List Your Way to Personal Joy with the 52 Lists for Happiness

When the going gets tough, what's your anchor?

Mine is writing. Whether that's free writing in my journal, blogging, updating my to-do list, or jotting scattered notes down on a scrap of paper - writing is my release. Stress quickly leads to feelings of overwhelm and anxiety for me. When I feel like I'm totally distracted or unfocused, writing is the anchor that grounds me.

One of my favorite tools for writing release last year was Moorea Seal's The 52 Lists Project. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to review her new book, 52 Lists for Happiness.

Moorea's new book, and a big source of my happiness!

I like to think of Moorea's books as "productive journaling." Where most of my own journaling is scattered free writing in any notebook I've got lying around, Moorea has organized 52 writing prompts (one for each week) into four sections: Reflect, Acknowledge, Invest, and Transform. Like The 52 Lists Project before it, the 52 Lists of Happiness includes dreamy illustrations and photos that truly inspire wanderlust, by Moorea's talented friend Julia Manchik.

Each writing prompt is designed to help you take action and create the happiness you seek. While going through lists in her last book, I always found myself thinking about that list all week long. 52 Lists for Happiness is a gratitude journal in this sense; encouraging you to take inventory of the people, places and simple things that bring you joy. When things feel chaotic, unfair or out of control, I've found that gratitude journaling is the best way to quickly find the silver lining out of that mindset. That and some Beyoncé, of course.