That’s right – we made it to Year Three! Can you believe it? Time flies when you’re having fun, eh? We’ve certainly enjoyed the ride – challenging and crazy as it’s been. You wanna know the number one thing I’ve learned as an entrepreneur this year? The POWER of GRATEFULNESS. My word of the year for 2019 is Grateful, and in honor of that, I started keeping a simple Grateful Journal, requiring myself to write a minimum of three things* each night that I’m grateful for. (*Hint: it’s never just three). So what has 296 days of this grateful journaling taught me so far?

Well first, it reinforced something I always knew: that at the end of the day, no matter what happens TO you (something we can’t control), everything is always gonna be ok. Sincerely no matter what. Everything will be fine. No matter how potentially stressful the circumstance may be, no matter how seemingly insurmountable a challenge may feel, there is a peace in knowing everything is always gonna be fine.

And another interesting thing that I knew going into this year but didn’t really get until I experienced it: gratefulness is inextricably related to joy. It is no coincidence that a prospective client called me out of the blue today to tell me how positively full of joy I am. “A breath of fresh air” – always seemingly delighted and enjoying life. That’s because I am!!

When you truly realize the things you have to be grateful for (and there are MANY specific things each day that we all have to be grateful for), you can’t help but be joyful. Elated. Excited. Happy. Blessed. Thankful. Lucky. Everything about you becomes even more positive. What’s more: life becomes even richer and you breathe it all in more fully.

I want that same joy, peace and gratefulness for you too. You don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to be purposefully grateful. Start right now and watch what happens!

Andrea D. Smith
@theadsagency

Watch this video to catch all 10 lessons I learned in Year 3 of business:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRGwjCg6Xg0&w=746&h=362]

1. Gratefulness is essential.
2. Be selective about your extracurricular activities – keep them to the powerful few.
3. Don’t be afraid to try new things: Hello Fall Challenge, Instagram Online Pilot Course. The work is there if you want it.
4. Niching down takes time and that’s OK.
5. Targeting a new audience takes time and that’s OK too.
6. Focus on your best use.
7. Potential partners: you have to know, like and trust each other first.
8. New levels requires new mentorship.
9. Minimalism is life-changing. [ Scotland, Entrepreneurship ]
10. Treat yo self.