Have you been going through life on autopilot? Do you see every new day, month and year as just another notch in your routine? If the drabness of your everyday has slowly been getting to you, it may be time to take on a new mindset by practicing gratitude.

Gratitude is about taking notice of the small, everyday things that can bring us joy and finding a newfound appreciation for them. It's about seeing the world in a new, positive light in order to become happier.

What is a gratitude planner?

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Similar to a gratitude journal, a gratitude planner is a way for you to get into the habit of practicing gratitude. It's about setting intentions, resolving to go into each new day with a positive outlook and being mindful of all the simple joys in life!

It's more than just a place for you to write 3 things you're grateful for everyday; it's a guided journey through becoming a more grateful and positive person.

Benefits of a gratitude planner

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Committing to a gratitude planner nourishes your mind, body and soul in various ways, making it a great self-care habit to pick up.

1. Becoming more intentional

We so often go through life taking notice of mostly the bad things, rather than the good ones. A gratitude planner helps you to set your expectations, pay more attention to the present and to intentionally look out for small joys.

2. Adopt a positive outlook

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When you start to look out for the simple joys in life, you'll find that a positive outlook on things will follow subsequently. It becomes much easier for you to bounce back from a negative situation or to turn a bad day around if you know how to find happiness from the small things.

3. Reduces stress

Paying more attention to the positive things in life and documenting them at the end of a day can be a really therapeutic process! Writing in a gratitude planner is a simple act, but it can really turn a bad day around or take your mind off a stressful situation.

4. Understand your priorities

The number of things we have to pay attention to everyday can get overwhelming. With a gratitude planner, you can set your priorities and milestones to help you focus on what you really care about. This makes your every day simpler and easier to get through.

Tips to start your own gratitude planner

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1. Set yearly goals and reflections

January 1st is perhaps one of the best times to get a fresh start, so it's important to take this chance to set goals and intentions for the year ahead in your gratitude planner. Ideally, the first page of your gratitude planner should be the

Here are some things you can write down in your gratitude planner when setting your goals for the year:

• What you're looking forward to
• What you want to accomplish
• What you want to work on
• And how you plan to accomplish these goals

In the same vein, December 31st is a great opportunity for you to look back on your year, see all that you have accomplished and learned over the last year.

Here are some things you want to consider when reflecting on the past year:

• Have you accomplished the goals you set at the start of the year?
• What you have learned
• Any new skills you've picked up
• Your lowest and highest points

2. Monthly gratitude sheets

Setting monthly goals every month will help you build your way towards achieving your yearly goals without overwhelming yourself.

Furthermore, monthly gratitude sheets can help you go into greater detail about your intentions for the month and how you wish to spend it.

Here are some things you may want to write about in your monthly gratitude worksheet:

• What goals you want to accomplish
• Fun things you want to do this month
• Who you intend to spend more time with
• How you want to feel this month

3. Daily gratitude exercises

You should also aim to have daily entries in your gratitude planner as well. Consider having morning or nightly gratitude worksheets, or both!

Setting morning gratitude goals can help you get the day started on the right foot — with a positive attitude and focused mindset.

On the other hand, closing out the day with nightly gratitude reflections helps you look back on the events of the day fondly and reflect on important takeaways to make tomorrow a better day.

4. Mood tracker

A daily mood tracker can be a great addition to your gratitude planner. Tracking your mood can help you identify patterns and triggers for your bad days, and you can learn how to deal with these accordingly.

For example, if you've noticed that you tend to have worse moods around the holidays, you can take extra precautions to keep yourself mentally nourished with self-care, gratitude, meditation, etc.

To add some fun and color to your gratitude journal, consider tracking your mood using colors!

Conclusion

A gratitude planner can help you stay positive and keep your spirits up, even in the toughest of times. Gratitude is a habit that needs to be cultivated, and a gratitude planner can help you get into the routine!

However, you don't always have to put in your time and effort into creating a gratitude planner. Instead, consider looking for some premade gratitude planner or digital gratitude planner templates instead! Save your time and effort, and focus instead on becoming a more positive person!