The Jar of Awesome
Capture daily wins in a physical jar to combat hedonic adaptation and negativity bias
The Jar of Awesome is a deceptively simple practice that directly combats humanity's negativity bias and hedonic adaptation. The mechanics are straightforward: keep a physical jar in a visible location, and whenever something good happens, no matter how small, write it on a slip of paper and put it in the jar. When you are having a bad day, pull out a handful of slips and read them.
The practice addresses two persistent cognitive distortions. First, the negativity bias: humans are hardwired to remember and ruminate on negative events more than positive ones, creating a distorted perception that life is worse than it actually is. Second, hedonic adaptation: we quickly normalize positive changes (a raise, a relationship, an achievement) and return to our baseline happiness, forgetting that what is now routine was once deeply desired.
Ferriss recommends the Jar of Awesome alongside the 5-Minute Journal and Peter Diamandis's 'three daily wins' practice as part of a broader appreciation architecture. For type-A personalities who are chronically future-focused, these practices serve as counter-balancing medicine. The physical nature of the jar (as opposed to a digital list) makes the accumulated evidence of good times tangible and visceral in a way that scrolling through a notes app does not.
- Humans have a negativity bias that distorts perception of reality
- Hedonic adaptation causes us to normalize and forget positive events
- Physical artifacts are more emotionally powerful than digital records
- Small wins accumulate into powerful evidence during hard times
- Achievement without appreciation is a recipe for anxiety
- You can't always control what happens, but you can control what you remember
- Get a physical jar and place it somewhere visibleUse a mason jar, cookie jar, or any clear container. Place it somewhere you see daily, like your desk, nightstand, or kitchen counter. Keep a small notepad and pen next to it for easy access.
- Write down awesome moments as they happenWhenever something good happens, no matter how small, write it on a slip of paper with the date and drop it in the jar. This includes small wins, kind moments, funny experiences, compliments received, personal bests, or anything that made you smile.
- Read slips when you need a boostOn bad days, difficult weeks, or when you feel that nothing is going right, pull out a handful of slips and read them. The accumulated evidence of good times serves as a tangible counterargument to the distorted narrative your negativity bias is constructing.
Ferriss describes using the Jar of Awesome during periods of intense struggle, including the 'perfect storm' of challenges he details in the book. When the demons of self-doubt and anxiety hit, pulling physical slips from the jar provided tangible, undeniable evidence that good things had happened and would happen again.
Ferriss introduced the Jar of Awesome as part of his broader architecture for cultivating appreciation and present-state awareness. The practice emerged from his observation that type-A personalities, including himself, have goal pursuit as default hardwiring. While this produces achievement, it also produces anxiety through constant future-focus. The Jar of Awesome provides a physical, tangible counterweight to the negativity bias and hedonic adaptation that cause high achievers to dismiss or forget their wins.