Gratitude & Goals
Written by Jenna D'Annunzio
3 reasons to be grateful all year around and how it supports optimal goal achievement
As we kick off November and all things thankful, I’m noticing my entrepreneurs somewhat scrounge and settle into the angst of end-of-year stress and holidays, etc. This got me thinking about how we can live into the both/and with the two concepts of gratefulness and goal achievement, breaking it down for my crazy busy business owners still striving to integrate all areas of their lives.
Gratitude gives you an edge. It’s science.
Practicing gratitude causes different parts of our brain to come together in harmony, lighting up its’ reward pathways and increasing wellness hormones. When we implement a gratitude practice into our routine, we activate neurotransmitters that chat with our brain stem to produce dopamine, the brain’s pleasure, motivation, and satisfaction chemical. By focusing on gratitude and appreciation, we are intentionally working towards positive physiological responses.
Do you know those times when you walked away from an experience feeling really great? Your heart is bursting, you feel fulfilled, proud, encouraged and just overall GOOD?
That’s a surge of serotonin and dopamine, and we have the ability to create that reality for ourselves! What a gift. Oh, and it’s FREE! Even better amirite?!
Now that we recognize the science behind practicing gratitude, how does that apply to optimal goal achievement?
One of the challenges in reaching our long-term goals is we often get derailed by short-term gains. These are decisions that look good in the moment and provide instant gratification, something we’re all very familiar with. <<thank you smart phones>>
But, did you realize that they can actually prevent us from making progress or even have the ability to set us back?
Let me know if any of these look familiar to you…
⭐The impulse purchase of the new iPhone 16 that dings your savings goal.
⭐Eating those extra slices of pizza that plateaus your weight loss goal
⭐The temptation to go out for drinks with your friends instead of getting a good night’s sleep on a work night
Sure, we get the short-term win from the purchase, the deliciousness, and the socialization, but more importantly we lose the long-term payoffs that only come from reaching our goals.
<<Enter in hard/easy>>
This is true for any type of goal and there’s research behind why gratitude can be the difference maker.
1. Gratitude supports intrinsic motivation. In a study done by researchers Robert A. Emmons and Anjali Mishra, students listed goals they hoped to reach over a two-month period. Ten weeks into the study the researchers circled back and found the students that consistently practiced gratitude were closer than others to reaching their goals.
There is a duality in being grateful for what you have and also utilizing gratitude to enhance efforts in creating favorable conditions for success.
2. Gratitude improves your patience. Achieving goals, shifting our business plans and implementing key activities for optimal goal achievement takes time, energy and effort. This isn’t news to us, though it’s very easy to fall back into default mode when we’re energizing that hustle culture. Thankfully, gratitude keeps us in the game.
David DeSteno of Northwestern University led a study where participants were asked to recall an event that made them feel grateful, happy, or neutral. Following their recall, they were asked to report their mood and then make a series of financial decisions.
If they wanted, they could take a cash reward at the end of the session or receive a larger amount by check in the mail at a later date. Those who reported feelings of gratitude had no issues waiting for the bigger payout, those who reported feelings of neutrality took the immediate cash reward. “On average, we increased people’s financial patience by about 12 percent,” said DeSteno.
3. Gratitude builds resiliency. Gratitude can help us buffer against negative events that cause stress, improving our ability to bounce back from challenges and leaving us better equipped to overcome difficulties. It encourages us to focus on the positive aspects of challenging situations, shifting from a problem focused mindset to a solution focused one!
As a Holistic Business and Mindset coach, a critical part of what I do is co-creating a plan with high-achieving entrepreneurs that leaves them best equipped to lean into the very best version of themselves with tips and tricks in what it looks like to show up in all areas of their lives as the happiest, healthiest and wealthiest they can be.
Does this sound like something you’ve been looking for?
Join us for our December 6th Goal Setting Compass Webinar 🧭
You don’t have to do this alone! I’m here to help you navigate your path to a more empowered and fulfilling life AND business.
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