Don’t Wait Until Thanksgiving

I’m guilty of this too.

You wait until a pre-scheduled holiday to show you’re thankful for your family.

You wait until Mother’s Day to say, “I love you, Mom.”

I know that I sometimes get so caught up in my own goals and the hustle to achieve more and push harder, that I forget to stop and reflect. Not just on all I have, but on who I have that makes life special and worth living.

Last weekend, I had a chance to go home for a visit and put work down for a few hours to enjoy time with my mom, dad, brother, sister, and my little niece, whose mind was blown when I got Jake Paul to shoot her a quick hello video message.

Those moments matter.

They make all the hard work worth it.

What is your “why”?

Mine is to make my parents proud. To earn respect from mentors and industry leaders. To prove to myself that I CAN succeed and that I AM a success.

Anyone who knows me knows just how driven I am. I even have a warrior mantra I repeat each morning in front of the mirror.

“Repeat” isn’t the right word. I scream it. I embody it. I believe it.

But not everyone in my life is this way, and not everyone special to me runs at the same full throttle gear that I’m grinding in.

And like it or not, we need other people to live healthy and full lives. And we need to be able to communicate to and with all different types of people. That is a sign of EQ, or Emotional Intelligence.

So how do we show people that we care and that we are thankful for them?

Here are 3 core steps:

1. Listen for understanding.

• Be present.
• Don’t check your phone or look around at other things.
• Show that there is nothing else in the world right now, but us right here, talking.

2. Follow through.

• If you say you are going to do something, do it. No excuses.
• Don’t overcommit and fall short. Show that you listened and cared enough to fulfill your end of the bargain.
• Do what you said you would and more. Overdeliver.

3. Say and show appreciation.

• Don’t be stingy with saying, “Thank you,” “I appreciate you,” and “I love you.” (where appropriate :))
• Jot down notes when people say something you want to remember, like their birthdays, anniversaries, or favorite sports team, so you can congratulate them when the time is right or send them a little surprise out of the blue.

We entrepreneurs think long and hard in marketing meetings about how we can “surprise and delight” our customers, but what about our families? Our loved ones?

Don’t wait until a holiday on the calendar reminds you.

Don’t wait until it’s too late.

So, pick up the phone right now. Pull out a little note card right now.

And send one “thank you” or “I love you” that deserves not to wait until Thanksgiving.

PS: Mom, thank you and I love you.