Gratitude; an antidote for end-of-year madness

End-of-year madness is upon us. It’s that time of the year, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere, when we go on a long break. We want to tick all the things off the list that we didn’t have time for all year, before we go on holiday. It seems like there is so much to wrap up and so little time remaining to do everything. Maybe your new-year resolutions are still languishing. Perhaps you have run out of time to complete the business or professional projects you said were important. Social commitments with family and friends and holiday plans could also play on your mind. Everyone seems a bit irritated.

As the calendar ticks over to another year, it is all too easy to focus on what we have NOT done.

However, the best antidote for end-of-year madness is appreciating what we have done. Ending the year happy with our accomplishments makes all the difference at an individual and team level.

Daniel found his team were despondent about what they had not completed. He asked each member of the leadership team, “What are you most proud of having accomplished this year?” They all came up with at least one thing that they were proud of having accomplished. Instead of falling across the finish line exhausted and frustrated, the team ended the year fulfilled by what they had accomplished.

In The Gap and The Gain, Dan Sullivan and Dr Benjamin Hardy describe the tendency, particularly with high achievers, to focus on the ‘gap’ between what we have accomplished and what we hoped we would achieve. When we focus on the gap, we are never happy with our accomplishments, no matter how successful we have been. But if we acknowledge the ‘gain’ we have made from our starting point, everything changes, and we can appreciate all we have accomplished.

If you or your team are in the grip of end-of-year madness, shift the focus to the gains you have made. It will ensure you close out the year, happy with your accomplishments and ready for a bold new year.

🙋 What are you most proud of having accomplished this year? 🙋‍♀️

Best regards, Brian

Originally published at https://www.donovanleadership.com on December 7, 2023.