Aspirational habit/Periodic reminder to self: Find 5 minutes to appreciate one relationship – either a cross-functional partner/teammate at work or a friend outside of work.
3 added notes on this practice –
1. If we’re appreciating a work colleague, consider letting their manager know. Doing this with specific feedback about what we appreciate is the icing on the cake.
2. It helps to appreciate strong relationships while we are in them (this is very hard to do given our propensity to take them for granted!). Aside from being good for our happiness, it increases the likelihood we’ll keep that relationship strong and, thus, reduces the chance we’ll regret not sharing appreciation when we don’t have it anymore. :-)
3. Appreciating others instantly spreads joy and peace of mind. Doing so without any expectation of being appreciated gives us peace of mind and joy.
