Why you need to end the year with gratitude (DW #859)
Dec 31, 2020
Before we finish and complete the end of year reflections, there is one more essential component of completing the past. And that is gratitude.
By now we are all familiar with the power of gratitude to transform our lives. We have discussed it at length several times.
What we need to remind ourselves at this point is that gratitude can be key to goal achievement in the new year.
A leading authority on the science of gratitude, Robert A. Emmons, along with Anjali Mishra crafted a study comparing grateful and non grateful goal striving. They had participants keep a gratitude journal, as well as provide a list of goals they hoped to reach over a two-month period.
Ten weeks later Emmons and Mishra checked back and found the participants who kept a gratitude journal were significantly closer than others to achieving their goals. Unlike what we are sometimes led to believe, focusing on what we have does not make us complacent. They found instead that gratitude in fact, enhanced goal striving.
Here are some possible explanations of how the "Gratitude Advantage" can help with goal setting and achievement:
1. Gratitude keeps us hopeful. When we notice that there are already things in our life that are going well and working out, we are hopeful that other things can improve as well.
2. Gratitude also reminds us we have agency: the power to act and to effect change in our lives. Because gratitude involves giving thanks for what others have done for us, this might, at first glance, seem counterintuitive. But experts explain that with gratitude we can recognize that others have taken action to improve our lives and that we can do the same.
3. Gratitude improves our patience. We know that achieving big goals takes time and effort and will surely involve obstacles. With gratitude we are more likely to notice whatever progress we are making and this keeps us motivated to keep working and taking action
4. With gratitude, we develop an abundance mindset. When we notice all the blessings that we do have, it trains our mind to be more resourceful, creative and optimistic. We are more likely to look for solutions to the obstacles amongst our blessings and resources and to keep moving forward.
5. Because we are focusing on what we already have, gratitude makes it more likely that we don’t catastrophize setbacks and mistakes. This allows us to hold our goals with a little more detachment. We can then focus on enjoying the process. And when we enjoy the process rather than be completely fixated on the outcome, it creates space for more options and opportunities to reveal themselves.
So, this year more than ever, it is vital to remind ourselves that regardless of our individual circumstances, we all have assets, blessings, and gifts in our lives. There is likely more right than wrong in our lives and sometimes we need to be more intentional in noticing this.
If we can see the past year through the lens of gratitude, we may discover unnoticed blessings, acknowledged resources, and valuable life lessons and new skills that appeared to be insurmountable challenges at one time.
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