Lola, founder of Ruthy Michaels, smiling and holding two colouring markers against a warm orange background.
It's that time of year. The evenings are drawing in, the Christmas adverts have started, and a quiet question creeps in: what have I actually done this year?
Maybe you find the list you wrote in January. Get fitter. Save more. Start that project. Finally, sort out the spare room. One by one, you notice everything you didn't tick off.
Before long, the whole year feels like a list of things that didn't happen.
Why the January list isn't fair
That list was written by a woman who didn't know what this year would ask of her. She didn't know about the poorly child, the extra shifts, the parent who needed more help, or the weeks when getting everyone fed and out of the door was the achievement.
The list only measured the big dreams. It never had a space for the little wins.
The wins that never made the list
Think back over this year and look for the small things:
The day you said no and didn't over-explain.
The hard conversation you finally had.
The morning you kept going when everything felt heavy.
The bedtime story you read even, though you were exhausted.
The friend you checked on, the appointment you finally booked, the ten minutes you took for yourself.
None of these will appear on a vision board. But this is how a year is really lived. They are proof of who you were this year: someone who kept showing up.
Gratitude isn't pretending everything is fine
Gratitude doesn't mean ignoring the dreams that didn't come through. They still matter, and some of them simply, aren't finished yet. It means giving your little wins the same attention you give the misses.
When you write them down, something shifts. "I didn't do enough" slowly becomes "I did more than I gave myself credit for." That isn't pretending. It's a fairer record of your year.
A gentle way to start tonight
You don't need an hour or a plan. Before bed, try this:
Write down three small things that went right today, however tiny.
Write one thing from this year you're quietly proud of.
Finish with: "I am doing better than I think."
Try it for a week and notice how it feels to end the day with what went right, not just what's left to do.
Gratitude Journal for Adults by Ruthy Michaels, a guided journal for noticing the little wins
Carry it into the new year
My Gratitude Journal for Adults was made for exactly this: a calm space to notice the good, a few minutes at a time. Start now, and by January you won't just have a new list. You'll have a record of all the little wins that carried you through this year.
It also makes a thoughtful Christmas gift for the woman in your life who always puts herself last.
Get your Gratitude Journal for Adults →
Want to start this with your little one, too? The Grateful Hearts Bundle (£13.99) pairs the journal with a gratitude colouring book for children so you can notice the little wins together.
See the Grateful Hearts Bundle →
What's one little win from your year? Tell me in the comments. I read every comment.
