Slow and steady wins the race.
I think many of us can remember hearing this oft-repeated mantra while growing up, and its sentiment is timeless and very astute. With hard work and steady progress, we'll eventually win that race.
The part that is usually left out, however, is that when we take things slow and steady, the lack of fast, immediate rewards can sometimes leave us feeling deflated or discouraged. After all, why put in the work for tiny gains when there are bigger goals to be achieved?
Maybe it has something to do with our love of success stories, which are -- if you strip away the headlines and really dive deeper -- truly the culmination of many small achievements packed into one digestible story. It's normal to be impatient, but if this impatience leads to inconsistency and shortcuts, we may veer off the path into a future where our highest aspirations remain as far away as when we started.
That's why I want to dedicate this blog post to a powerful tool for cultivating appreciation for our journey, a tool that can transform our attitude and keep our focus on the moment: gratitude. Gratitude is a life-changing tool for creating happiness, improving mood, reducing stress, and boosting our overall well-being. When practiced regularly and with consistency, it can shift your awareness from focusing on what’s lacking to appreciating what you have, now.
The best part? It doesn’t take much effort—small, simple actions can lead to lasting change.
Understanding the Importance of Gratitude
Many of us were probably taught that gratitude was only things like saying "thank you," in everyday social interactions, and while this isn't necessarily untrue, it ignores all of ways in which being grateful can transform our perspectives every day.
Gratitude is a mindset that gives us a framework to foster an appreciative outlook for life's experiences, big and small.
It allows us to focus on the positive aspects of our lives more clearly, and even discover new moments to appreciate that we may have neglected. Practicing gratitude can help us appreciate the small moments and victories, rather than getting caught up in worries about the future or past.
By focusing on the good things in our lives, we can shift our perspective and remain thankful even during hard times, or times when we grow impatient with our progress. In essence, you train your brain to seek positivity, making it easier to find joy even in difficult situations.
The Science Behind Gratitude
Research has shown that practicing gratitude can have numerous health benefits, including improved mental health and wellbeing. The brain itself is very attuned to gratitude, so much so that the act of being consistently grateful impacts our brain's many networks responsible for mood.
- Boosts dopamine and serotonin: Expressing gratitude stimulates the brain’s reward system, increasing rewarding (aka "feel-good") neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which are associated with happiness and stable emotional well-being.
- Strengthens neural pathways: Practicing gratitude consistently reinforces positive thought patterns, making optimism, motivation and appreciation more automatic.
- Reduces stress and anxiety: Studies show that gratitude lowers cortisol levels, a stress hormone released in response to -- well, stress -- helping to manage hardship and support emotional balance.
The science behind gratitude is clear: it’s a powerful tool for improving our lives.
Focusing on the Present Moment
Gratitude thrives in the present moment, and it's there for us especially during times when we're spiraling, thinking about the worst case future rather than focusing on the now. We get so caught up thinking of the future or ruminating on the past that we miss out on the beauty of the now. That's why gratitude is the cornerstone of mindfulness, where we bring our attention to the moment.
- Engage your senses: Your senses are the bridge between you and reality, and gratitude benefits from being grounded in a vivid, colorful reality. Take time to notice things using your senses -- notice the warmth of the sun on your skin, the taste of your favorite meal, or the sound of laughter. Notice the finer details, and appreciate them for what they are.
- Take mindful pauses: Throughout the day, stop for a moment and appreciate your surroundings for what they are. Perhaps it's the way that the wind brushes through your hair, or how cozy your office space feels.
- Find beauty in the ordinary: Gratitude isn’t just for big achievements; it’s for appreciating the little things—a kind word, a cozy blanket, or a deep breath. Even the very chair you're sitting in, reading this blog, is something to appreciate.
Gratitude enables us to stay present because we assign positive value to the things immediately around us. We choose to have a thought about these things, and choose to express gratitude for them.
Appreciating Progress and Achievements
Many people focus so much on their end goals that they overlook the progress they’ve made along the way, and this a surefire way to stir up negative emotions like doubt, demotivation, or frustration. Celebrating small wins and milestones helps you stay motivated and reinforces this positive mindset, ensuring that appreciating progress becomes a healthy, daily habit.
- Reflect on past challenges and the things that you've overcome: Think about how far you’ve come and the obstacles you had to deal with along the way. Send gratitude to those experiences for either allowing you to demonstrate problem-solving or resilience -- whatever is true to you.
- Acknowledge effort, not just results – Big achievements are always built upon small, incremental wins, and it's important to express gratitude for these little successes at every opportunity. While moving forward, reflect on the smaller steps you had to complete along the way.
- Keep a “wins” list – Document personal and professional victories, no matter how small.
Recognizing progress fuels motivation and helps you appreciate the journey as much as the destination.
Conclusion
I hope that I've convinced you that practicing gratitude doesn’t require grand gestures or enormous effort. Gratitude really is about making small, intentional shifts in how you view and appreciate the world around you. It puts you in the driver's seat as far as deciding what matters to you, and what things you're grateful for.
Whether you decide to keep a gratitude journal, incorporate gratitude into your meditation, or even take a few minutes each day to list the things you appreciate, gratitude is a beautiful gift to give yourself.
Start today—pause, reflect, and appreciate the good that’s already present.