Cultivating Gratitude In Your Business
We’re in a season of gratefulness and it’s my birthday week! I have so much to be grateful for that it’s given me a feeling of pause more than usual this year. Growing up, pumpkin pie was often my birthday cake and to this very day, I’m one of those “pumpkin-spice-everything, please” people! That warm and spicy aroma in the air and the cooler temperatures remind me to slow down and look around. The hustle and bustle of the upcoming season tends to steal these moments away, and I’ll take all the reminders I can get!
3 Ways To Cultivate Gratitude In Your Business
As I take a moment of pause and evaluate where we are, I am truly excited to send some encouragement your way as well! How can you sow gratitude in this season? As always, we need to shift our own focus first, sow gratitude into our own hearts, and then - let’s spread it far and wide! Our mindset matters so much, so let’s go!
#1: Stop and look around. Regain your big picture view.
What has changed for the better this year? What hurdles have you overcome that surprised you? What blessings exist that you hadn’t even thought to ask for? Take note - maybe even jot down a running list on your phone or a note on your desk! Let’s keep these things in a place where we’ll see them often until the end of the year!
#2: Who is by your side?
Maybe it’s a team member who naturally goes the extra mile at work - but is also simply great to work alongside each day. Perhaps the words of encouragement from your spouse have been particularly uplifting during challenging seasons. Don’t forget that friend who comes out of the woodwork to be your cheerleader - always at the time when you need it the most! Take a minute to write them a note or send a special voice memo expressing your gratitude! All the entrepreneurs reading this know we wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are without those people — so take a minute to tell them!
#3: What have you learned?
I don’t always recoil at the first sign of struggle within business. Oh yeah, it used to bring me to a place of internal anxiety and potentially even panic, but this is my biggest area of growth this year! My mind is shifting to recognize that with each challenge I’ve faced, amazing growth has been the end result - and I like those results! We’ve tightened up our systems, polished our patience, and found new ways to exceed expectations. I’ve learned to slow down and hear and see the situation before reacting.
There is still room for growth here - it’s not a perfected piece of the puzzle yet, but learning to appreciate growth and change is much better and easier than resisting it. As you pause to evaluate the past year, consider what has come from situations you thought were insurmountable. Where have you grown personally, as well as professionally, due to that challenge? What can you still learn seeing it now, from a distance? How will this change the way you handle the next challenge?
Sometimes sowing gratitude is simply an intentional shift in focus. Jumping off the hamster wheel and planting your feet for a moment of pause is the best thing you can do for yourself and your business right now. Enjoy the moment! You made it through another year and the best is yet to come!
Happy Thanksgiving, Friends!
