Photo credit: Łukasz Strachanowski
Thanksgiving (for the United States) is this Thursday, holiday parties are swiftly approaching and if you’re anything like me, you’re probably wondering how you’re going to do all of your holiday shopping and avoid overdosing on carbs and sugary treats before the year ends. The holidays are a time for celebration, but it’s also a time when our lives – both at home and at work – can get a bit hectic. There are many things to be thankful for, however, and now is a great time to put an “attitude of gratitude” into motion. Here are a few key points to focus on that will help launch your attitude of giving thanks at work:
• Your Struggles and Competitors: If you didn’t have competitors, where would you be? Would your quality of work and the effort that you put into your company be the same? Your competitors can be just like an extremely tough personal trainer – they’ll set the bar high, they’ll intimidate you, but in the end, they are the ones that ultimately drive you to continue to work hard and stay innovative. The same goes for struggles: Whether you’ve overcome them or not, be thankful that your boundaries were tested and that you were given an opportunity to challenge yourself.
• Your Co-Workers: Having friends at work and people that you can depend on makes all the difference. Be thankful for the colleagues who have been there to offer their assistance, put a smile on your face or listened to you vent after a stressful day.
• Your Clients: They are the ones that keep you in business and challenge you every day. Their success is proof that you have done your job well, and that’s certainly something to be thankful for! Make sure to let your clients know that you appreciate them this holiday season, whether it’s through a holiday gift or a thoughtful card.
• Kindness: The warm, fuzzy feeling that you get when someone goes out of their way to help you and to be kind to you is best passed on. Typically, we are automatically grateful for someone who is kind to us. Sometimes, however, small acts of kindness are not always apparent. Be on the lookout for co-workers, friends and clients who may perform small, random acts of kindness every day without asking for anything in return and be sure to thank them!
• The Small Things: To quote from Aristotle, “Happiness depends on ourselves.” By being mindful and appreciative of the small, nice things that happen to you every day, you are training yourself to be in a positive, happy mindset. Be thankful for the little things that you may overlook, whether it’s a compliment from a co-worker, the nice lunch you treated yourself to, or even the fact that your computer went the whole day without being temperamental.
• Your Mistakes: You can’t learn from doing everything right – you learn more from doing things wrong! Be thankful for your mistakes and what you learned in the process. Read up on another Proforma blog article for some great tips on how to benefit from them!
Consider practicing an attitude of gratitude as an early holiday gift to yourself – a gift of positivity and strength that will help you to succeed not only in 2013, but for many years to come. How do you practice an attitude of gratitude at work? Share your suggestions in the comment section below!
