Thank You For Your Time
Growing up, my mom was very adamant about making sure we wrote thank you notes. We wrote thank you notes to everyone - teachers, coaches, friends, family, neighbors - no one was safe from our mediocre penmanship. Of course, I didn’t realize at the time how meaningful it was to sit down and physically write out your gratitude for someone and then take the time to address it, stamp it, and send it off into the world. It seemed a little cumbersome as a sixteen-year-old who could just as easily send a quick “thank you” text message.
To this day, I’m still glad my mom stayed persistent in her “thank you note” requirements, as it taught me a lot about the way we express gratitude. We all know communication is important in relationships, but gratitude affects us a little bit differently. Research has shown a significant link between showing gratitude and an increase in happiness levels, positive emotions, and even improved health (Amin, 2014). Saying thank you actually increases productivity and motivation, making us more resilient, and increasing our self-esteem!
** aptly yells thank you at anyone and everyone **
Recently, a long-distance friend messaged me about an issue they were having with a new business and asked for some Marketing advice. I am always happy to give my advice or note on my experiences, especially with things like marketing or travel. We talked back and forth and came up with a good plan for him and he thanked me profusely for the support. A few hours later, I had a notification that he had sent me a virtual Starbucks gift card with a super sweet thank you note.
Now, I’m not advocating that you ship out gift cards every time a friend gives you advice. But, it was really refreshing to know someone valued my time as much as I should. In the age of side-hustles, we tend to over-perform and under-appreciate. My friend definitely didn’t need to pay me, I was happy to give my input. But he understood that it took away from me doing other things (like maybe finishing my thesis someday?) and for that, I am eternally grateful.
So, the next time you ask someone for advice in their area of expertise, be considerate of their time and energy to helping you out. Showing gratitude not only reassures them that they are worth the time and effort, but it makes you feel good in the process as well. This goes especially far with coworkers. We often get so caught up in the day to day busyness that we don’t have the wherewithal to stop and really show appreciation for the support and help given by our coworkers.
With that…thank you for reading :)