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A New Year’s Resolution That Truly Sticks: The Power of Gratitude Journaling

Writer's picture: Bill Carlson Bill Carlson

As the year comes to a close and New Year’s Eve arrives, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the past twelve months and planning for the year ahead. Beyond deciding how to spend the evening, this time often inspires resolutions. Popular New Year’s resolutions include losing weight, quitting smoking or drinking, changing jobs, and improving personal relationships. The first few weeks typically start strong, yet statistics reveal a sobering reality: long-term success in achieving resolutions remains elusive for most people.


Resolution Success Rates

  • Only about 9-12% of individuals report successfully achieving their resolutions by the year’s end.

  • Approximately 25% abandon their resolutions within the first week.


Why do so many resolutions fail? Researchers have identified several contributing factors, including losing focus on the goal and the lack of short-term positive feedback. Without regular reinforcement, the initial enthusiasm wanes, and old habits creep back in.

For 2025, I propose a resolution that offers daily reinforcement, long-term benefits, and a transformative impact: keeping a gratitude journal.


The Benefits of a Gratitude Journal

Studies have consistently demonstrated the profound benefits of gratitude journaling. Among them are:

  1. Enhanced Psychological Well-Being: Keeping a gratitude journal has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, contributing to an overall sense of well-being.

  2. Improved Relationships: Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression, fostering stronger, more positive relationships.

  3. Better Physical Health: Individuals who practice gratitude tend to exercise more and experience fewer physical ailments.


Gratitude journaling is simple yet impactful. It requires nothing more than a notebook and a few minutes of reflection each day. At the end of each day, take a moment to write down two or three things you are grateful for. Most days, these entries will be small, everyday moments: an awe-inspiring sunrise, a kind gesture from a stranger, or a meaningful connection with a loved one. Focusing on these positives shifts our attention away from what went wrong during the day.


My Personal Experience with Gratitude Journaling

How can I be so confident in the power and benefits of keeping a gratitude journal? For first-time readers, my journey with gratitude began during one of the most challenging periods of my life: my incarceration. Early on, I started a gratitude journal as a way to cope with the isolation and regret I faced. Reflecting on even the smallest blessings each day helped me find hope and meaning in an otherwise difficult situation.


The impact was so profound that I began teaching others about gratitude journaling during my incarceration. To provide readers with a deeper understanding, I’ve included a page from my gratitude journal in this blog (Names have been blocked to protect the individual identities). This entry highlights how focusing on small blessings transformed my mindset, even in dire circumstances.


A Simple, Transformative Practice

Starting a gratitude journal is easy. Here’s how you can make it part of your 2025 resolution:

  1. Choose Your Medium: Whether it’s a notebook, an app, or a dedicated journal, pick a format that feels comfortable and accessible.

  2. Set Aside Time: Dedicate a few minutes at the end of each day to reflect and write. Consistency is key.

  3. Focus on the Small Things: Gratitude doesn’t have to stem from grand gestures or major events. Often, the most meaningful entries are the simplest ones: a kind word, a beautiful view, or a shared laugh.


As you make gratitude journaling a daily habit, you’ll likely notice a shift in your perspective. By focusing on the positives, you’ll cultivate a mindset that not only improves your mental and emotional health but also strengthens your relationships and enhances your overall quality of life.


A New Year’s Resolution Worth Keeping

The start of a new year is a time for fresh beginnings and ambitious goals. While traditional resolutions often fall by the wayside, gratitude journaling offers a sustainable and rewarding alternative. By committing to this practice in 2025, you can experience the transformative power of gratitude firsthand.


As someone who has witnessed and benefited from this practice, I encourage you to embrace it as your resolution for the coming year. It’s a small daily investment with life-changing returns. May 2025 be a year of gratitude, growth, and renewed joy for us all.


Gratitude Journal kept while in prison that played key role in becoming a better person.
Gratitude Journal kept while in prison that played key role in becoming a better person.



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What the Professionals Are Saying 

"I teach a course on negotiations, during which I spend a good deal of time talking about honesty and ethics in negotiations. As an ethics researcher, I think it is important that students not only understand strategies for successfully claiming value in negotiations, but also learn about the temptations they will face to engage in unethical bargaining, and unethical behavior more broadly in their professional careers. Bill brought this message to life. Bill explained to my students – with openness, authenticity, and scientific insight – the ethical missteps he took in his career. I am incredibly grateful to have had Bill in my class – I learned from him just as much as my students did. I think he would be a welcome, and much needed, addition to any course related to ethics, well-being, power and influence, or negotiations (and likely many more!)."   

                                                                        Professor Emma Levine/ University of Chicago Booth School of Business 

“Bill Carlson has a reservoir of experience that will resonate with college students and professionals from all walks of life. Seldom do you encounter an individual willing to openly share his foibles and mistakes in an attempt to deviate the life paths of those mutually-inclined to make the same errors. Bill lays his life bare in his presentation and shares the detrimental impact his decision-making had on his personal and professional life; yet he lays the foundation for an inroad to a better future built upon his gratitude for life, learning from his mistakes, and pursuit of his new definition of “life wholeness”.  

                                                                         Dr. William C. McCoy, Director/Rutland Institute for Ethics

                                                                         Visiting Professor, College of Education/Clemson University 

"For over 30 years, I have been teaching full- and part-time. For the past eleven years I have been a member of the accounting faculty at Fordham University. This semester, Fall 2021, Mr. Carlson agreed to speak with my students about his story, and I can say that I have had few guest speakers who delivered such a powerful message about the importance of professional obligations. It was the story of a seemingly nice guy who exhibited a lack of judgment and would pay a heavy price for it. Most importantly, it is a story of a man who reflected upon his moral lapse and has made a solid commitment to helping others."              

                                                                                       Timothy P. Hedley, Ph.D., CPA, CFF, CFE

                                                                            Retired Global Leader of Fraud Risk Management Services, KPMG LLP

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