Let’s just start by acknowledging one little thing: 2020 was quite the challenging year. It was rough. It was painful. It had plenty of lows, and the highs were sometimes difficult to spot. But although they may have been a little less obvious than the bad bits - there were plenty of good parts to 2020 too.
If you want to break out of negative thinking patterns, brush off that low mood and head through 2021 with a renewed outlook on life, this 30 Day gratitude challenge may just be for you.
All you need to take part in our 30 Day Gratitude Challenge is a good personal planner with space to complete each of the 30 answers.
Here are your prompts!
Day 1: Home comforts
This is a nice easy one to get the ball rolling. Take a look around yourself and pick out the home comforts you are most grateful for. Jot them down, and bask in all that Hygge you have around you!
Day 2: Something that went well today
We’re not looking for great accomplishments here. Celebrating the small things is important too. Maybe you got up on time and made your bed? Perhaps you got the window seat on the train on your way to work? Little triumphs are worth being grateful for as much as the big ones.
Day 3: A friendly smile
Note down a friendly smile you received recently. Maybe it was a date, maybe it was the cashier at your local store. Give that smile and its creator some kudos by remembering the moment in your planner.
Day 4: Food that feeds your soul
It’s an open challenge today - and an open-mouthed one to boot! Food is something we often take for granted, but something we should also be grateful we can enjoy. Mark that fact with some notes about your favourite foods, or better still - get into your kitchen and eat them!
Day 5: A bad habit broken
We’re always being harsh on ourselves for our bad habits, but never stop to give ourselves a pat on the back for the bad habits we’ve already broken. What are yours?
Day 6: 3 good things about your job
Some of us love our jobs, most of us aren’t so enamored. Regardless of how desperate you are for a career change, take some time to reflect on 3 things that are actually quite nice about where you currently work.
Day 7: A happy vacation
Going on a wonderful trip somewhere is always cause for a bit of grateful reflection, regardless of whether you went on vacation recently or want to reflect on a great trip from the past instead.
Day 8: Name 3 things you like about your body
It might seem difficult if you have a negative relationship with your body, but gratitude challenges are all about turning bad vibes on their head! Today’s the day to find 3 things you love about the body you live in.
Day 9: What you’ve learned from hardship
We all go through times of hardship - some more so than others. But during the greatest challenges of our lives, we often discover things about ourselves and the world. What have you learned through adversity?
Day 10: A little pampering
Today is less about reflection and more about action. The challenge today is to find time for yourself - to do a little pampering - whether that be booking in for a massage or taking the time to read alone for a few blissful hours. Do it, then record it in your planner.
Day 11: A good deed done
Do something nice for someone else today. It doesn’t need to be a grand gesture - even a smile or a helping hand can be enough to fill somebody else with gratitude.
Day 12: Life made simple
You may have a big house and a nice car, but often it’s the simple things that really count. Make a list of the things that matter most in your life and why you’re grateful to have them.
Day 13: Phone a friend
Keeping connected was harder in 2020, but don’t forget the power of a letter or phone call. Fill yourself with gratitude for the technology that helps keep us all together, and then pick up your phone and make good use of it to brighten an old friend’s day.
Day 14: Move your body
Here’s something to be grateful for - your ability to MOVE. Regardless of your physical limitations, whether you get around on two feet or a pair of wheels, getting out and about, smelling the roses is something to be thankful for. Your task today? Do just that.
Day 15: Compliment a stranger
Do you ever feel grateful for those friends or strangers in your life who boost your self esteem with a well-timed compliment? Today’s the day to be that person for somebody else.
Day 16: The 3 things you take for granted
Today it’s time to get right back to basics and think about the things in your life that others might not be quite so fortunate to possess. What are some things you take for granted in everyday life?
Day 17: Spend an hour in nature
Sometimes we forget to connect with Mother Nature - to breathe the fresh air, feel some grass beneath our feet, or the wind on our faces. Today’s task? Do just that.
Day 18: A time you’ve made someone happy
Don’t underestimate your power in other people’s lives. Think about a time or times you made another human being laugh or smile, write it in your planner, and feel grateful you could have such a positive impact on somebody’s life.
Day 19: Make 5 negatives positive
Take 5 recurring negative thoughts you have and spell out why they’re simply not true, or why they’re actually positives in disguise.
Day 20: Musical memories
What beautiful music are you grateful to be able to listen to? Take some time to listen to your favorites, and immortalize them for this gratitude challenge in your planner.
Day 21: The best time of day
What’s your favorite time of the day? Morning, as the sun rises? Or the evening, as darkness falls? Think of your favorite time of day, and write about why you love it so much.
Day 22: Glimmers of hope
What has given you hope lately? Why is that hopeful feeling something to be grateful for?
Day 23: Art from the heart
Do you get a kick out of making or looking at art? Think about your favorite pieces, or your favorite mediums, and if you can make the time - do something a little creative today.
Day 24: The people that matter
Who are the most important people in your life? Give them some credit during this 30 Day gratitude challenge and write about why they’re so central to your life.
Day 25: Create an adventure
Today, be grateful for spontaneity. Set yourself up with a little adventure - whether it be an impromptu picnic in the park or a weekend getaway somewhere new.
Day 26: Senses to remember
Do you ever have smell memories of happy times from your past? What about certain sounds, or sensations? Take a trip down memory lane and write in your planner about the senses and sense memories you are grateful for.
Day 27: Filled with pride
Think about the occasions in your life when you were filled with pride. What made you feel like that? Are you still happy to have had those experiences?
Day 28: Treasured possessions
Material objects aren’t everything, but the right ones can certainly bring us great joy. Take some time to reflect on the objects or possessions in your life that you are most happy to have around you.
Day 29: Focused on the future
What future opportunities do you think you will have? What footholds are you most grateful for in the present that will help you go great places later on?
Day 30: What you love the most
And finally, Day 30 is all about love. What kind of love are you most grateful to have experienced in your life? Who was the love for? What did it feel like?
Wrapping up the 30 Day Gratitude Challenge
Gratitude challenges are incredibly popular right now - and for good reason. Gratitude challenges not only help you to remember and acknowledge all the good stuff going on in your life - they can also fundamentally alter the way your brain works.
We offer a couple of great options to keep up with your daily gratitude. If you like digital planning and GoodNotes, our Digital Gratitude Journal is a great option. If you'd like to print it out, we also sell a printable version as well.