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The beginning of the 2017-2018 school year has been my best back to school ever, and I think a lot of the credit for that goes to the #happinesshabit I have been cultivating thanks to a T.E.D. Talk I watched from Shawn Achor, The happy secret to better work. Last Thursday marked 21 consecutive work days for me of tweeting out 3 things from my day for which I was grateful using the hashtag #gratitude180. I chose the hashtag #gratitude180 because there are roughly 180 days in a school year, and I also liked the connotation that one could do a 180 degree turnaround in their attitude by focusing on the positive.

According to Achor, if you want to be successful, you shouldn’t wait for success to make you happy, you should focus on being positive in the present and take time to reflect on the positive experiences in each day. He says, “90% of happiness is not determined by the external world but by how your brain processes it.” I love my job, but in the past I have often let stress or minor setbacks get me down and become the focus of my day. By following Achor’s simple advice, I’ve felt much less stressed and much more positive.

And, I’ve realized I have so much to be grateful for! From capturing little moments like the funny and wonderful things that come out of my students’ mouths, to realizing what a wonderful support network we have at the school, my gratitude is abundant.

So, are you ready to cultivate a #happinesshabit? I challenge you to try #gratitude180 for 21 days, and then let me know if you are seeing a transformation in your work life.