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?

    我的许多快乐项目活动目标的决心就是成为快乐记忆的宝库。研究表明，回忆美好时光能振奋情绪，留心和保存它们是使生活秩序化的最令人满意的方法之一。

    几年前，我的母亲开始了记忆保存的习惯，而且已经被证明这有很多乐趣。

    她为两个孙女各买了一本日记。每次游览完堪萨斯时，我的大女儿会写一段游览的总结，我会写在小女儿的书上。

    我们这样做仅仅是从2007年开始，但我们都非常乐于回顾过去。记忆的消失，甚至是比较较强烈记忆的消失速度是令人震惊的，简单的记录，非常有效地提醒我们的过去--女儿掉进鸭池，父亲做煎饼时触发了火灾警报，妹妹和她的丈夫被锁在卧室里。

    （事实上，这些事故都突出证明了成年的秘密，母亲教育我说："出问题的时候，往往会成为最美好的回忆。"好好记住。）

    看到大女儿的笔迹发生变化，看到小女儿在笔记本上的涂鸦变成她自己的名字，也是如此的有趣。

    既然如此，这一习惯是否有痛苦？是的，有。我们会拖延每一次游览，去机场以前，我们通常用最后的10分钟在笔记本上作记录。但是，现在我们知道，我们以后会很高兴我们有记录。我的母亲明智的将标准设立的很低--她只要求四到五个句子。完美可以是良好的敌人，如果我的母亲要求更详细的记录，或要求更整洁，我们可能会更有力地抵抗。

    一句话的记录，几天的日记，还有旅行日志都是快速，简便地保持记忆鲜活生动的方法。我没办法写长期，详细的日志，但是我可以用其他方法跟上。

    你有没有找到好的策略，以保持美好时光的清晰？