In the winter of 2011, I was in the lowest of lows—literally and figuratively. At 35, I’d moved into my parents’ basement after leaving my now-ex-husband in Mexico and moved back to Michigan with an 8-month old puppy in tow. I had $20 to my name, a diagnosis of generalized anxiety and depression, and no idea what to do with my life.

I started therapy and medication (PLEASE CONSIDER THIS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING), but I knew I needed to do something more. Something to help me see the good that everyone promised was all around me. A side effect of being a writer is I always have a plethora of blank notebooks, so I grabbed a pretty one and gave myself a challenge: write three good things that happened that day.

And do it every day.

I’m not gonna lie. There were days when the only bright spots in my day were the sunny sky, a mildly tasty lunch, and my dog. (My dog made the list a lot in those early days.) But the longer I kept my list, the more I started to notice the little things that made me smile. A kind word from a coworker. A gorgeous sunset over Lake Michigan. And the way my dog loses his mind every time I get home. (I highly recommend a four-legged friend to lift your spirits.)

I kept that journal for over a year, and by the time I set it aside, I’d retrained my brain to stop dwelling on the negatives that were out of my control and to focus on the good things that remind me why I get out of bed every morning. This doesn’t mean I completely blocked out the world around me, but I got better at not letting the negatives overwhelm me. (Please note: I still take my anxiety meds as needed.)

Why am I telling you all this now? Because in the eight years since I started my Book of Good, I’ve told countless others about it—and I’ve heard others promoting the idea of Three Good Things.

AND NOW I’VE CREATED A GUIDED JOURNAL FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO’D LIKE TO TRY.

Each two-page spread has lines for three daily good things, plus a space for the three highlights for the week. There are no dates—only lines to fill in what week it is—because you shouldn’t wait for the beginning of the year to start a journal.

Huge shout-out to my coworker/friend Adrienne, who created the whimsical artwork. I cannot express how excited I am to share these with you.

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Constellation | Nature

They also make great gifts!