How To Practice Gratitude As An Entrepreneur

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One of the critical aspects of running a successful business is good morale. People who practice gratitude daily feel more positive emotions, focus on positive experiences, build strong relationships, and improve their mental health.

In the workplace, critical feedback and a superior's habit of gratitude can go a long way in making an employee feel needed. These acts of appreciation help meet an employee's more profound sense of purpose. It's essential, therefore, that you practice gratitude. Yes, you pay your personnel. But in addition to this, practicing genuine, sincere gratitude in the workplace will help increase morale. Your staff will feel appreciated and less stressed, and a healthier work culture will thrive. 

Here's how you can practice gratitude as an entrepreneur. Do note a gratitude ritual isn't an alternative to paying your staff.

1. Start A Gratitude Journal

A gratitude journal is a list of things to be thankful for which you put on paper. An interesting thing about writing things down is that people focus more on what they are listing. We use different parts of our brains and access memories and emotions from a new perspective. 

Robert A. Emmons, a world-renowned authority on gratitude, states that people who keep a gratitude diary are generally happier. He further mentions that there are physical and psychological benefits to jotting your gratitude on a piece of paper. Emmons attributed a gratitude journal to better sleep quality, mental health, immune system, and emotional well-being.

Your gratitude diary can take different forms. Like, a simple practice of writing down a gratitude list of things to be thankful for. Or, you can write a narration of your day, journaling the nice things that happened to you.

So, when you do your gratitude journaling, you should focus on:

• Gratitude points within reach. Hone in on people you can text or shoulder tap right now. So, instead of showing gratitude to a prolific business author, aim your gratitude to the friend who introduced them to you.
• Every individual on the team. Assess what you have achieved with each of those people. You'll be surprised by what you can attribute to each one.
• What things would be like without each person. You wouldn't have been able to secure an investment if someone didn't make your Keynote presentation.

Once you start writing your gratitude journal, you'll gain a better perspective on your staff members. Creating a more human-employee experience will benefit your company. You'll nurture your business connections better when you start a gratitude journal.

2. Thank People in Your Community

How do you thank people? Is it simply an act of courtesy? Or do you dwell in the moment of gratitude and express your sincerest thanks? Let's rewire how we say our thanks by pausing and clearly stating "Thank You." 

People in the community have contributed, whether directly or indirectly, to your business's success. Thank the bus driver for getting you and your staff to work daily. If they weren't around, no work would be done on-site, and you'd lose a lot of labor hours. If you're based in Tennessee and have learned how to start an LLC in Tennessee from a blog post, be grateful for the ecosystem of writers for publishing free valuable resources.

Once you focus on the "chain of effects" people have on your business, you'll become more socially aware. Give back to your community by engaging in donation and charity drives. Become a volunteer. You may not directly see the positive effects that charity work has on your business. However, a better, happier community will always benefit the businesses within it. So, help usher in that change.

3. Practice Meditation

One of the obstacles to gratefulness is ignorance. Meditating involves simple exercises that can help you focus, control your emotions, and allow you to zone in on things that bring success into your daily life. "Stop and smell the flowers," as they say.

Meditating can help you practice gratitude. You'll notice the small things that help contribute to where you are now. It doesn't mean sitting in a Lotus position, achieving Zen, or saying, "Ohm." It can simply mean focusing on the moment.

Here's how you can meditate, step-by-step:

• Take a seat.
• Close your eyes. Some people can meditate with a blank stare.
• Set a timer. If you're new to meditating, you'll find it difficult to go 30 minutes, especially as an entrepreneur with a wandering, strategic mind. You can set a five-minute timer to start with.
• Control your breathing. Meditating requires you to focus solely on your breathing pattern.
• Focus on a grateful memory. Perhaps it's one with your family or one back in college. Replay that memory—with all five senses—and don't let your mind wander from it.
• Think of people around you. If you can hear them, tune into the ambient sound they make on a day-to-day basis.

There are various emotional, psychological, and physical health benefits to meditation. So, keep a disciplined daily practice. Meditation is a powerful exercise for your mind.

In Closing

The core benefits of gratitude are higher morale in your business and a more pleasing personality. You create a positive outlook in both your business and everyday life. Robert Emmons attributes gratitude to physical and psychological well-being. So, you'll need to have a more grateful outlook to bring about an influx of positive emotions.

By doing these various gratitude practices—writing a gratitude journal, engaging in charity efforts, and meditating, entrepreneurs become more grateful people. Soon, they become better bosses. They help employees grow with detailed feedback. In addition, they make their employees feel they belong with their heartfelt thanks, ridding the workplace of negative feelings.

Showing gratitude is an investment in your people, & the ROI is a more engaged, happier workplace. Another way to invest in your team is through PEOPLE-FOCUSED STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU MAKE WORK MORE HUMAN & HAPPY. 

About the Author

Jon Morgan

Jon is the founder of two successful e-commerce and SaaS businesses. He's passionate about sharing what he has learned from working with business owners through Venture Smarter.

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