Gratitude, or the emotion of appreciation and joy in response to receiving a gift, is one of the basic ingredients for experiencing a good life. Research in recent years has indicated that an attitude of gratitude has many benefits, including improving mental and physical health. But that’s not the only benefit. In business, gratitude enables us to maintain a mindset of positive expectation, attract opportunity and move into our higher professional purpose.
Studies over the last decade found that adults who regularly feel grateful have increased energy and optimism, more social connections and are happier than those who do not. They're also less likely to be envious or greedy, PLUS they often earn more money!
In life and in business, I’ve learnt that when you continually focus on what you lack and don’t appreciate what life brings your way, you become vulnerable. That causes negativity, because you feel deprived and resentful about things you don’t have. Gratitude, on the other hand, brings about an inner shift when you acknowledge what is working in your life! It supports a mindset of abundance.
Here are six gratitude techniques I personally use in my own life and business:
Keep a Success and Gratitude Journal. Writing down and reflecting on your successes on a daily and weekly basis provides a real sense of achievement. Nurture gratitude by writing down at least five things you have achieved and can be grateful about each day. Some days your list will contain wonderful things, but on rough days you might find it very hard to even think of one! Just keep on doing it anyway!
Send Thank-You notes. This sounds old-fashioned, but nothing is as powerful as a sincere, handwritten thank-you note sent through the mail. Personally, I like to thank my clients for the opportunity to work with them and be part of their success journey.
Use positive, uplifting language to express gratitude where you can, like thanking a colleague who makes you coffee or the cheerful petrol pump attendant.
Communicate thankfulness. Identify individuals for whom you are especially grateful and tell them about it. You can make a phone call, write a letter or even send a text message. Be specific about what he/she has done for you and how it has positively impacted your life. Acknowledging another’s contribution will be gratifying to you both!
Always look for the “bright side” or seek the opportunity in any given situation, especially when life gives you something which might not be what you expected.
Use Gratitude Affirmations. I write affirmations down in my Success and Gratitude Journal every week and repeat these when busy with repetitive or tedious tasks, e.g. during a workout or while running.
Melody Beattie captures gratitude’s magic beautifully: "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow."
Your professional challenge: How can you use these techniques to increase gratitude levels personally and within your business? Let me know how they help you!
About the Author: Gina Mostert is a business success strategist and coach who works with executives, entrepreneurs, business owners and independent professionals to plan for success, get more organised and take decisive action to create better business results.
By creatively combining the best of consulting, coaching and mentoring, she helps clients to define exactly WHAT they want to be, have or do in business and HOW they intend to get there. She is the developer of the 8 Essentials for Business Breakthroughs Program for Small Businesses.
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