4 Reasons Why You Should Practice Gratitude
Glenn Burgess
Glenn P Burgess Author, Speaker - UK's No1 Fintech & SaaS Marketing expert.
To start a business from the scratch is always a challenge. Even the biggest companies in the world start off from a very small scale.
Let’s take Google for instance.
Google’s co-founders Larry Page & Sergery Brin started building this company in a small garage, completely unaware of the success this would bring.
Similarly, the co-founder of Nike, Phil Knight, started by selling sneakers out of his trunk.
Today, we see all these companies as the biggest success of all times but it can be tough to appreciate where you are in your career at this particular stage.
Why is being “Grateful” for what you have now, so hard?
People think that gratitude is something that comes naturally.
But the truth is; It is NOT.
Gratitude is a very hard battle for most of us.
Why?
Here are a few reasons.
1. We are Hardwired to Negativity.
Today, the world is full of negativity yet, we claim to be optimistic.
The truth is that we are all pulled to negativity. It’s called our Negative Bias.
You must have noticed how each one of us emphasize on stories that are negative. Such stories are described in a far better way than the ones which are more towards the positive side.
For example;
If someone asks you, “How was your day?”, you’ll say “fine”, if you had a good day. On the other hand, if you had a bad day, you’ll start elaborating and use words like disastrous, humiliating or miserable.
To start a business from the scratch is always a challenge. Even the biggest companies in the world start off from a very small scale.
Let’s take Google for instance.
Google’s co-founders Larry Page & Sergery Brin started building this company in a small garage, completely unaware of the success this would bring.
Similarly, the co-founder of Nike, Phil Knight, started by selling sneakers out of his trunk.
Today, we see all these companies as the biggest success of all times but it can be tough to appreciate where you are in your career at this particular stage.
Why is being “Grateful” for what you have now, so hard?
People think that gratitude is something that comes naturally.
But the truth is; It is NOT.
Gratitude is a very hard battle for most of us.
Why?
Here are a few reasons.
1. We are Hardwired to Negativity.
Today, the world is full of negativity yet, we claim to be optimistic.
The truth is that we are all pulled to negativity. It’s called our Negative Bias.
You must have noticed how each one of us emphasize on stories that are negative. Such stories are described in a far better way than the ones which are more towards the positive side.
For example;
If someone asks you, “How was your day?”, you’ll say “fine”, if you had a good day. On the other hand, if you had a bad day, you’ll start elaborating and use words like disastrous, humiliating or miserable.
Now, you must be wondering how is this related to the current state of your career?
The answer is easy.
We have been surrounded by negativity to the extent that our brain focuses on all the bad things of our career, making it difficult for us to be thankful for what we have.
2. We Use Others as Our Gauge for Success
It is pretty obvious that a person who compares himself with others is never satisfied. This is a psychological phenomenon.
Nowadays, everyone wants to flaunt their lifestyle on social media making others to through an inferiority complex.
According to a study, people who limited their social media use to 30 minutes each day felt significantly better after a period of 3 weeks.
There are times when you are really happy with what you have achieved but as soon as you see someone else’s achievements, that feeling of gratitude quickly fades away.
3. We Feel Intense Pressure to be Goal-Oriented
You must have come across questions like, where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? This is because our minds are being trained to think & have our eye on what’s next.
This sense of foreseeing what’s next is what we call Hustle-Culture.
The urge of getting better & better each day & having a constant eye towards the future makes it harder to feel satisfied with the present.
Here are 4 Reasons to be Grateful for where you are in your Career right now.
Too much work load often frustrates us making it nearly impossible for us to feel thankful. Similarly, the habit of measuring our success against others is another major source of disappointment.
But, here are few reasons that you should be grateful for. These are the things that are happening in your career right now & you should be really proud of it.
1. You’re learning a lot
Learning is a never-ending process & so each experience that you’ll have will add up to your learning.
Each experience equips with invaluable information, like:
- What tasks & responsibilities do you enjoy/hate?
- What sort of work environment suits you?
- What type pf leadership resonates with you?
Knowledge is something that you should be really grateful for & guess what? That’s exactly what you’re getting right now.
2. You’re Building your Skill Set
A skillful person is always a company’s asset & with all that you do, either big or small, you can add that into your resume & get an edge over other competitors.
Even the most irrelevant & good-for-nothing jobs teach you a lot like, becoming more resilient & working with difficult people.
So, sit back, take a deep breath & be happy for what you have, appreciate your current role – even if it’s not exactly where you want to be. It is certainly laying the groundwork to help you get there.
