The Three Good Things exercise
Three Good Things is a simple positive psychology exercise: take a few moments each day to write down three good things that happened.
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- Frequency
- Once a day
- Difficulty
- Easy
How to do it
- At the end of the day, pause for a minute.
- Write down three good things that happened today.
- Keep the entries simple, specific, and honest.
- Come back tomorrow and do it again.
That is the whole practice. You do not need a long journal entry, a perfect sentence, or a dramatic moment from the day.
What counts as a good thing?
A good thing can be small: a favorite meal, a kind message, finishing a task, taking a walk, laughing at something, or noticing a quiet moment before it disappeared.
The point is not to pretend every day was perfect. The point is to remember that even ordinary days usually contain something worth noticing.
Prompts for a blank day
If nothing comes to mind, a question is usually easier to answer than a blank page.
- What made today a little easier?
- What made you smile, even briefly?
- What felt better than expected?
- What did you finish, start, or make progress on?
- Who made the day better?
- What are you glad you noticed?
- What helped you feel more settled?
- What would you want to remember from today?
Why keep it daily?
The habit works best when it stays easy to repeat. Writing three short notes each day gives you a small record of what went well, and over time those small notes add up.
A simple example
- Had a good conversation while making dinner.
- Finished the thing I kept putting off.
- Went outside for a few minutes before sunset.
Keep reading
Keep your good things close.
Write three good things each day, and look back on what went well.
