Joys of life can be a great reminder to give thanks for all that we have, it’s also incredibly beneficial to make this a year-round habit. Not only can a regular practice of gratitude help to maintain a more positive, healthy outlook on life, but studies also show that practicing gratitude can actually help people find success.
For many high-achieving professionals today, expressing gratitude is common practice. Being appreciative of things both tangible and abstract leads to feeling more positive emotions and being healthier overall. This healthier state promotes better work, stronger connections, and also allows you to better cope with adversity and other issues.
Here are just a couple of ways that gratitude can lead to your future success:
Gratitude decreases anxiety
Stress can cause all kinds of physical and mental issues, and we all have different coping mechanisms to deal with this stress. When stress builds, people often cope by indulging in instant gratification or even avoiding their issues completely.
The next time you feel the stress building, try turning your thoughts to gratitude. What are the positives in your life? What do you feel thankful for? What accomplishments have you already achieved? Instead of distracting yourself from the issues at hand, this practice will get you in a better mindset to deal with them.
It will help you to feel calmer and get back to working towards your goals.
Gratitude increases patience
We know that in order to reach our larger life goals, we need to exercise determination. A little patience with the process helps as well. The patience and leeway to cut ourselves some slack along the way can prevent discouragement. Practicing thankfulness for the small steps and achievements made along your greater path can improve your patience and help keep you motivated to continue.
Gratitude improves your endurance
Expressing gratitude will also help you to continue working towards your achievements. The same way that positive reinforcement from a manager in the workplace can really help motivate a worker to thrive, using the same positive reinforcement with yourself is equally powerful.
Expressing gratitude maximizes the hard work and effort that goes into reaching your goals.
Gratitude helps to reflect and to plan future goals
Many successful people tend to use moments of expressing their thanks to help them reflect on their progress and to plan for what they want to strive for in the future.
Sum up
It means taking an introspective look at the positive things present in your life and being thankful for them. This is best when practiced daily, of course, and especially useful at the end of the year when reflecting on what you are happy with and what you plan to work towards in the future. This positive thinking and appreciative attitude carry over from your personal life and positively influence your work life as well. Start focusing on gratitude, and set yourself up for success.
