Gratitude Journal

As I approach my 40th birthday, I've always dreamed of creating my own business and apps. I’ve been passionate about the process of creation but have struggled to see projects through to completion, especially when it comes to polishing the final details and marketing.

This pattern is probably the reason I've rarely finished anything.

But in 2023, I’m changing that. I’m committed to not only starting projects but also seeing them through.

Part of my routine includes planning and daily affirmations. During a three-month remote work stint in Korea, I set a clear goal: finish an app and launch it on the Play Store.

Three months later, DailyUplift debuted on the Play Store. It wasn't revolutionary, and my expectations were none, but releasing it was an important step for me. I refrained from promoting it as my satisfaction with the app was not fully there (you can check it out here: https://dailyuplift.app/).

Nonetheless, DailyUplift reignited my React Native skills, helped me understand the app release process, and taught me to create cost-effective assets—a journey I’ll detail in another post.

It was a valuable experience.

Initially, DailyUplift included a simple gratitude journaling feature—logging three positive things a day. Back in London, I decided to extract this feature and build a dedicated app for gratitude journaling, using the framework I’d developed.

Three months on, the Gratitude Journal app was created.

Again, it isn't revolutionary, but it taught me more new things, including reviving an old iPhone to make the iOS version. More than anything, the sense of achievement is real. My work is out there, and while it may only be used by my wife and me, the fulfillment I've found in its completion is immense.

I’ve broken the pattern and am energized to create more. Life is good.