The Benefits of Gratitude for Your People and Your Business

“If you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have. If you focus on what you have, you gain what you lack.”

― Dan Sullivan, The Gap and The Gain

With the holiday season approaching, it’s a natural time for reflection and gratitude. Business owners are often the hardest on themselves, especially when it comes to any missed goals within our business.

If you find yourself only focused on the things that we didn’t accomplish this year, consider the following: “If you focus on what you lack, you lose what you have.” It’s important for your business’s health and your team’s health to take time to appreciate and celebrate your wins over the past year.

At the end of our sessions, I always ask the attendees to rate the session 1 out of 10. Occasionally, there is at least one person who gives the session a 7 or 8, even if everyone else rated it a 10. When I ask them, “What would have made it a 10 for you?” they respond with something like, “This session was amazing, but I’m sure we could do better in the future.” So this is probably an 8.” My response: “Did we do our best work together today?”

If nobody can get a 10, then that 8 becomes a 10. We can’t rate ourselves today on what we will become in the future. Of course, we’ll be better in the future, because we’re always growing.

Getting into a Gratitude Mindset

It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle of the end-of-year rush and focus only on what we didn’t accomplish. By changing that mindset to look at all the things you gained, you’ll be more motivated to hit those goals next time. While those missed targets are important to recognize, it’s equally important not to lose sight of just how much we did achieve.

Here are some good ways to shift your mindset and feel grateful for your accomplishments:

Take a moment to celebrate your wins, big and small.

Did you land that new client you had been pursuing? Finally implement the new software system you had been putting off? Hit a monthly revenue record? Even if you fell short of some goals, I guarantee there are countless accomplishments to be grateful for. Remember, Progress, not Perfection.

Share that gratitude with your team.

Recognize their hard work and dedication in helping your business succeed this year. As a leader, share your gratitude with your team for what they’ve accomplished. Look back at how far you’ve grown as a team together. Even just taking the time to say thank you. A simple gesture of appreciation goes a long way in keeping morale high.

Napoleon Bonaparte stated, “A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.” Humans are often motivated by the simplest of things, such as a badge or symbol. Recognition and reward play a significant role in fueling human motivation.

So, do you have a team ribbon?

Turn Your Missed Goals into New Opportunities

“The way to measure your progress is backward against where you started, not against your ideal.”

—Dan Sullivan

Changing your mindset to be grateful can also help to fuel future motivation too. Use any missed targets as an opportunity to refocus for next year. Think about it this way: now you know what needs more attention, and which initiatives need to become higher priorities.

It’s important to keep in mind that if you are only tracking your progress against where you want to be rather than where you started, you’re only going to feel frustrated and eventually burned out. When you realize how much you’ve done, the things you have left to do will seem more achievable. When you run on EOS, every 90 days we take the time to look back on how we did that quarter – and learn from it in our quarterly pulsing meetings.

I’m Grateful for You!

Often, finding business success isn’t what we imagine it to be. That’s why it’s so important to truly acknowledge the effort it took to reach those wins. Be proud of how far you’ve come. Share that enthusiasm with your team and clients. Gratitude is contagious.

On that note, I wanted to take a moment to say how grateful I am to be involved in the EOS Worldwide community and the network I have been able to create. As an EOS Implementer, I’ve been able to work with dozens of businesses in West Michigan and I am so grateful for all my clients and how much they have helped me grow my business. I would also be grateful for any new connections! If you know of anyone who would benefit from EOS, please reach out to me so I can connect with them!

The new year brings exciting and fresh opportunities. Now you know what to double down on to take things to the next level. But, before you dive into Q1, take time to reflect on how far you’ve come and be proudly grateful for those achievements and those who helped you achieve them.