My previous post in this 2023 Resolution series was about how I ought to try incorporating serendipity into my writing process. As I wrote the post, I realised I had already developed a way of incorporating serendipity into my writing, but just hadn’t applied it to my writing process.
Five Good Things is a blog series that I started back in the spring of 2020, when the reality of the Covid-18 pandemic hit and I began settling into the “new normal” of life under lockdown.
The logic behind the series goes like this: for every negative thing that happens to somebody, it takes at least five positive things to counteract the crummy feelings associated with it. For example, let’s say you get into a fight with your partner. It’s going to take five or more niceties, compliments, positive interactions, etc. for the two of you to return to feeling good about each other. Bad weighs more than good, apparently.
With that notion in mind, Five Good Things was an opportunity for me to share five positive thoughts as a way to ward away any unhelpful, unproductive or worrisome ones. For the series, the items comprising my lists were quick, off-the-top-of-the-head thoughts – however banal, ordinary, or inconsequential. Rather than ponderous intellectualising, the aim was to think light and spontaneously.
Before publishing my first post in the series, I casually practised a “five good things” mental exercise throughout my day. With the series, I hoped the act of publishing posts regularly for potentially anyone to read might enable me to better focus on the things most important to me and possibly consider why they held such value.
Despite the series proving to be a useful tool for my overall wellbeing, by midsummer of the same year, I stopped publishing Five Good Things posts. However, as I wrote the recent post about incorporating serendipity into my writing process, I realised that the Five Good Things concept was aligned with my resolution to start blogging regularly again.
So, I’ve decided to rekindle the Five Good Things series and apply the exercise to my writing process. Reflecting on the good things in life should encourage me to be more open to inspiration and more willing to adapt to unexpected change, which should make for more dynamic and interesting writing. It should also keep me on track with my resolution to blog regularly.
Through my “five good things” practice, I recognised that perspective is key to a positive attitude. By focusing on the good things, I hope to gain a better and more profound appreciation of the world around me. I’m curious to see how making this conscious effort to incorporate this practice into my daily life might improve my outlook and my writing.
