What Are You Thankful For This Holiday Season?

Hopefully it’s easy to think of things we are thankful for in our personal lives (which is so important to do!), but this is also the perfect time of year to think about our gratitude in the professional sectors of our lives. The people who make a difference in our daily lives, profession, and network from the baristas who smile patiently when we rush through, people in our network who made an introduction or shared advice when we needed it, the colleagues who rushed to meet a last minute deadline, and the mentors we turn to regularly.

When was the last time you reached out to your network, said thank you, shared an article or amusing (appropriate) video or comic that reminds you of someone? What more perfect time of year than now. It can be challenging to squeeze in when the holidays can be packed with personal and professional obligations on top of family travel, but staying in touch enriches our lives. And no one wants to only hear from people when they need something. I talk more about networking in this article on Tips for Building a Strong Network.

Heading toward the end of the year invites reflection on all that you accomplished this year as well as who helped you. I confess to a tendency to gravitate to what else I want to get done (and wish I could have also gotten done) rather than taking a moment to appreciate what I’ve achieved, but that reflection is important. To feel good about the positive and to show appreciation to those I worked with professionally and my family and friends’ support.

For example this year I am so thankful for all the wonderful support for my sister Vicky Keston and I launching our Gooseling startup’s parenting blog and first ios apps to teach children life and social skills through video games.  We are very grateful to the many people and organizations who helped spread the word about the Cavity Dragons apps designed to motivate kids to brush their teeth. And I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with my best friend-sister, fellow Mom, business partner Vicky. My beloved family’s never ending support is the essential ingredient for success as any budding entrepreneur has undoubtedly experienced.

Wishing everyone a very happy holiday season and the opportunity for reflection and thankfulness that it can bring.