In the spirit of the holidays, I wanted to talk about being thankful. And particularly as it pertains to business.
William Arthur Ward is quoted as saying,
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
Let’s all try to bring a little thankfulness to our daily lives…
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings…”
In the spirit of gratitude, don’t take any single day or moment for granted. Each day is a new opportunity to affect change in your business and others. And that can start with a simple act of thankfulness.
- Send a handwritten note. Pick out a new customer/client, a loyal customer you haven’t seen in awhile, or a referral partner you’ve recently been in contact with and send them a note of thanks. Make it simple, and most importantly, thoughtful.
- Make a referral. Share the wealth! Remember that client who requested something just outside of your comfort zone? Reach out to someone in your network of referral partners for advice or to bring on to complete the project. People enjoy being recognized and appreciated for their expertise.
- Give a gift. A small gift, like a gift card or cookies, can go a long way in saying “thanks” to an employee who deserves recognition or a referral partner who sent a new client your way. You’ll be amazed at how a small act of giving can brighten your day.
“…turn routine jobs into joy…”
Make an effort to take the mundane out of the… well, mundane… If you’re feeling a little burnt out with your routine tasks, try to change things up a bit with these tips.
- Make an adjustment. Try to do some of your routine tasks at a different time of the day. For example, maybe you have started to dread making sales calls or creating new email templates. Do it first thing in the morning or right after lunch when you’re fresh. Tackling these things first will get them out of the way and open up your time for seemingly more rewarding or “interesting” tasks.
- Block your time. Time blocking can be effective in that you’ll be able to get small, simple, or recurring tasks out of the way in one shot. For example, instead of checking and responding to your email as they pop up, set aside an hour in the morning and the afternoon to focus on your emails. You’ll be amazed at how much more productive you’ll be. And that is something to be thankful for!
“…and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”
Take nothing for granted! Even the most chance of meetings can turn into a fruitful opportunity.
- Invite new contacts out for coffee. You’ll never know how you can work together with someone until you meet. A more personal meeting is a great opportunity to really learn about someone, explore how your two business worlds can interact, and understand what your individual needs are. Give it a try!
- Try something new. Consider stepping outside of your comfort zone with that invitation to a networking event or business industry group. Make plans to work towards one of your “loftier” business or personal goals. The sky is the limit!
In closing, thank you for reading! Go out and spread the thankfulness today!