3. You’re making Valuable Connections
You must have heard the quotation, “It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know.”
Connections are being throughout your career & are your greatest asset as a professional. Each person that you interact with at your workplace (i.e. boss, coworkers, clients, vendors, etc.) might be able to help you at some point of your life.
How?
Well, this might be related to references, informational interviews job shadowing, introductions, advice & a lot more than you can imagine.
Never evaluate your career based on just achievements because if you have made some good connections in your tenure, they may take you a long way, especially when you’re looking for a new job.
Thus, make as many connections as you can & fill yourself with gratitude.
4. You can’t predict Tomorrow
Live in the present. Cherish what you have NOW because it is all real & it’s happening.
Every person has future plans & goals but nobody knows if they’ll even be alive till then or not. So, when we think of it like this, it seems pretty unrealistic to plan the future.
I know it feels really bad.
But, c’mon!!
This is your chance to be grateful for what you have & enjoy the moments that you come across in your daily life.
Instead of looking at future & occupying your mind with thoughts with what you need to do get there, look at your past & see how hard you’ve worked to get here because today is actually what you have.
How can you Practice Gratitude in your Career
I’m sure you must have realized by now that gratitude isn’t something that comes naturally.
Being thankful for what you have & being optimistic, has a lot of benefits linked to it including, lower stress, greater mental resilience & increased self-esteem.
How?
Read on to know a few tips that will help you to practice gratitude.
1. Keep a Gratitude Journal
Hate reading?
I understand but hey! You’re reading this as well.
Got you!
So, here’s a very simple practice.
Dr. Robert Emmons, one of the leading researchers on gratitude, say’s its as easy as jotting down five things you’re grateful for.
At the end of the day, just as you’re about to shut down your computer, spare a few minutes to short list the things you’re thankful for that day.
For example:
- Received positive feedback from supervisor on e-mail campaign.
- Completed the pending tasks on your to-do list.
- Connected with a colleague you haven’t talk to in a while.
- Reached inbox zero.
- Created an amazing productivity playlist.
Wondering what is the point of doing all this?
You see, even the smallest things count when you’re practicing gratitude. These small things help you to live & cherish the present.
In the same study, Dr. Emmons showed that people who kept this gratitude reported that they feel better about their lives as a whole.
2. Take a Gratitude Walk
It has been rightly said that Walking is a Man’s Best Medicine & what better would it be, if you combine walking with gratitude. It’s called a Gratitude Walk.
Didn’t get it?
Well, all you need to do get up from your desk, go outside & take approximately 15-20 minutes to walk alone. This will give you time & space to think about all the aspects of your career that you’re grateful for.
If you had already starting making a gratitude journal, this could be the time to reflect on all those things that you listed.
Even if you’re having a bad day, say those things aloud & you’ll feel more appreciative for your career.
3. Express Gratitude towards Others
Gratitude is can be far more effective when shared with others. As you’re practicing gratitude, share it with the ones who helped you achieve what you’re thankful for.
In a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, participants were given different weekly assignments. Each of those assignments were compared against a control assignment that involved writing about early memories. When the weekly assignment was to write & deliver a letter of gratitude to someone, all the participants experienced a huge boost in their happiness score.
This study is a proof that gratitude should not end with but should be spread amongst everyone in your circle.
Where to start from?
Your gratitude journal might have the answer to this as well. If your boss had recognised your efforts, tell him that you’re thankful to him. Similarly, tell that colleague that you appreciated their advice.
All you need to do is to keep those positive vibes alive.
Does Gratitude only Apply when you have a Job?
Certainly YES.
Times change drastically. Layoffs or working with an unstable company, lead to anxiety & it gets very difficult to find the silver lining in those tough circumstances.
But, you know what?
Practicing gratitude in such times & being thankful for the smallest things that you have, is worth trying.
This requires some extra effort & commitment but think of people like Oprah Winfrey & Mark Cuban, who were fired from their positions yet, became the most successful people of all times.
Remember, things are hard right now, but they won’t stary the same forever.
Smell the Roses
I understand that it’s not easy to appreciate what you have now but each step of your career had taught you something, even the hardest times, & you should be grateful for that.
It can be good to focus on the future but do not forget to appreciate yourself for what you’ve already achieved.
Surely, there would be a lot that you want to achieve but you’ve certainly worked very hard to het where you are right now.
Now, sit back, relax, take a deep breath & cherish your present.
You’ve earned it.
