Professional Gratitude

It can be very easy to get lost in the dark side of what’s not going well. What could you be grateful for right now in your professional life? For me, I’m feeling grateful on a variety of fronts and excited and energized by the work that I get to do. The Career Growth Program now has customers going through their first month with great feedback and there are more about to start. I’m working with some talented and interesting clients and I’m grateful for the trust they bestow upon me and the opportunity to support their professional goals and impact their lives. I’m reaching more and more people through the blog and LinkedIn activity. Lots of hard work developing online training materials is starting to pay off. And yes, there’s hard won lessons and learning. I’m grateful that I get to do this work. Which does not mean that there isn’t room for movement, or growth, or ambition, or even course alterations if needed. And it certainly doesn’t mean that everything is always rosy. I can be grateful and still be facing challenges and on a path of growth and improvement. There isn’t a contradiction there. In fact, gratitude is essential.

The dark side is powerful

It can be very easy to get lost in what’s not fair, what’s missing, what’s not going well, what you don’t like and the greener grass on the other side of the fence. The problem is that negative focus hurts us in so many ways. We take our eye off the ball from the learning opportunities and from the good stuff. Through this darker lens, how we look at our day changes.

Complacency isn’t a friend either

Everything going okay? Same as usual? Nothing to report? Then maybe you need to dial-up your gratitude practice as well because you might be missing out on learning and growth opportunities or things that are in your life right now that can improve your well-being.

Appreciation is critical

Appreciation of what’s present and good. Not only the good parts of your work, but the more challenging ones as well. Recognition and appreciation of the learning opportunities. The critical feedback that helps you to grow. The hard to reach business goals that cause you to stretch. Or the difficult work event that finally gives you the clear signal that it is time to move on.

What could you be grateful for right now in your professional life?

The work you get to do, or certain slices of it? The impact you get to make with customers, colleagues, the market or society? The opportunity to learn from challenging experiences? The skills you’re acquiring that will help you make that next leap? The opportunity to lead? The people you get to interact with? Your development and realization that you’re ready for the next step?

Gratitude is a Career Skill

Gratitude can be a catalyst for growth and change. It is certainly essential for well-being.

The Most Important 1-Minute of My Day

On a practical note, I practice daily gratitude. I journal most days, and at a minimum, I devote the last minute of my day to appreciation. The last thing I think about before I go to sleep is what I’m grateful for today. What went well today? What experiences, moments and lessons am I grateful for? Gratitude is a career skill. An essential one. It does wonders.