October 8, 2020

Happy FALL 2020, Holly

Seems like we are all trying to rush 2020 along to its finish and usher it on out the door. Who can blame us! What a year it has been for the world!

But, I still have some things I want to get done to make 2020 the best it can possibly be. And I have been enjoying a practice I want to share with you — because it has certainly made my life and outlook better in these crazy times we are going through — and I hope it does the same for you!

Check out this way of moving through your day, your week, and your life in the article about Gratitude below.

But before you check that out, I want you to see this special gift I created for you — a way to RECAPTURE SOME OF THE TIME that just flies away each day.

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Pat got this gift a couple of weeks ago and emailed this to me a week later:

"Thanks for the 5 Simple Steps. I changed my email labels and included the action label. With all the Medicare emails right now this is a huge help in keeping it all straight so I don't have to go through the whole email list each time. Thanks for the tip!" — Pat, Medicare Specialist

Implementing just a PART of one step made that much difference to her. See what all 5 Steps can do for you!

To your success,

Gratitude — WOW a Truly Powerful Tool

I grew up with a dad who was always working on something – a tinkerer and a doer! Having the right tool for the job was always preferable, but sometimes you had to be a bit of McGyver and jury-rig to get the job done. For him, that was never a deterrent, just a challenge. But he was always so grateful when he had the right tool. It made things go easier, quicker and often with a better outcome.

As I was looking for an odd tool to complete something the other day, I was reminded of this. When I found it, it reminded me how gratefulness for 1) having it and 2) finding it is part of the success in getting the job done well. Gratefulness changed my outlook on both the task and the outcome of it. You see I was frustrated that I even needed to do the task! And then when I needed a special tool ... that seemed insurmountable to find in the mess of tool bins that get shaken up as they ride in the truck. I was not in a good frame of mind. But being grateful, changed my frame of mind!

Why does thankfulness, gratefulness do that?

Weird, huh?

I started experimenting and observing. When I stop to be grateful for ANYTHING, I notice…

my breathing changes
my shoulders un-tense a little bit
the tension in my forehead relaxes a little
my mind clears a bit
my observance of my surroundings increases
I see other things to be grateful for
I become more aware of the people around me and how hard they are working or struggling and I want to ease their burdens if I can

All that from being grateful for one little thing!

A little research shows there are studies on gratitude showing it contributes to happiness, success at work and in life, better health, peak performance and even healing and faster recovery from surgery!

But so many of us are trained to focus on what is broken, undone or lacking — or could go wrong. Well, 2020 has certainly thrown plenty at us, and our vision and thinking are looking for the next calamity or at least potential challenge to living our lives the way we are accustomed to. An "attitude of gratitude" is certainly being challenged this year!

As fall arrives and we think toward the holidays, including Thanksgiving, it seems like a great time to focus on GRATITUDE. How? Here are some tips to help!

Start as you awake — who are you waking up with? Someone you chose? A special companion? Some music you love? A comfy bed?
Be grateful for the simple conveniences of indoor plumbing, hot water, a coffee maker — not everyone in the world or even America has those luxuries in their lives
Toilet Paper! 😧 — 2020 has taught us it isn’t a sure thing at the store!
Step outside — beautiful colors in the plants and trees, crisp cool air !
A warm jacket or sweater to keep you toasty — wonderful boots or shoes
A bike, car or bus to get you where you need to go — AND MASKS!
Hand sanitizer in a convenient little bottle to carry with you!
Your computer with technology that connects you to the world — even though you are in your jammy pants!

You’re getting the idea. It is so easy to find things to be grateful for and it is so good for us, why don’t we practice gratitude more often? Good question. Let’s make a practice of it!

✨Practice gratitude around the dinner table — Use a BIG JAR and little scraps of paper and each person write down their gratitude, tell everyone and add it to the jar.

✨At work or at home — use sticky notes to make a wall of gratitude

✨LOOK for a hidden blessing in EVERY CHALLENGE — make a game of it in your family and with your team at work.

✨SHARE on your Facebook Page a gratitude a day — it even could be for a person in your life!

Did this article make you feel good? Give you encouragement or hope that things can be better? Then share it with some of your friends, coworkers, families of kid’s friends, so they can have that encouragement and hope too. And be sure to tell them you are thankful for them being part of your or your kid’s life.

A Cool Tool!

We all need a little help getting started. Put an app right on your phone that even reminds you to refocus!

Simple prompts help you get started. You can quickly send a note of gratitude to someone with just a click! Daily quotes encourage gratitude thinking and you can quickly post that gratitude to Facebook or other social media if you like, or keep it private.

Price: Free

Another SIMPLE, SMALL but BIG Impact CHANGE for YOUR life!

Past Articles You Might Like ...

Your Brand — 4 Steps to Create Your Brand with Clarity

A few weeks ago I posted an article about branding — what it is and why it’s important to your business. Now we’re going to talk about creating that brand. If you haven’t read the first article, I highly recommend you jump back there and do that and work through the getting started exercises — these next steps will make a lot more sense. Read the full article here.

Your Brand -- It’s More Than a Pretty Logo

With the business “pause” in the first half of 2020, one of my projects has been to research branding. I wanted to learn how to develop a brand and what branding really means – for my own business and the businesses I work with. I want to share some of the basics with you so you can begin to work on your own brand, too. Read the full article here.

Even in Uncertain Times — YOU Are in Control

Getting back to some semblance of normalcy requires taking control of your life and your business. You can’t just sit back and wait for things to happen — because no one knows how things are going. Read the full article here.

About Holly

Holly Bailey is a Small Engineering Business Owner / Engineer who has also had the joy of coaching and mentoring other professionals as Business Owners, who have struggled to grow their firms while maintaining their high-quality reputation and quality services.

She helps them be free to use their genius to provide their best services and provide more impact in their community, families, regions and whatever 'corner' of the world they choose to operate in.

Holly believes professional services firms can provide the best value and customized services to their clients when they are not struggling with the growth and administration issues that secure the future of their business.

Curious what your business can level up to? Set up a Free Strategy Session to see your potential.

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