November is always a time of gratitude for me. Maybe it’s the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, the changing of the seasons – or – maybe it’s that I’m forced to slow down for the holidays that causes me to reflect. But it’s always a time of gratitude, pause, and reflection for me.  

I’ve been thinking a lot about the routines and practices that ground me. And there are two that stick out right now to me – one I’ve been doing consistently for the past seven to eight years, and the other has been a more recent practice for me – like the past six months. These routines have truly made a difference in my mindset, my emotional health, and my outlook on life.

Practice #1: Daily Gratitude Journaling  

Gratitude is my most important mindset practice, because “what you appreciate in life appreciates.” Truly – when you create space to celebrate the good, the good gets better. Let me also mention that gratitude isn’t only for celebrating what’s going well in your life; it’s also for recognizing the tough moments, your bravery, and your perseverance. 

My daily gratitude practice started seven or eight years ago and it’s part of my daily morning routine. My gratitude practice has radically shifted my mindset – it has given me the ability to practice contentment while also continuing to be a high achiever. It balances me out.  

I also developed a way to practice gratitude that makes it sustainable for me. The way that I practice gratitude is called PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE gratitude journaling. Each morning, I reflect in my journal and write down what I’m grateful for in each of these areas.  

PAST gratitude – what happened yesterday that I’m grateful for? Did a client of mine have a huge win, did I finally have that difficult conversation, maybe I set a boundary, or showed myself compassion, or maybe I had a sweet interaction with my son. Then I look at PRESENT gratitude – what’s happening in this moment that I’m grateful for? My family, my health, my business, my dog Corman, my team, my clients, my opportunities, my bravery – this list can go on and on. And finally, I reflect on my FUTURE gratitude – what’s happening later today, tomorrow, next week, or my future dreams that I’m grateful for? This is where you can manifest your dreams. If this approach is appealing to you, we’ve created a downloadable gratitude journaling page you can use.

Practice #2: Being Present  

Practicing being present and being where my feet are is a more recent mindset practice for me – and yet a profound practice. When I think back on my life and my perfectionism and what it stole from me, I realize that it stole my presence from me. I was never truly present in my life. And as my life has become more and more highly scheduled, I’ve been realizing the power of presence. To make sure that when I’m with my boys, I’m with them. And when I’m with my clients, I’m with them.  

One thing that has helped me “be where my feet are” is my Sunday prioritizing routine. Every Sunday I spend 30-40 minutes with my weekly planner, and I map out my week. I think about what time I want to spend with my boys, my work, myself, etc. and I schedule it. This has been a game changer for me. I have Thursday date nights with my husband and Sunday date nights with my teenager. And sometimes I need to pull an all-nighter for work. And I do these things guilt-free. I’m where my feet are.  

Other Things to Consider  

We are in a world that is moving a million miles an hour, and we are expected to be all things to everyone. Make sure you are all things to yourself. Make sure you are doing things that ground you and keep you in a healthy mindset. Make sure you are prioritizing what’s most important to you. Be where your feet are. You’ve got this!