I recently started a new practice.
I first heard about it on the Teach Write site.
I won’t lie: I took off with it like a dog with a bone.
This is a very simple, but powerful practice.
List all of the “wins”, or accomplishments, for the day or week.
Sometimes I set a timer. Other times I just write until I feel I’m done.
That’s.
It.
When I first start writing my list, I feel like I’m running on empty.
I grasp for anything that sounds like a “win”.
Then, after three to five entries, something unexpected happens.
Every item I write leads to another win.
Another celebration.
Sometimes the wins are small.
Like: I finally threw out my son’s Vans that our dog chewed up 4 months ago.
Sometimes they’re significant.
Like when I listed all of the things I created in a week for myself, my students and my family.
Sometimes they’re meaningful.
Like: I received three very positive and complimentary messages from parents.
The benefits of this practice are valuable.
I’ve discovered that listing my wins helps me review my day or week.
That’s something I haven’t done often enough.
Until now.
Then, I discover all of the things I accomplished during the day with my students, for myself and my family.
Before I know it, I can’t stop adding to my list!
Each item makes me smile.
Each new memory fills me with gratitude.
And hope.
Especially on those days when (it seemed that) nothing went well, I read over my list.
And, I muster the strength I need to give it another go.
And, that’s a win.
Cross posted to The Two Writing Teachers Tuesday Slice of Life Challenge.
Elisa Waingort 
Your practice is a win, Elisa. This is a good tip for everyone. I am filled with happiness each time I check off something that is nagging at me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Carole! Me, too! I have a special notebook where I keep a list of my wins. I like reading the lists every so often. It’s very comforting and affirming.
LikeLike
I think so too Carole! Plus, as someone else mentioned, it’s almost like a gratitude list. When I’ve tried doing daily gratitudes I’ve found that it’s not easy for me to move past the generalizations. Making a daily wins list feels more natural to me and, I think it has the same effect!
LikeLike
I’m so glad that you shared this! A lot of my daily personal writing has been focused more on negatives instead of positives and I definitely need to get out of that rut. Thank you for inspiring me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome, Jennifer. I’m glad you see this as a useful practice you can adopt for yourself. To be honest, I have sometimes been accused of being too negative. That I always think of the worst case scenario. I think this practice may be helping to change that. Fingers crossed!
LikeLike
One of my favourite sayings is: Gratitude creates abundance. Your experience makes the quote come alive.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes Terje! I couldn’t agree more.
LikeLike
One of the things I used to do was participate in a weekly Celebrate This Week blog challenge. I found that it worked so well to change my perceptions and make even the worse times a little better. The more you practice this, the more often you actually feel that win when it is happening. It helped me be so mindful. So glad it is working so well for you too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this idea. I agree that doing this on a regular basis has made me more aware of wins as they are happening. That was something I wasn’t necessarily expecting, but I’m glad it’s happening!
LikeLike
I love this! Thank you for sharing! It’s almost like a gratitude list for those of us who sometimes struggle to see our own wins. I will try it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, like a gratitude list! I hope you blog about this when you try it out!
LikeLike
So a great practice to adopt, Elisa. I’ve got some spare notebooks hanging around that would be perfect for this. Giving it a try!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course that is SUCH a great practice…
LikeLike
Awesome! I’d love to hear how it goes for you. Thanks for commenting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thhank you for sharing this
LikeLiked by 1 person