Have you seen the 1976 movie, Network, staring Peter Finch? It’s the story of a TV news anchor, Howard Beale, who has a mental breakdown while on-air. He rises from his chair, ignores the teleprompter, and instructs his viewers to open their windows and yell, “I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not gonna take this anymore.”

I’ve had days like that, have you? In fact, that’s the impetus to write about it.

Many business owners have one too many days wrought with frustration, anger, overwhelm, and annoyance. Yet, few talk about it or, worse yet, identify the cause so it can be corrected.

The Mood

I don’t’ know what caused it. Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Perhaps it was something I ate. Although I couldn’t identify the cause, I was angry…and it was mostly at myself.

It was Monday. I felt overwhelmed and behind on my goals and plans…and the day hadn’t even started. Frankly, I wanted to go back to bed, pull the covers over my head, and pray that this crushing feeling of overwhelm magically disappeared.

Alas, it didn’t. So, I began to work through my angst.

I listened to relaxation tapes, read over my goals, took note of my achievements, and began to talk myself in, around, under, and through my annoyance and resentment. And, as is frequently recommended, I got busy.

Prioritizing activities based on goals (as I’ve often touted) wasn’t cutting it. I hunted high and low to see what sort of action I could throw myself behind. With a folder chocked full of tax documents staring me down, I dug in with the tenacity of a dog with a bone.

As the day progressed, my hissy fit began to ease. I moved easily from one account to another and another with ease—until a simple mileage log turned things upside down.

How could something as simple as a mileage log taunt me?

Unable to locate my digital mileage record, or anything resembling a backup, I set out to recreate my whereabouts by going through my calendar—day-by-day, week-by-week, month-by-month. Before I knew it—there it was again.

As I relived every day of the previous year, a storm began to brew. Given the diagnostic rear view glance into my business, it was a real eye-opener!

My calendar—jam-packed with commitments, meetings, agreements, coffee and dinner dates, exercise, business development, marketing, time with family…in a nutshell, was disappointing. It was certainty not what I would have suspected my calendar to resemble.

No wonder I was frustrated.

The Cause

In true coaching style, I questioned myself through discovering the cause of a calendar asymmetrical to my personal and business desires and goals. What I discovered was not thrilling—but it was true.

Although I desired to be a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants business owner, the truth is subconscious beliefs, anxiety, and needs drove much of my calendar—not the values, mission, passion, and goals I had hoped.

Instead of being sprinkled with goals, my calendar was littered with obligations—dates loaded with “shoulds, oughts, and have tos.” And, if that wasn’t enough, I was a “yes” waiting to happen.

It was icing on a malfunctioning almanac.

The Resolution

Before the sun set upon the horizon, I resolved to right size my chronology—to put myself, my dreams, and my desires back in the captain’s chair.

I dusted off my core values and posted them prominently as a reminder that achievement is built upon values—not obligations.

I created operating principles as a stopgap measure against the hair trigger “yes.”

I revisited my goals, removing all “oughts, shoulds, and have tos” from the roster.

I practiced saying “no” without explanation.

I prepared myself for any possible storm originating from without (i.e., peer pressure, non-acceptance, sarcasm) or within (i.e., guilt) when I no longer comply with expected behavior.

The Progress

How are things going thus far? It’s too new to say with any certainty.

I suspect there will be slip-ups and set backs—resets and reboots. That’s what business (aka life) is about anyway, isn’t it? But, I do no one thing for sure….

Like Howard Beale, “I’m as mad as hell (at myself), and I’m not gonna take this anymore.”

How about you? Can you relate to Howard Beale and his unpredicted outburst? Or, my angst and frustration over a misaligned calendar? What do you do to make sure your calendar reflects your goals?

I love science.

It’s one thing to say that “something” creates results, but when scientific studies verify its existence, I get downright giddy! The latest neuroscientific research on the influence of gratitude on business growth has me “grateful” for geeks.

Gratitude: A Tradition

From a young age, my parents taught me to be grateful. After all, there were “starving children in Biafra,” mom narrated, “who would be more than happy to eat” whatever was being served.

As a young whipper snapper, I had “plenty”. I had enough to eat, a good education, and clothes to wear, even though most were hand-me-downs. There was an empty lot for softball, the perfect hill for winter sledding, and lots of neighborhood friends like Delbert, Bobby, and Dougie.

What I didn’t realize—until much later—was the stress my parents endured to feed, clothe, and educate five kids on a meager salary. I didn’t know we were poor. Why? Gratitude was a way of life.

Many people didn’t grow up in an atmosphere of gratitude. They missed the opportunity to learn the importance of gratitude. And, although I grew up without the benefit of scientific research, I knew gratitude created a lasting impact.

The Merry-Go-Round Called Gratitude

Scientific studies on gratitude, and its intriguing influence, are growing rapidly. In fact, did you know that five-minutes a day writing in a gratitude journal can increase your well-being by more than 10 percent. This is equivalent to doubling your income. Yowsa!

According to the article, The Grateful Brain, “gratitude can have such a powerful impact on your life because it engages your brain in a virtuous cycle. Your brain only has so much power to focus its attention. It cannot easily focus on both positive and negative stimuli. It is like a small child: easily distracted.”

It’s a virtual merry-go-round!

Gratitude actually reshapes neural pathways, creating greater optimism, better sleep and—wait for it—improvement in exercise by as much as 1.5 hours per week.

Business Growth: The Insiders Game

One of the most underutilized strategies for most small businesses is tapping into the unconventional method of business growth: growing from the inside out. It’s tough knowing where to start with an insider’s strategy that’s soft and squishy. So we turn to the tried (or is that “tired”?) strategies commonly utilized by most businesses.

Undoubtedly, traditional business growth strategies play an important role in business planning. However, can we make room for something more esoteric—like gratitude as a business growth strategy?

Drs. Blaire and Rita Justice reported for the University of Texas Health Science Center, “a growing body of research shows that gratitude is truly amazing in its physical and psychosocial benefits.”

What can gratitude do for you and your business growth? Here’s what science has to say…

1. Gratitude increases self-esteem.
2. Gratitude improves sleep. Zzzzzzzzzzz
3. Gratitude spices up our energy.
4. Gratitude adds elasticity to our bounce back ability.
5. Gratitude fosters relaxation. Ahhhhhhhh!
6. Gratitude improves social behaviors which makes it easier to network. Studies show that those who are 10% more grateful than average had 17.5% more social capital.
7. Gratitude stimulates goal achievement. In one study, participants instructed to keep a gratitude journal for two months reported more progress toward their goals.
8. Gratitude enhances decision making.
9. Gratitude magnifies productivity.
10. Gratitude makes us nicer, more trusting, and more appreciative.

In the words of speaker and author, Ocean Robbins, “If you’ve forgotten the language of gratitude, you’ll never be on speaking terms with happiness.“

Care to join me? Let’s start our gratitude journal today and see what it does for our business growth in the new year. You in?