As the Memorial Day posts flood your feed today, I encourage you to take an honest moment during your daily scroll session to do two things: remember with gratitude and reflect with purpose.
This day, dedicated to the remembrance of the brave men and women who have died in service of our country, has held such an importance that we’ve kept the tradition going since 1868.
Not only is it notable that we have an entire day to honor sacrifice, but it is also notable that the action of taking the time is highlighted.
It seems silly that we need a national day to remind ourselves to pause and remember, but when we are living in a world of constant distraction, intentional thought is becoming less frequent. Especially when you are the owner of a business. As the main decision-maker, your time is often not your own. Your attention is required for the most pressing task that arises during the day, taking the time that you might otherwise spend with your own thoughts.
After you enjoy your Monday off to memorialize, I encourage you to return to the office tomorrow with the intention of continuing the practice of taking the time to remember and reflect and apply it to your business.
Remember, with gratitude, the people who have helped you find the success you have today and reflect on what your current practices mean for the present and future of your business.
Why take the time to show gratitude?
A growing body of research shows that the practice of showing gratitude can support greater health, happiness, and wisdom. Research on gratitude has revealed measurable benefits to well-being and physical health by helping individuals realize that they wouldn’t be where they are without the help of others.
How can this help me?
1. Daily gratitude can help you develop-the skill of waking up to the good around you.
2. You will then begin to recognize that the source of this goodness is often the result of the help and support you’ve received from others.
Improve your positively
In general, people are more aware of the barriers they face than the benefits they receive. I’m sure you have experienced this in the day-to-day operations of your business. There are days where the problems pile on ceaselessly and it is so hard to think of a single positive thought. Improving your positivity will not only improve your outlook on your business, but it will result in more people looking to associate with you.
Overcome overwhelm
By focusing on the benefits or good things that have gotten you to where you are, you can accentuate feelings of happiness, optimism, and positive emotion which can help you overcome the overwhelming days (or months) and remain the positive leader that you aspire to be.
How to outweigh the negative
The Positivity Ratio, a concept developed by Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, offers a practical solution for outweighing negative thoughts. She hypothesizes that for every 1 negative thought or emotion you have throughout the day, you should balance it with 3 positive thoughts.
Studies centered around this ratio have shown that people function at their best level whenever they are able to achieve the 3-1 ratio in their daily emotions.
Why take the time to reflect?
The American philosopher and psychologist, John Dewy, once said,
“We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.”
Think about it.
We spend so much of our lives on autopilot. In our current world, all of the information we need is in our pocket, but so are easy distractions. You’ve probably experienced a quick Google search turning into a rabbit hole of useless information and time lost to your Instagram feed.
Today, our immediate attention is dictated by our phones, and it can make getting caught up in mundane activities easier than ever.
To keep yourself from going through the motions as the owner of your business, you need to make a conscious decision to take time away from the screen to keep yourself focused on the direction of your business.
Assess your current practices
Self-reflection helps you to look at your business’s aim, where your business is currently, and what you need to be doing now to reach your goals.
Take the time to ask yourself:
What do I spend the majority of my day doing?
What are the tasks that I know I should be doing, but never seem to get to?
What is most important to me as a business owner?
Are my actions today helping my business fulfill its potential?
Would my customers be happy if they could see how I spend my days?
Answering these five questions will allow you to understand how your actions and habits as a business owner align with your business’s values and aspirations.
Maintain your drive
Are the habits you have today on par with the dreams you have for tomorrow? Doing this exercise regularly will help keep you hungry and driven; a boss that people want to work hard for.
Overcome procrastination
Self-reflection also helps us problem solve, especially if afflicted with procrastination. Research reveals that when we are given an unknown scenario without a possible solution we tend to procrastinate and effectively ignore the problem.
Taking the time to understand why you feel a lack of control over a situation will help you to make a plan to overcome it and, hopefully, put procrastination in your past.
Make this a regular practice
If this practice works for you, consider making the day after Memorial Day another annual day in your business calendar; the day that you take the time to show gratitude and reflect on where you are and where you want to be.
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