I sat at my favorite table in my office.  The table where I make a mess on Mondays, brainstorm, and chat about business ideas with friends.  I sit here to meet with myself each month to reflect and review my goals.

While I’m usually excited to review my goals because I love checking off my list of things accomplished, this month was a struggle.

I am a list checker.  I have been known to complete a task that wasn’t on my list, only to add it to my list, and then put a check beside it with a smiley face. To the defense of all the list checkers–raise your hands, there is some science behind why this happens.

As I began to reflect on my list of goals from last month, I noticed that I had a list with no check marks. All month, I’d been feeling as though I was not moving forward because I wasn’t accomplishing the things on my list.  Ever feel that way?

My favorite planner has a “cultivate gratitude” section for each month’s goal review.  As I began to move my heart towards gratitude, my list of unchecked goals and the feelings of overwhelm and failure began to fade.  The power of gratitude is real.

I decided to literally turn the page and make a list of my “YAY” moments for March and cultivate gratitude.

My YAY moments were getting a new bed, cooking with Blue Apron and feeling like a chef, meeting clients for lunch and learning more about them, playing Heads Up with my family, reading a book with my husband, hosting three HUGE events at my studio, and discovering a new song to add to my wedding day playlist.

The power of gratitude is real, and these YAY moments filled a page that I can turn to in those months when I don’t feel that my plans have been accomplished.

The power of gratitude is real.

Gratitude leads to change in the way that we look at our lives.

Gratitude gives a different perspective on what success means.

Gratitude causes us to appreciate everything and celebrate the YAY moments.

Gratitude helps us to delight in the little things.

What YAY moments can you celebrate to cultivate gratitude?