Is Today Your Last Day in Business?

Do you operate your business with gratitude; as though today may be your last day in business?

I am definitely a firm believer in planning but sometimes I believe in the busyness of doing long-range planning we lose the focus on the short-term and gratitude for today. How can you incorporate gratitude in your business?

What is gratitude?

My definition of gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Why do we need to develop gratitude in our business?

Gratitude fosters an environment of caring, concern and ultimately growth. It inspires others. It creates a win/win situation. Dan Caffee, CEO of Neutron Interactive is quoted in Forbes article Gratitude in Business: The Appreciation That Inspires Employees stating…

“As a CEO, there?s nothing more satisfying than seeing my employees succeed. I want to create an environment where my employees can thrive, be creative, and expand the potential of the company exponentially. When an employee knows they are sincerely cared for, there?s more trust; there?s more hard work; and there?s better ability to focus their creative assets on the company’s growth. Everyone wins.”

How can practicing gratitude grow my business?

Have you ever contemplated dying? I know that is a sobering thought! Research finds that people who visualize their own death increase their gratitude. Often when faced with our own mortality we create a bucket list of things we want to accomplish.

What if we lived each day as though it is our last? Ask yourself the following questions. What would I do if I only had …

• a week left to live?
• a month left to live?
• a year left to live?
• five years left to live?
• a life left to live?

How would that change our perspective on our business? I challenge you to take some time this week to journal your answers to the above questions. Think about the following:

1. Would there be someone who stands out that you would turn to immediately for support?
2. What priority would you put on certain relationships?
3. How would your priorities shift as you have more time?

Incorporate gratitude planning and journaling into your business. Being mindful about gratitude shifts our focus away from ourselves and to others. This mindset shift will help us build the know, like and trust factor.

Feel free to comment and tell us how gratitude has helped you personally or professionally?