional-cup, single- or no-kid fun in that I can!

Hope you have a kick-ass Saturday, too. ❤