You know, sometimes I don’t think us humans give ourselves enough credit for how far we’ve come. We’re always so focused on what’s next and what’s not working, instead of noticing all the amazing things in our lives that are working. You know those amazing moments when you realize you might actually be doing something right? Well, today we’re going to take that and run with it—like a dog chasing a squirrel, but with less chaos and no barking.

the gratitude groove

Let’s start with something simple but seriously life-changing: gratitude.

Picture this—you wake up, the coffee’s brewing, and instead of thinking about all the crap you’ve got to deal with, you take a second to appreciate the good stuff. Maybe it’s the coffee itself (or Nummy caffeine free coffee alternative, available at Vortex 😉), or the fact that you didn’t have to hit the snooze button seventeen times. This is a great way to start the day off on the right foot.

I think sometimes people think we need to think big when we practice gratitude, but that’s not always the case. Sure, go big, but why not start small? Be grateful you woke up, period. Be grateful for your bed and the roof over your head to start, and let that spiral into appreciation for your family or pets or your favourite house plant. Trust me, it’s the kind of habit that turns “meh” days into “hell yea” days.

Another exercise that I find extremely effective (and only slightly silly) is a process I have created (patent-pending) that can really bring you into the moment and provide the opportunity to let go, make space, and focus on appreciation. All you need is yourself… and a toilet. I call it: Gratipoo’d™️.

Stay with me. Stay with me!

Think about it: we are never more present in the moment than when nature calls. When our body says “it’s go time” we can use that nudge as a signal to tune into appreciation. Seriously – what a perfect time to take a seat and reflect on this once precious life we have.

Plus, let’s be real – it feels great when we let $#!% go (figuratively and literally) so why not optimize the experience and, instead of scrolling on your phone, you take a few minutes to reflect. Whether it’s gratitude for your life in general, or for surviving the reemergence of that spicy Mexican meal from last night, this is a great time to regularly check in. It doesn’t matter if it’s big or small, adopting an attitude of gratitude throughout our day can be a real game changer – and if your bowel movements are regular, why not make your gratitude movement a regular thing as well?

Listen, it was only a matter of time before I talked about poop and, to be honest, I’m truly surprised it’s taken this long.

small wins are big deals

Now, let’s talk about celebrating those small wins. I’m not saying you need to throw a parade every time you take out the trash (unless that helps), but hey, give yourself some credit! Life’s too short to only celebrate the big stuff.

Maybe you finally cleaned out that closet that’s been haunting you, or you managed to get through a workday without flipping your desk over. Perhaps you hit the gym even when you didn’t want to. These are victories, my friend! And they deserve at least a little happy dance—even if it’s just in your kitchen with the dog judging you. (Don’t worry, they’ll join in eventually.)

For me, I often struggle with this because I have extremely high (and usually unrealistic) expectations of myself. I’m practicing the idea of feeling good about every little step throughout my days because it’s ridiculous to assume you’re going to be at 100% efficiency and effectiveness all day every day. When we have big goals and aspirations sometimes it doesn’t feel like it’s worth celebrating the little wins along the way, but we are doing ourselves a disservice if we’re withholding that acknowledgement.

At this point I’m cheering myself on when I simply move the clothes from the washer to the dryer… and if the dry clothes get folded and make it back into the closet, I may as well set off an f’n fireworks show for how proud I am.

Don’t underestimate the power of patting yourself on the back. It’s the appreciation of little wins that compound into big ones.

what’s going well?

Once you’ve got your gratitude and your mini-celebrations in check, it’s time to get a little creative. I’m not saying you need to invent the next iPhone, but what if you took what’s already working in your life and gave it a bit of a twist?

Notice what’s going well—maybe it’s a morning routine that doesn’t leave you frazzled, or a work strategy that’s finally paying off. How can you MacGyver that success into other areas of your life? Maybe that same routine that keeps you on track in the morning could help you tackle that pile of laundry that’s threatening to take over your bedroom.

It’s all about taking what works and running with it, or in some cases, lazily rolling with it. Either way, you’re moving forward, and that’s what counts.

maintaining momentum

So, here’s the bottom line: building on what works isn’t about reinventing the wheel—it’s about giving that wheel a good spin and seeing where it takes you. Life is full of small victories and unexpected wins. All you need to do is recognize them, celebrate them, and maybe—just maybe—find a way to make them even better.

And remember, if you ever need a little extra push to keep things rolling smoothly, you know where to find us.