1. Give Thanks Every Day 

Frustrations, challenges and pain can dull our eyes to God’s gifts. The routines of everyday life can yield an inadvertent complacency causing us to take some things for granted. Intentionally practicing thanksgiving each day and gives us fresh vision to see the good around us.  

To sweeten your new year, give yourself a daily gratitude assignment. It can be as simple as thanking God for one, two or five things each night. Ask God to help you develop a thankful heart and eyes to see His good gifts all around you.  

 Thanksgiving is also an effective way to counter discouragement. When faced with a problem or disappointment, bring the matter to God and include a list of positive things that are also true in your life. As you practice the habit of expressing gratitude, you’ll notice more and more thanks-worthy things throughout each day.