Many of my happiness-project activities are aimed at my resolution to Be a treasure house of happy memories. Studies show that thinking back on happy times elevates mood, and observing and preserving memories is one of the most satisfying ways of bringing order to life.

    My mother started a memory-keeping tradition a few years ago that has proved to be a lot of fun.

    She bought two matching lined journals, one for each granddaughter. At the end of every visit to Kansas City, my older daughter writes a paragraph about the highlights of our visit, and I write in my younger daughter's book.

    We've only been doing it since 2007, but already, we all enjoy looking back at the entries from past visits. It's astounding how quickly even intense memories fade, and how effectively a brief note reminds us of highlights from the past – the time my daughter fell into the duck pond, the time my father set off the fire alarm when making pancakes, the time when my sister and her husband got locked in the bedroom.

    （The fact that these mishaps are highlights proves the Secret of Adulthood that my mother taught me: "The times when things go wrong often make the best memories." Good to keep in mind.）

    It's also interesting to see my older daughter's handwriting change, and to see how my younger daughter has gone from adding her scribbles to my note to being able to write her name.

    Now, is this tradition a bit of a pain? Yes, it is. We procrastinate every visit, and usually end up writing in the notebooks in the last ten minutes before we leave for the airport. But now we all know that we'll be glad to have the record, later. My mother wisely keeps the bar low -- all she asks for is four or five sentences. The perfect can be the enemy of the good, and if my mother pressed us for something more elaborate, or more neatly done, we might resist more energetically.

    The one-sentence journal, the diary of days, and this trip journal are all quick, untaxing ways to keep memories vivid. I wouldn't be able to keep a long, detailed journal, but I can keep up with these other methods.

    Have you found any good strategies to help keep happy memories vivid?

    我的許多快樂項目活動目標的決心就是成為快樂記憶的寶庫。研究表明，回憶美好時光能振奮情緒，留心和保存它們是使生活秩序化的最令人滿意的方法之一。

    幾年前，我的母親開始了記憶保存的習慣，而且已經被證明這有很多樂趣。

    她為兩個孫女各買了一本日記。每次游覽完堪薩斯時，我的大女兒會寫一段游覽的總結，我會寫在小女兒的書上。

    我們這樣做僅僅是從2007年開始，但我們都非常樂于回顧過去。記憶的消失，甚至是比較較強烈記憶的消失速度是令人震驚的，簡單的記錄，非常有效地提醒我們的過去--女兒掉進鴨池，父親做煎餅時觸發了火災警報，妹妹和她的丈夫被鎖在臥室里。

    （事實上，這些事故都突出證明了成年的秘密，母親教育我說："出問題的時候，往往會成為最美好的回憶。"好好記住。）

    看到大女兒的筆跡發生變化，看到小女兒在筆記本上的涂鴉變成她自己的名字，也是如此的有趣。

    既然如此，這一習慣是否有痛苦？是的，有。我們會拖延每一次游覽，去機場以前，我們通常用最后的10分鐘在筆記本上作記錄。但是，現在我們知道，我們以后會很高興我們有記錄。我的母親明智的將標準設立的很低--她只要求四到五個句子。完美可以是良好的敵人，如果我的母親要求更詳細的記錄，或要求更整潔，我們可能會更有力地抵抗。

    一句話的記錄，幾天的日記，還有旅行日志都是快速，簡便地保持記憶鮮活生動的方法。我沒辦法寫長期，詳細的日志，但是我可以用其他方法跟上。

    你有沒有找到好的策略，以保持美好時光的清晰？