Quick answer: Open Brain Dump and speak for 60 seconds: (1) three specific gratitudes, (2) one “why it mattered,” (3) one tiny action you’ll repeat tomorrow. Use a tag like [grateful] so you can search later. Do it while walking or commuting so it’s frictionless.
Why gratitude journaling usually fails
Most gratitude advice is correct. And still, people quit.
They quit because:
- it takes too long
- it feels performative
- it’s easy to skip when you’re tired
Voice fixes the time problem. A script fixes the “blank page” problem.
The script (steal this verbatim)
Speak in this order:
- Title: “Gratitude” + today (or “morning gratitude”)
- Three specific gratitudes
- One why (for one item)
- One repeatable action
Example:
Title: Gratitude — Thursday. [grateful]
- The sunlight on the walk to the corner store.
- A friend who replied fast when I was spiraling.
- The quiet 10 minutes after dinner.
Why: the quick reply snapped me out of rumination.
Tomorrow: text first instead of waiting.
That’s a complete entry.
Make it stick: attach it to a trigger
Don’t rely on “discipline.” Use a trigger you already do:
- first minute of a walk
- sitting in the car before driving
- making coffee
- brushing teeth
When the trigger happens, you speak the script. No decision required.
How to keep it from getting cheesy
If “gratitude” makes you cringe, rename it:
- “good things log”
- “what didn’t suck”
- “tiny wins”
And keep it concrete:
- people, actions, moments, sensory details
- not generic categories
Review that takes 3 minutes
Once a week:
- search
[grateful] - skim titles
- star 1–2 entries that you want to remember
You’ll start noticing what actually shifts your mood: sleep, movement, connection, finishing a task, sunlight, quiet.
Printable gratitude prompts (free)
If you want a simple “open → print” list (or save it as a PDF):
- Printable: /printables/gratitude-journal-prompts-30-days.html
- Download (Markdown): /printables/gratitude-journal-prompts-30-days.md
More prompt packs: /journal-prompts