You’re really busy with lots of really important stuff going on.
It all feels so complicated and precarious that it’s easy to believe that a simple solution won’t work.
In fact, our higher education leads us down a road of complexity when it just isn’t necessary.
Warren Buffett has observed that “Business schools reward difficult complex behavior more than simple behavior, but simple behavior is more effective.”
Warren is right.
One simple practice makes things much better for me when I feel up to my you-know-what in alligators: gratitude.
Yes, gratitude.
For me, gratitude is a very specific, and practical business strategy.
Gratitude helped me pivot to try new things and eventually to start living the life I’d always wanted – but didn’t know how to find.
A simple 10 minute a day gratitude practice helped me
- Reduce stress & sleep better.
- Improve relationships with clients and referral sources.
- Increase creativity, engagement, and mental function.
Even when it felt like the wheels were coming off and I felt stuck.
These prompts can help you get started if you are stuck. Here are some that I like and use:
- People. Start with family and think of one individual person and one thing you’re grateful for about them or your time together. You can do the same thing for friends, clients, referral sources. The list gets pretty long when you think about it.
- Places. Your home, or your community. Places you’ve traveled, vacations you’ve taken.
- Moments. Something you are looking forward to. A happy or satisfying memory. A time when you turned around a difficult situation. It could be as simple as the place where you enjoy your morning coffee.
- Your career. What you’ve accomplished. The people you’ve helped. What your job has allowed you to accomplish.
- Yourself. Your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Your relationship. Your ability to learn and solve problems. Your energy, passion, and presence.
How will you simplify this week?