Turn Your Gratitude Into Good Business

Gratitude is powerful, especially for entrepreneurs

The highs and lows of building a business can be extreme, but it’s the attitude that you maintain through it all that will determine your success. With a grateful mindset, you’ll find yourself more likely to open up to new opportunities and connections. You will also find it easier to navigate challenges. Gratitude as a habit can help you feel happier each day. When we’re happy in our work and life, we make better decisions and are more productive at what we do. And if happiness is the goal (which it should be!), then having an attitude of gratitude is good for business!

Be grateful for the insights that come to you

When you decided to become an entrepreneur, you did it because you recognized the possibilities in your business idea. Remember that that is not something that comes easy to people, and recognize how special it is. Being able to see the potential behind an idea and then having the courage to act on it is unique. Give thanks for your creativity and your ingenuity, and revisit your business plan often to reflect on how awesome it is to have the vision that drives you to do what you do in your business.

Be grateful for the lessons learned

Running a business is not always easy, but it does provide you with great opportunities to learn about yourself and your skills. Sometimes these are hard lessons that involve making mistakes or even failing. But when you do fail, take it as an opportunity to grow stronger in who you are and what you can do. It’s important not to beat yourself up after something doesn’t go well because there will be plenty of other times where things work out beautifully!

Thank the people who are part of the journey with you

Whether you are a solo-preneur or the CEO of a large corporation, you have people around you who make it possible for you to do what you do. Think about your family, your friends, your vendors, your business partners, your customers, and how their actions have benefited you. If you have people around you supporting you, cheering you on, and encouraging, remember to thank them. If you come across challenging people, you can thank them too for their role as teachers. When you encounter people who hurt you or your business, ask yourself what lessons can you learn from the experience and thank them for being your teachers.

Keep working at gratitude daily

It’s easier said than done, I know…But once becoming more aware of how much better life feels when we’re feeling thankful, it becomes a habit and feels more natural. You don’t have to feel this way only on Thanksgiving Day. You can decide to look for something to be grateful for every day and in every circumstance and focus on that. If you need a little help, it doesn’t hurt to work with a life coach or someone who can give you the tools you need to strengthen your gratitude muscles.

Here is a shortlist to help you make gratitude a daily habit:

• Begin each day with a grateful thought
• Thank people you come across throughout your day
• Make a list of what you are thankful for each day

Measure how gratitude benefits your business

Whatever you measure gets better because you are focusing and being intentional about it. Gratitude is no different. One of the most encouraging ways to get better at being grateful is to really appreciate the tangible impact that it can have on your business. You can track KPIs in your business that are related to gratitude and see how it helps you hit your goals. For example, if you make a habit out of thanking your customers with an email or text after each purchase, you can measure how much more repeat business and referrals you get from doing this daily. You can also track the effects or showing gratitude to your employees or vendors and see how much more productive they are.