Each month calls for specific action steps. Many of us wait until Christmas and New Years to connect with others and plan for next year. Actually, November is the opportunity to start this process. Thanksgiving is the perfect time to express gratitude. Gratitude is an important character strength that has been stressed extensively in Judaism, Christianity, and more recently by Positive Psychology. Gratitude has been shown to improve health, boost immune function, lessen toxic emotions, and increase self-esteem, lead to more satisfying relationships and more resilience.
Who doesn’t want all of that?! Don’t wait until Thanksgiving Day; start your own gratitude journal or gratitude practice today. Each morning I like to start the day by looking out the window, admiring nature, and thanking God for everything in my life. I’m grateful to be able to start over again in Buffalo, Missouri. I have many people to thank but would like to especially highlight my contractor, Justin Grant of Grant Construction (417-766-1922). I admire Justin’s character; he lives his values. Justin doesn’t just say he cares. He gives each customer a special personal touch like my custom made vanity and linen cabinet. This year he gave a valued employee a once in a lifetime vacation. Use this month to appreciate the people in your life.
November is a time to take stock of yourself. We often succumb to negativity and don’t have a clear perspective of our life. The psychologist. Herbert Rappaport shows that successful people are able to vision back and forth between the past, present and future. He developed the Rappaport Time Line to help businesses and individuals to understand their life or the life of their business. It shows how the present has grown out of the past and how the past affects the future. I have used this process to help clients see themselves in a clearer light. Often people will mistakenly define themselves by a particular failure and ignore their accomplishments. Look back at each month, write down what really happened and gain a fresh new viewpoint of yourself.
In coaching, we don’t have failures, we have learning experiences. I have a business strategy that I use in which we review both the high and low points of this last year. In a non-judgmental way we explore what you learned from things that didn’t go so well. We celebrate successes and think of ways to increase our successes. In conjunction with this exercise, November is the time to catch up on your monthlies and quarterlies and to meet with your accountant. My CPA, Keegan Kimbrough with Kessler and Associates (417-755-7290) says that November is the right timer to do projections/ don’t wait until January. If you do projections and planning now, there is still time to “fix” things to have a better outcome.
November is definitely a time to express gratitude in both your professional and personal life. Start right away and send a personal note or gift to your customers and vendors. Reach out to friends and relatives and give them a special acknowledgement or encouragement. As a grand finale of gratitude, make Thanksgiving Day less stressful and more meaningful. My favorite thing to do is to invite someone who would otherwise be alone. Plan ahead so you can enjoy your guests, and savor both your holiday dishes and this year’s successes. Clean and set the table earlier in the week. Shop and make some sides that can be fixed ahead of time. Prepare a special gratitude prayer. Now you’re ready to celebrate Thanks giving Day the way it was meant to be observed.
Treat yourself to a special treat and visit me at my airbnb. Click the link below to view.
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