Tuesday Tip: Make Gratitude a Habit

by Tony Rushin

 

Every Monday morning, we have a 10- to 30-minute Leaders’ Huddle on my team where we discuss ways to become better leaders in order to serve others more effectively. I don’t always lead the huddle; sometimes Richard or Erin leads the team. Last month, Richard discussed the benefits of having a daily habit of reflecting on the day and listing the people or events we are thankful for (7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude). Then, near the end of every workday, Richard sent the team a reminder to list the 3 things we were grateful for that day. We did this for an entire month so we would build the habit.

When the month ended, I wanted to make sure I kept my fledgling daily grateful habit going, so I searched for an app that might help. At first, I didn’t find anything good (mainly apps that wanted to send me daily motivational quotes), so I started keeping a gratitude journal in Evernote. This worked fine for a week or so, but on a rainy weekend I decided to check the Apple app store again – and that’s when I found 365 Gratitude Journal.

The app has both an iPhone and Android version. You should know upfront that it isn’t free: it’s $2.99/month or $23.49 if paid annually. I’m grateful (if you will) that it’s a paid app because 1) I’m bombarded with enough ads already, 2) they don’t keep, sell, or rent any of my personal information, and 3) it’s a well-designed app, and I want the company to make money so they keep enhancing the app in the future.

It’s easy to use and has a simple interface. You can set a daily reminder and list the things you are grateful for that day. The app keeps your history. One favorite feature: the prompting questions that help me reflect. Here are some examples:

“What freedoms, unique abilities, and options do you have that others don’t have?”

“What advantages do I have in life?”

“Who are the allies and supporters who have helped me get to where I am?”

“What relationships do I have that others don’t?”

“What do I take for granted?” 

Here are a couple of the 5-star reviews the app has received:

“Excellent! Really love this application, already feel myself getting more positive and building momentum.” – Jordan

“Lovely tips and daily quotes are awesome. I enjoy expending 5 minutes to be grateful.” – Diana 

If you don’t want to start with a paid app, simply set a daily reminder on your phone and write down 3 things you’re grateful for every day. It’s not the app – it’s the daily gratitude habit – that’s important.

As we approach Thanksgiving, my challenge to you is to build a daily habit of listing what you are grateful for…and experience how it positively affects your perspective.

 

 

Tony Rushin Headshot

Tony Rushin: In his role as VP of sales & marketing, he is responsible for hiring, managing and coaching the sales team and always staying on top of (and meeting) the needs of clients. Under his leadership, the company has steadily grown each year.

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