Try a Jar of Happiness This Year

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If you want more happiness in your life, here’s a simple technique that I’ve successfully used for the last few years. It is called a Happiness Jar and is credited to author Elizabeth Gilbert.

The idea is simple, you jot down your wins, happy moments, compliments, successes…. on a scrap of paper each day (or as often as you choose) and put them in a jar. Then on the day of your choosing, you read them all. I like to read mine on New Year’s Day each year, but you could do it on your birthday, or any day you are feeling down and need a reminder of some of the good in your life.

You can decorate your Happiness Jar and give it a prominent place in your home, or you might go more incognito and use an old coffee can in the corner of your office. It is up to you.

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You can toss in ticket stubs, mementos, a penny you found that day; it is all up to you. When I started this, I wrote the date on my happiness notes, but over the past couple of years, I’ve liked them being more ambiguous when I read them later. I’ve seen some people do all of this electronically with voice messages and notes on their phones, but I think having a physical collection to hold and read makes this more powerful, and seeing your jar is a great reminder to put something in it.

The goal is to add to your jar daily, but if you miss a day don’t make a big deal of it. This year I missed months of deposits, but I started again when I felt like it and enjoyed this ritual once again.

Here is a video I made a few years back on the subject.

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I began my first Happiness Jar in January 2014. My jar was full five months into the year, and being a stickler for rules, I refused to do anything about it because it wasn’t New Year’s Eve yet. By the time 2014 came to an end, I was in no mood to explore my happiness. So, please make use of a Happiness Jar but don’t get caught up in any rules around it.

I like bringing fire into any ritual I do, so after I read my notes, I burn them all on New Year’s Day. This step is optional and should only be done if you can do it safely! Burning down your home is NOT something you’ll want to write on a note for your next jar.

You can add whatever extra steps you would like to your Happiness Jar or Happiness Fish Tank! Make a family jar, add to it weekly, read them back monthly, quarterly, whenever you need a lift, or turn it into a time capsule and don’t read them for years as I initially did.

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