Blog Post
The Power of Gratitude
3 minutes
Being grateful sounds like something that should come easy to us. It’s easy to say, “Oh, I am grateful for my friends, family, health, etc.” But are you taking time every day to stop and have a moment of gratitude? Sometimes that’s not so easy, especially when so much of life is less than ideal these days. But while we know it can be hard, we also know how it can affect the course of a day—or even the course of your life. Being grateful is something that we really instill into our culture at Rule29.
There are so many ways that gratitude can better your day-to-day life—from having better relationships and feeling more confident to having more energy and sleeping better. It might feel easier to be grateful for things in your personal life, but here at Rule29, we’ve come up with ways to bring it into our work life.
Write it down! Something we do weekly at Rule29 is a 15/5. At the end of the week, each 29er spends fifteen minutes writing what they did that week and what they plan to do the next week. This is common in many workplaces, but we take it a step further by writing three things we are grateful for before signing off for the weekend. Simply taking some time to do this can change your whole attitude. Think about something a coworker did for you that week or something you’re excited about. Whether it is big or small, writing down things that you are grateful for will open your mind to new possibilities and connections. Ending our work week like this sets us up for a positive next week. We promise gratitude is a habit worth developing. An attitude of gratitude has a positive effect on your interactions with others as well as your focus at work.
Show your team some love. Being grateful for your teammates makes work so much more rewarding. We are always so grateful for the clients we work with and the projects we are able to do for them. Gratitude in the workplace makes for better relationships which will make your team stronger. Gratitude also enhances empathy and reduces aggression. It’s no secret that workdays can be stressful, but showing your team that you’re grateful for them will help ease those hard days and show them you’ve got their back. Try taking time during your work to stop and let a coworker know you’re thankful for their work on a project, or grateful that they’re on the same team as you. This not only keeps your team motivated but also makes your coworkers feel happy and warm inside. Who doesn’t want to make someone’s day so much better? Cheesy, but true!
Be thankful for being a power for good. Rule29 is also very grateful for becoming a B Corporation earlier this year and publicly committing to using business as a power for good. To become a certified B Corporation, companies have to be open and transparent in how they do business. As a B Corp, Rule29 is transparent with our processes and the work we do. We strive to be better for clients, society, and our environment. Having the ability to even make a small contribution to better the world is something that we will never take for granted. When you choose to add transparency to your process, it makes your company real.
Be thankful for being busy. This is one thing I have really been trying to improve on, especially during times of stress, a.k.a. COVID-19. Our worlds were turned upside down this spring, and as the pandemic drags on, it can be so easy to feel bad about everything. We need to remind ourselves of the things that are good in our lives, be grateful for good health, jobs, and family and friends. Stressed because of a busy schedule? Sure. But are we grateful to be busy? Hell yeah! Think about it.
Taking time for moments of gratitude can quickly be overlooked in your day-to-day, but trust us, it’s worth it. Think you may be too busy? Schedule five minutes at the end of your day to write down something you’re grateful for. Send your coworker an email to share what you’re thankful for. Heck, call your parents! We probably don’t express our gratitude for them nearly enough.
We have so much gratitude for you! Thank you for taking the time to visit our site or follow us on social media to read this. Really, we appreciate you!
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