Lately, many people have taken up gratitude journaling, the practice of listing the things you're grateful for each day (or week or whatever you choose. Intentionally practicing gratitude can be a challenge, especially if you're in a tough spot personally, professionally, or medically. Unfortunately with the rigors of daily life, it's easy to forget to be thankful for what we do have.
With the celebration of Thanksgiving in the US, it seems like a good time to reflect on your gratitude attitude, especially in your professional life. There's a lot to be said for cultivating a genuine attitude of gratitude can be helpful for professional success and personal happiness. Research demonstrates that happiness and gratitude correlate: grateful people are happy people.
So how can you cultivate gratitude at work? Here's some things you might want to add to your gratitude journal this Thanksgiving:
1. What you actually like about your job - even if it's not perfect.
Even if your job is far from perfect, there's bound to be something you can learn from your experience. There's got to be something you enjoy about your current situation - there's always some sort of pro or incentive. No position is perfect, but reflecting on what you actually like about your position can help when you're deciding what's next in your career, whether it's a promotion or a move to a new opportunity.
2. What professional skills you possess
So your job isn't the best, but you're good at it. Or you're job is awesome and you're awesome at it. Either way, you've got skills and they aren't easy to come by. Sometimes we develop skills without even noticing it. Here's a list of skills that are often found on resumes...you probably have a lot more than you think! Be grateful for the opportunity to develop those skills in a professional setting.
3. What you know
No matter what, you've learned something at your job. Good or bad, all job experiences teach us something: what to do, what not to do, how to handle tough situations professionally, how to keep our cool, what we like, what we don't like. Every step in your career bestows knowledge and wisdom on you, both in your field and in life.
4. Your colleagues and network
After you've worked for awhile, you've probably met new people. If you've got a great group of colleagues at work, be grateful for them--they make work better! The longer you've been at it, the more connections you've made. The people you interact with at work, your clients and customers, and people you've met at events in your field are all great allies in your career and you're lucky to have them! Take a moment to thank them for what they do!
5. Say thanks
When you practice gratitude, don't forget the most important part: say thank you. Sharing your gratitude with others is the surest way to feel the effects of gratitude yourself. Thank your colleagues, your customers, your clients, whoever. Don't just do it once a year - remember to thank them all year round.
What are you thankful for?
