A Year of Something Amazing

On finding new ways to celebrate progress

(first published on my Substack In Conscious Motion on January 10, 2024)

Apparently, this Friday is some ominous anniversary for New Year’s resolutions, the date most people give up on their goals. Quitters Day is the second Friday in January. Funny and kind of sad that we put so much pressure on ourselves in the first two weeks of January, a month known for cold, dark days and the post-holiday doldrums. To put such a deadline upon us, where if we’re not at our best by the second Friday in January we’ve somehow failed, seems a bit much. Like we have nothing else to do in our lives except focus exclusively on changing long-ingrained habits in 14 days.

It’s ridiculous.

So I’m not going to talk about New Year’s resolutions like I did last year. If you’re curious about my views and personal practice, check out last January's post, called New Me, New You? No, thank you.

FYI, I still followed the plan I outlined in that post. Last week, I did a Year-in-Review, reflecting on what I learned and achieved and what I’d like for this year.

But we’re going to talk about something else today.

Let’s talk about something good. Or even something amazing.

The Something Amazing Jar

Around January 10 last year I came across a post in my social media feed. In it, Jay Shetty talked about the Something Amazing Jar. The idea is that every time something amazing happens to you - or even something good - you write a small note and put it in your Something Amazing Jar.

I thought, What a good idea! I got out my red vase and put a sticky note on it and called it my Something Amazing Jar.

Every time I had an experience of something good or amazing I’d write it on a post-it note and put it in the jar. My vase was bursting by the end of the year.

How many post-its did I have by December 31? 98.

Now in a year that has 365 days, it may not sound like a lot and surely more something goods happened, but sometimes we are too busy that we don’t think about it. Still, ninety-eight times I made the effort to write down and remember something good and amazing.

So, in addition to my Year-in-Review last week, I poured out all my Something Amazing post-it notes onto my bed and opened a Word document and entered each one. By the end, I had a four-page list that I have since read over multiple times.

What I learned surprised me.

An Example of a Something Amazing note:

I like to include the date and what happened. I keep it short. Kind of like this:

Sometimes, the Something Good can seem minor, like a tea date, but if we look beyond the obvious, there’s often a deeper meaning. What was good about my date with my friend? For one, I got to see her. We are both very busy with careers and children and homes and schedules. Having an impromptu tea date is kind of remarkable in a world where you have to plan weeks in advance to get together. For another, at our half-hour tea date, she gave me some much-needed advice that helped me release something I’d been holding onto. To see a friend spontaneously and be relieved of a burden due to her sharing her wisdom counts in my books as Something Amazing.

What I Learned from the Something Amazing Jar

The 98-item compilation of Something Amazings had what society tells us are “true” accomplishments: those amazing things like developing and then running my dance/movement/writing therapy workshops, speaking at my industry’s conference in front of hundreds of colleagues about being a therapist and survivor, and finishing my manuscript, a project 3.5 years in the making. Yes, those we’d all define as noteworthy.

Also, my encounter with a pod of orca whales counts as amazing.

Professional accomplishments and lucky encounters with whales do qualify as amazing. But in addition to the big things, I saw how much I valued certain people in my life and how moments of connection mean a lot to me, especially with friends and family. I saw how much I valued my personal growth, when I challenged myself to step beyond my comfort level and have the hard conversations.

In essence, my four-page list was a direct printout of what I value most in my life.

So, I am doing the challenge again this year. In a world that has so much chaos, and as a survivor who sometimes has hard days, having a task that focuses on Something Amazing brings a new focus to my life.

How to do the Something Amazing Jar:

1. Get a vase or jar and label it Something Amazing or Good.
2. Have post-it notes or paper scraps and pen nearby.
3. Whenever Something Good or Amazing happens, write the date and describe briefly (3-10 words) what happened.
4. Define Something Good and Amazing for yourself. You get to decide. Some guidelines I use: something that lifted my heart, connection with others, challenging myself, a goal achieved, doing one thing of self-care if you are having a hard day.
5. At the end of the year, pour out your jar and look at all the things you did and experienced that you considered good or amazing.
6. Note any themes.
7. Discover through reading your list what you truly value.

What You Value

We are happiest and most fulfilled when we live a life focused on what we value.

Will you try out the Something Amazing Jar?

Would love to hear your thoughts on it.

Thanks for reading. If you'd like to read more, check In Conscious Motion on Substack for articles on healing and recovery after trauma, from the voice of a therapist who's been there.