Recently, my mom sent me an article that she thought would help benefit my overall happiness and productivity each day. I was skeptical, of course, because how could one article really change that much about your life. So, I read the article and it seemed like it would be easy enough to try and do what it was asking. After a week or two of doing what it suggested, I came to realize how much it was actively making a difference in my life.
The article is called, “Writing Just 3 Sentences Each Day Can Massively Boost Your Productivity and Happiness” and was written by Jessica Stillman. While she wrote the article that I read, the ideas behind it were actually from someone else and she was just sharing their message. I would just like to thank everyone involved with the ideas presented in this article, because it has really made a difference in my life without requiring a giant time commitment.
What does the article say to do? It recommends that you take two minutes of your day to write down three sentences. The first sentence should start with “I will focus on…” and it should be a single priority for each day. The hope behind this is that with ever-growing to-do lists and an overwhelming sensation when thinking about what needs to be done, singling out at least one important thing can help to get you started. This sentence also helps to break down what may feel like daunting tasks, “A parade of productivity experts advise cutting terrifying to-do’s like ‘plan conference’ into non-threatening action steps like ‘call three venues’”. This example may or may not relate to everyone, so as a full-time college student I came up with a similar alternative that I could better comprehend. Let’s say I have a big research paper due soon and have yet to start it. What I would make for my “I will focus on…” of the day would be to choose a topic for the paper and find an article that supports my topic. It is much easier, at least for me, to deal with small things over time, rather than get super stressed and wait till the last minute to do everything.
The second sentence should start with “I am grateful for…” and should be something specific, not just “my mom” or “my house”. The reasoning behind this sentence is that the human brain is constantly thinking about potential threats, and things that are negative. Research has shown that the best way to combat this innate tendency is to recognize things you are grateful for, because the more you do, the more your brain will start to think more optimistically. Something I wrote the other day, was that I was grateful that Costco had the Baby Yoda squishmallows back in stock. This may be silly to others, but it doesn’t matter, it is about what in particular you are grateful for in your life each day.
Finally, the third sentence should start with “I will let go of…” and should be you letting go of a mistake or a regret that happened in the past. Studies show that the more forgiving we are to ourselves, the better chance we have at moving on with a more positive response. Humans aren’t perfect, and each day it is important to remind yourself that everyone messes up, what really counts is how you respond and choose to move forward.
Writing these three sentences a day has really changed my perspective on a lot of daily aspects of life. It is really easy to do and only takes a few minutes, which is great with our ever-busy schedules and lives. I urge you to try it out for a week or so and see if it makes a difference in your life.
cover photo from Getty Images
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