As the holidays approach, I love the increase focus on gratitude. Being grateful is a state of mind. There is research that shows giving thanks can make you happier. What can you do to act on this attitude of gratitude? Try this one daily habit and see how it changes you and those around you.

I love sending thank you notes to people. I don’t send them every day, and I know that receiving a thank-you note stands out as something special. Over and over people to whom I have sent hand written thank-you notes have remarked that it is unusual. I also like the ritual of sitting down with pen and paper and actually writing the words. If you decide not to hand write a note, you can take a moment each day to send an email to say thank you.

Set a goal for yourself to send a note of gratitude or praise to someone. One note a day may not seem like a big deal. Look back at how often over the last week you have sent someone an email of thanks. If you are like a lot of folks, and the busy day gets away from you, it probably isn’t more than one or two. Look back and see how many such emails you received. I suspect probably even fewer. Consider how you felt when read that email.

There are so many good things that happen each day. Sometimes people are performing their job. Sometimes they go above and beyond. Maybe someone is a good listener. Sending a “thank-you” e-mail every day can vastly increase the volume of gratitude in your immediate circle of contacts. You can hold yourself accountable by looking back on your sent messages. Remind yourself by putting something on your calendar at the start of your day. Perhaps you create a ritual of starting or ending your day with gratitude.

I want to thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I’m thankful for each one of you that find my posts interesting enough to click, subscribe and read on. Have a wonderful holiday.