Thank your way to success – Habit to Happiness #3 – "Great-fullness"

Two weeks ago, I started a blog series, sharing my Habits to Happiness that lead to the highest levels of success in career, business and life. There are plenty of studies that reveal one’s level of happiness has a direct correlation on success in career and business. In fact, research has demonstrated that happier people report a 31% increase in productivity and are 23% less stressed.

Last week, I shared my Habit to Happiness #2, which is Expectance. When you face each day expecting that great things are going to happen for you, the most amazing circumstances start to unfold to support those expectations.

This week, I’m going to share Habit to Happiness #3 – “Great-fullness”

Habit # 3 is a twin sister to Habit #2  because it involves practicing the art of what I call, “Great-fullness.” Yes, I know, I didn’t use the traditional spelling. That’s intentional, by the way. In Habit #2, you’re expecting great things to happen, and in Habit #3 you consistently recognize and give thanks that your life is filled with great things. Essentially, you can thank your way to success.

One of the biggest complaints I hear people talk about is that they don’t have enough – not enough money, not enough time, not a good enough job, not a nice enough house.

Yet, we live in the wealthiest nation in the world. According to GlobalIssues.org, almost half of the world lives on less than $2.50 a day, and still, as a culture, we believe we don’t have enough.

How we view our lives and the world around us, has a direct impact on our happiness. And if we can shift our paradigms and view the world with thankfulness for the greatness in our lives, we can raise our level of happiness.

I realize that giving thanks isn’t exactly a unique concept. In fact, gratitude and its positive impact on our lives is a pretty hot topic these days. The reason for that is because it’s one of the most powerful, proven tools we can use to improve any area of our lives.

I discovered this Habit to Happiness about 10 years ago when I thought there was nothing in my life for which to be “Great-full.” That sounds like a pretty extreme viewpoint, but that’s where I was. I started making it a habit to identify things every day that were great in my life, and over time, I developed habitual “Great-fullness.”

Now this can be a wild concept to wrap your head around. On the surface, it just doesn’t make sense because the premise is based on being happy with something you potentially are not happy with. But if you want something to change, you first have to see the positive in it. It’s another paradox of life. If you’re unhappy with something, you get more of it. Only when you become “Great-full,” are you ready to move on to what’s next.

One of the biggest examples of this in my life was several years ago when I learned that my department at work was going to be eliminated. At first, I reacted like anyone would. There was a moment of fear, hurt and anger over the loss of my position. But while jogging through the park one day – which is where I get my biggest “a-ha” moments – I decided to be “Great-full.” for the situation. I was “Great-full” for the time I spent in the role and for the wonderful people I met and for all I had learned while I was there. I was “great-full” l for new possibilities that were ahead of me. I started to identify as many great things as I could about the situation, bringing me to a place of “Great-fullness.”

And when a colleague asked me what I was going to do now that my job was going away, a thought came to me instantly – “I’m going to be a coach and help people reach their maximum potential in business.” Now, I didn’t even know what that would look like. I didn’t know any coaches, and I didn’t know how to become a coach. Would I try to find a coaching job? Would I start a coaching business? Well, suffice it to say it was one of the best things that ever happened. Today, I am coaching professionals, helping them land their dream jobs, increase their salaries, resolve workplace relationship conflicts, develop empowering self-confidence, and discover purpose and passion that they never knew they had. Not a bad place to land!

This never would’ve happened if I hadn’t had a mindset of “Great-fullness.” It wasn’t until I became “Great-full” for my current situation, that coaching opened up.

Last year I had a client who came to me, like so many people, unhappy and unfulfilled in his job. He wanted help looking for a new job and figuring out the best path to take. We worked on developing some Habits to Happiness such as looking for and expecting great things to happen, and identifying what was great about his current situation. Finally, during one session, he said to me “Wow, I actually like my job, now.” So, what do you think was the next thing that happened? You guessed it – he found a new job that he now describes as his “dream job.” 

Inevitably, when I talk to people about developing a habit of “Great-fullness,” I will get a response like, “but what if I don’t feel ‘Great-fulll?’ ”

Here’s a tip.

I strongly suggest buying a journal or notebook and writing in it three things every day for which you’re “Great-full.” If you do this consistently, and by consistently, I mean EVERY day, you will see real and lasting change in your life.

People say to me, “seriously – THREE things EVERY day?” Yep! Making this a daily practice will help you develop the habit. Creating a series of habits is the best way to make lasting change because you’re basically automating a new thought process. Remember, last week I explained your thoughts form a pattern in your brain much like a groove in a record. That’s what happens when you start journaling three things every day.

By writing three things, you will start to become “Great-full” for all things big and small. You’ll run out of the biggies quickly. You’ll be forced to start thinking of things like having eye-sight to be able to read a book. When I go for a jog, I am so “Great-full” for my sense of smell because I love the scent of the fresh outdoors. I’m “Great-full” that I can control the temperature in my home with the slight touch of my finger on the thermostat and be perfectly comfortable anytime of the day or night.

When you start to develop “Great-fullness” for so many things, in your life, abundance success begins to pour in.

I mentioned in an earlier blog that people ask me, “are you always this happy.” And, of course, I reply “no,” because no one is “always” happy. But inside, I think to myself, “if you only knew.”

I spent years inside my head filled with negative thoughts. And this Habit to Happiness is the one that has had the greatest impact in elevating my natural level of happiness.  

Give it a try, and see what happens. Do this for 12 weeks, which is what I believe is the length of time needed to create a habit. Then come back here and let me know how it goes. I can’t wait to hear from you!