3 Reasons You Should Adopt an Attitude of Gratitude Being thankful isn't just for Thanksgiving. Adopting some of these techniques can help you become a better entrepreneur.
By Adam Toren
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
November is synonymous with Thanksgiving in America, and it's common during this month to hear talk of gratitude and why it's so important. Adopting a gratitude practice isn't just something that sounds nice at Thanksgiving -- it's a lifestyle and mindset choice that will drastically change your life and your business as an entrepreneur.
Related: 5 Simple Ways to Express Gratitude Every Day
Here are the three biggest reasons why you need a gratitude practice.
1. Gratitude shifts your mindset
For something to change in your life, one of two things has to happen: your life changes, or you do. Waiting for life to change is a pretty passive solution. When you're stuck in a problem mentality you miss out on all the opportunities for solutions that are knocking on your door every day, simply because you don't even hear them or see them.
Open your eyes to a gratitude practice and all of a sudden things start to fall into place for you and for your business. Being an entrepreneur means being proactive, not passive, so switch your mindset and see life change.
How? Start by keeping a daily list of events that you are grateful for each night. Some call it a gratitude journal. You can call it whatever you want. But focusing on who came to your aid that day, what opportunities arose and how the day planted fruitful seeds for a better tomorrow will prove to you day after day that you are well taken care of and capable of succeeding with all the help that surrounds you.
2. Gratitude creates solutions
Adopting a gratitude practice takes you out of problem and toward a solution. It removes you from complaining mode and into a best-outcomes mindset. That's a skill you need in your life and in your business decision-making. Whole companies and industries have been created from seeing solutions where others only saw obstacles. What will your contribution be?
Related: Making Gratitude Part of Your Company Culture
How? Simply start by keeping a mental checklist of your triggers. We all have our things that set us off into complaining or annoyance. What are your complaint triggers during the day? Just observe them for a few days and keep a list as they pop up. Then try to set some time at the end of the week, 15 minutes should be enough, to look at those triggers and brainstorm solutions.
This can be part of your integrated gratitude practice because if you can see the opportunity in the challenges you face, you will probably be onto to solving a pain-point for many other people as well. Gratitude has a ripple effect that could just echo through your startup.
3. Gratitude is contagious
I can't speak for you, but I personally don't like being in business with jerks. I don't like whiners, complainers or otherwise unpleasant-to-be-around people. There are too many smart, talented and pleasing-to-be-around individuals in this world for me to want to work with or hire the ones that aren't.
When you're grateful you tend to exude and share that contagious positive energy. People like me like that and we tend to be drawn to you. Our energy is contagious and we do good things together and are better for having come together. That's pretty much the only contagious thing happening in the world right now that you can get excited about.
How? Watch your words. What you say is usually how you act, so be aware of complaining and replace whines with positive words. Start with you, be the change and watch as the world changes around you and your gratitude practice.
Related: Become More Positive With These 5 Tips
