It has never been quite the same since we lost Joan Rivers but what I still enjoy most about the Oscars is scrolling through the red carpet dresses in the days that follow.

This week’s offering has little to do with fashion, though. I want to share with you a brilliant tool someone told me they use, which has proven to be a winner for me, too. Its simplicity is its elegance:

Each night, before bed, review in your mind the top moments of the day. See if you can identify five. Play their memories in your head like those clips they show when announcing the Oscar nominees — your day’s highlight reel.

As you replay each good thing that happened, notice how you felt. Who else was involved? What led to that special moment?

When I say the top moments of your day, I don’t mean just when you win a Pulitzer or solve world hunger — I’m talking ordinary stuff.

A recent list of mine included the feeling of freedom, beauty and gratitude for skipping down the beach with my dog in the glorious sunshine, a moment with my son, bursting out laughing at a joke he told, and the satisfaction of crossing an annoying task off my to-do list.

Even the worst days have their good moments when we look: the support of a friend, finding a connection with someone, maintaining your sense of humour despite it all.

The process is similar to keeping a gratitude journal, another helpful tool. But I like this better. It feels more real and immediate, supporting the things we’re grateful for with clear, fresh evidence — allowing reconnection to the recent good feelings experienced.

The executive I cribbed this from says this exercise forms part of his nightly routine. He says it helps him to recognise what is working well so as to recreate successes. It also helps him to identify those who have contributed to his winning moments and appreciate them accordingly (this guy is renowned for being an amazing boss).

International coaching expert Tony Robbins revealed he does this too, but he writes it down. He uses his ‘success journal’ to celebrate his progress and accumulate wins to uplift and motivate when times get tough.

I’ve always regarded myself as a positive person but while attempting this, I noticed how quick I am to point out everything that didn’t go right, what I did wrong, how things didn’t go as planned. What happens when I shift the focus and concentrate on what I did do well and the bits that worked?

I feel an overwhelming sense of satisfaction and peace. Isn’t it so much nicer to drift off to sleep reliving all the good bits than tangling our brains with the negative?

And if, as the adage says, we get more of what we focus on, then we are setting ourselves up for further successes in the days to come.

Give it a whirl. “Your Oscars go to…?”

• Julia Pitt is a trained success coach and certified NLP practitioner on the team at Benedict Associates. For further information, contact Julia on 705-7488 or visit www.juliapittcoaching.com