The Gratitude Journal

We all have days that are just crappy. In fact, sometimes we have crappy days that turn into crappy weeks, which turn to crappy months, which turn to crappy years. Sometimes it seems we get so bogged down by outside circumstances it's hard to be ANYTHING but completely negative.

So how in the HELL do you remain focused? How do you center in your nutrition, your training, and your goals when your mind is in such a negative place?

The answer- YOU CAN'T.

You HAVE to find a positive place with your mind in order to be focused, centered and content on your goals. Without your mind being positive and your focus being centered, there is no way you can remain on track with your goals.

Enter the "Gratitude Journal". This is something I read about eons ago in Oxygen, something I recently put into practice which has been VERY beneficial for me. The purpose of the Gratitude Journal is simple- EVERY day write down 3 things for which you are grateful. It takes about 5 minutes. Then sit there and think on each one for about 10 seconds. Whether it's something as simple as "I'm grateful for pizza" or "I'm grateful for fall days", or something as big as "I'm grateful for my health" or "I'm grateful for my husband", the act of writing something down forces your mind to think about it, center on it, and process it. By writing it down, you have a record of it, which means that in the future you can page back and find day after day after day of things you are GRATEFUL for. How can this NOT help put a positive spin on things?

I bought my gratitude journal for under $5 at Walmart and it's small enough that it can travel easily with me in my purse when I'm on the road or out of town for competitions or shoots.

It takes some time to get into the habit of doing this daily, but if you can be consistent with it, I promise you'll notice a change in your mental state, especially when rough times fall on you. We all hit road blocks, or have days that really pull at us mentally. For me, I usually hit those walls during the last few weeks of prep, when I'm hungry, tired, and simply drained both mentally and physically. It's times like that when I find my journal especially effective. It forces me to think about all the positives in my life that I otherwise would neglect. By thinking about the positives I can put the negative in perspective. Sure maybe I overslept, maybe I'm running late, maybe I spilled coffee all over myself, maybe I'm having financial troubles, but I also have my health, my family, a job I love, etc etc. You get the point.

So for $5 give it a shot. Do it now. Journal or not! Write down 3 things you are grateful for and save it. Then tomorrow resolve to do the same. Be consistent. One day of gratitude turns to three, turns to seven, and suddenly you'll have a months worth of pages to comb through on your dark days- pages of things that you are thankful for.

Now that's positive thinking for you!