The Gratitude Practice That Changed the Way I Lead and Live

Nov 14
2 min read

By Sailynn Doyle

Your FUN Business Coach + Creator of The Legacy Business System

In 2018, my marketing coach encouraged me to start a morning routine. It was simple: journal, reflect, and center myself before diving into the day. I did it off and on for years — but in 2023, something shifted.

I picked up The Magic by Rhonda Byrne, and what started as a book became a transformation. I committed to her 28-day gratitude practice, writing down ten things I was thankful for every morning. It completely changed how I start my day — and how I lead my life.

Before that, I often woke up already running through to-do lists in my head. Gratitude slowed me down. It grounded me in the now. And in doing so, it brought an entirely new sense of peace and perspective to both my business and my leadership.

When you’re an entrepreneur, especially a woman building something from the ground up, it’s easy to get caught in the constant chase: the next goal, the next client, the next milestone. But gratitude shifts the lens from what’s missing to what’s working.

That shift changes everything.

Now, every morning before I open my laptop, I write down ten things I’m grateful for. Some are big — a speaking opportunity, a new client, or hitting a milestone. Others are small but sacred — my morning walk, sunshine on my face, and a beautiful sunrise.

This practice has become my most powerful business tool.

Because here’s the truth: gratitude isn’t just an emotion. It’s a strategy.

When you start your day rooted in thankfulness, it affects every decision, conversation, and reaction that follows. You communicate differently. You delegate with more grace. You lead from abundance rather than scarcity.

And when challenges come (because they always do), gratitude helps you find calm in the chaos. It reminds you that even in hard moments, there’s still something working in your favor.

As a business coach, I’ve seen the ripple effect of this shift in my clients’ lives too. The ones who commit to a gratitude practice are less reactive, more grounded, and more confident in their leadership. Their teams feel it. Their families feel it. And their businesses grow because of it.

It’s so easy to dismiss gratitude as something “nice to do when things slow down,” but the truth is — it’s the very thing that allows you to sustain your success when things speed up.

The women I work with are brilliant, driven, and wildly successful. But what they often lack isn’t strategy — it’s appreciation. They forget to pause and see how far they’ve already come.

Gratitude brings that awareness back.

It’s the quiet confidence that says, “I already have everything I need to create what’s next.”