Day 1: Count Your Blessings: Starting Your Gratitude Practice (Even When It Feels Hard)
Gratitude sounds simple.
And yet, when you’re asked to actually practise it, consistently, intentionally, it can feel surprisingly challenging.
Today marks Day 1 of the 28-day gratitude practice inspired by the book The Magic by Rhonda Byrne.
And the instruction is clear:
Write down 10 things you are grateful for.
Simple… but not always easy.
Why Day 1 Can Feel Daunting
If you’re new to gratitude, writing even three things can feel like a stretch.
I know this from experience.
Years ago, when I first read The Success Principles (Canfield, 2008) and explored Authentic Happiness (Seligman, 2011), I was introduced to the idea of daily gratitude.
The practice sounded straightforward:
- Write three things you’re grateful for
- Do it consistently
- Notice what shifts
But in reality?
I found it challenging.
Some days it felt forced.
Some days repetitive.
And some days, if I’m honest, I wasn’t sure I believed it was doing anything at all.
From 3 Gratitudes to 10 — The Stretch That Creates Growth
Fast forward to reading The Magic for the first time in 2025.
When I reached Day 1 and saw the instruction to write 10 gratitudes, my first thought was:
That’s a lot.
And if you’re feeling that right now, you’re not alone.
In the original text, Rhonda Byrne emphasises the importance of truly feeling gratitude — not just listing things, but connecting emotionally to them.
“When you direct gratitude toward something, you feel grateful for it.”
But here’s the reality when you’re starting:
You might not feel it straight away.
You might feel like you’re repeating yourself.
You might even feel like you’re “making things up.”
And that’s okay.
Be Kind to Yourself — This Is a Practice, Not Perfection
If Day 1 feels awkward, forced, or uncomfortable, that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
It means you’re doing something new.
This is where self-leadership begins.
Instead of judging the process, stay with it.
Instead of aiming for perfection, aim for consistency.
Instead of overthinking, simply write.
Because the shift doesn’t come from getting it right.
It comes from showing up daily.
What Changes Over Time
What I’ve found — through repeating this practice multiple times — is that something starts to shift.
Gradually.
Quietly.
Naturally.
What once felt forced begins to feel familiar.
What once felt repetitive begins to feel expansive.
What once felt like effort begins to feel authentic.
Now, writing 10 gratitudes doesn’t feel like a stretch.
It feels natural.
Grounding.
Even necessary.
Your Only Job Today
For Day 1, keep it simple:
- Write 10 things you are grateful for
- After each one, pause and feel the gratitude (even briefly)
- Don’t overthink it
And most importantly:
Keep going, even if it feels imperfect.
A Simple Reframe to Support You
If your mind starts to resist, try this:
Instead of asking
“Is this working?”
Ask
“What if this works?”
Let this be an experiment.
One day at a time.
Your Next Step
Start your list today.
Write your 10 gratitudes.
And tomorrow, come back for Day 2.
Because momentum — in business and in life — is built through small, consistent actions.
And this is one of them.
