Get Yourself a ‘Holy Shit’ Jar
How an old soup jar is helping my family practice everyday gratitude
Gratitude. I know we need it in our lives, but I’ve struggled to make it a regular part of mine. And just like most ungrateful people who wish to be more grateful, I would often get frustrated for not being the type of person who remembers to appreciate all the good things.
But then a little over a year ago, I came across a fix: I was listening to a podcast interview with Noah Kagan, the founder of AppSumo, when he began raving about something he called a “Holy Shit Jar.”
What is a Holy Shit Jar? It is a literal jar. But it’s not just any jar. It’s a jar where you put all the things that make you say “holy shit” — in a good way — throughout your day. Your kid says his first word? Write it down on a scrap of paper and put it in the jar. Your partner made a whopper of a burger last night that you’re still thinking about today? Drop it in. You woke up and went running instead of hitting snooze? Add it to the jar. You get the idea. (Note: If you don’t want your kids chanting “holy shit” at playgroup, you can call the jar Good Things or The Smile Jar or whatever sounds right to you.)
Even my wife, who tends to walk the other way whenever she hears the phrase “gratitude practice,” liked the idea of the jar…
