How often do you pay close attention to your own happiness? It sounds like a silly question at first, but like with everything else in our lives, approaching our own happiness requires intentional thought and action.

With the busyness of every day life, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget to savor those little moments of peace, joy, and pure happiness.

Like the specific way the sun streams in through your windows in the late afternoon, or the friendly barista at your favorite coffee shop who always asks about the kids, or that very particular feeling in the air when you walk outside for the first time after a long, hot summer and realize fall is here. That one meal at your favorite cafe. The smell and feeling of a new notebook (in our humble opinion, one of the very best happy list things out there!).

It’s these little, and big, things that make us happy, whether we actively realize it or not. It all adds up to our life, and that is worth noting, documenting, and savoring.

That's why creating a Happy List, a compilation of items, things, places, and activities that bring you joy, is such a valuable and fun tool.

This month, we’re encouraging you to get extra present and intentional by creating your own Happy List, complete with a fun download! Keep on reading to discover how, and why, to create your very own Happy List.

It’s too easy to rush by or forget the things that truly make us happy. By intentionally creating a happy list, you start to develop a deeper understanding of yourself and what brings you joy.

Much like our Daily Pause Journal, taking the time to reflect on what brought you joy or little moments of happy or peace to your day, you’ll begin to cultivate a better sense of self-awareness. This is how you create truly intentional moments, days, relationships, and a life.

Find an inspiring place to reflect on your Happy List, and then get to listing!

For a well rounded Happy List that you can turn to time and again, we like to approach our lists with a bit of the following ‘categories’:

• Think of things that bring you physical pleasure, like a hot bath after a long day, or a massage at your favorite spa, or the Spring sunshine on your face.

• Things that make you feel accomplished and capable, like finishing a book, learning something new, training for a long run, or mastering the art of gardening.

• Experiences that you find meaningful, like mentoring, spending time with your friends & family, family traditions and holidays.

• Things that taste good, of course. That first cup of morning coffee, your favorite mug of hot tea, the anniversary meal you always eat, and so on.

• Your favorite songs, movies, and shows throughout your lifetime.

• Places and spaces that inspire, energize, or comfort you, like that specific corner of the couch that you can sink into and immediately feel more relaxed. Spaces can hold such powerful emotions for us.

And so much more. Your Happy list is YOURS! We’ve created a Happy List starter download below to help get you going, but no one knows what lights up your soul as well as YOU do. That’s the point, remember?

Embrace the joy and presence that comes from discovering and honoring what makes you truly happy. You might be surprised at just how much your own Happy List can help make you, well, even happier. ;)

Download the Happy List starter here.

TIP: Keep your Happy List somewhere where you can see it often. Whether it's in a notebook, at the front of your planner or as a quick-find document on your desktop (don’t forget to download our Happy List starter ideas!) make sure your happy list is easy to reference when you need a mood boost.

Don’t forget to update your list regularly. As you discover new things that bring you joy, add them to your list. In the same lane, don’t be hesitant to remove items that no longer bring you joy. Your Happy List can ebb and flow, just like life and seasons.

Here’s to getting intentional about your joy!