How can you develop a sense of gratitude and appreciation to stay resilient in your startup journey?

I've discovered a valuable strategy: leveraging the Todoist app as my digital journal. It empowers me to meticulously document tasks, ticking them off upon completion. This method not only highlights my accomplishments but also serves as a foundation for monthly self-rewards – perhaps as simple yet gratifying as savoring a cup of Caffe Touba, a popular caffeinated drink in the Gambia sold everywhere. This ritual significantly bolsters my determination. Additionally, having a dedicated accountability partner to share and celebrate my achievements has proven instrumental in my journey as a startup founder.

Too many entrepreneurs are overly outcome-focused. Of course, we all want to win the game we are playing. But most startups are rife with uncertainty and change, and founders can find themselves chasing moving targets. Once founders come to terms with the idea that their desired outcome may not have the ROI they hope for, they can focus on the ROI that's certain, what they gain from the learnings of the journey. The Lean Startup approach recognises learning as central to finding product-market fit, as in virtually every career path. The more we learn, the closer we move toward mastery. So celebrate learnings rather than outcomes. They are more frequent and when recognised, they are rewarded with a wonderful dose of dopamine.

Most entrepreneurs measure their success against their ideal (the gap), not against how far they’ve come (the gain). If you do this it’s a surefire way to unhappiness. Rather than focus on achievements, instead get in a habit of capturing the intangible progress you’ve made: - the learnings - what worked and what didn’t - the work - what energised you, what drained you - the people - who lit you up and who brought you down - the new-found clarity you have - the growth - what did you learn about yourself that you didn’t know before - the new skills & mindset you’ve acquired It can take 10 years to build a great company. So take your time, enjoy the ride and look after yourself along the way - you are your company’s greatest asset.

To cultivate gratitude and resilience in your startup journey, take moments to reflect on accomplishments, no matter how small it maay be. Celebrate progress and acknowledge the support of others. Keep a gratitude journal to regularly remind yourself of the positives amidst challenges. Additionally, surround yourself with a supportive network and seek inspiration from successful entrepreneurs who have overcome similar obstacles. This mindset shift can fuel resilience and propel you forward, even in the face of adversity.

Documents your milestones and how you got there. Record keeping is not just for your operations alone but also to help you take stock of your progress and your journey. Celebrate your wins! No win is small.

Here are some tips to help you develop a sense of gratitude: Celebrate small wins: Celebrate every small win, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Practice mindfulness: Take a few minutes each day to practice mindfulness. Express gratitude: Express gratitude to your team members, investors, and customers. Let them know how much you appreciate their support and contributions. Stay positive: Focus on the positive aspects of your startup journey. Even when things get tough, try to stay positive and look for the silver lining. Take care of yourself: Take care of yourself both physically and mentally. Exercise regularly, eat healthy, and get enough sleep. This will help you stay energized and focused.

Keeping a gratitude journal is quite interesting and relaxing too! Dedicate time each day to jot down things you're grateful for, whether related to your startup or personal life. This would train your mind to focus on the positive, even during tough times. And when you pause to think and write, you'll find out that they're many things to be grateful for.

Running a startup is filled with unpredictability and challenges. But embracing the twists and turns with a grateful heart strengthen your resolve and reaffirms your vision. It's vital to pause to thank our mentors, those that believe in us even when we did not know what we were doing. As well as our ride-or-die family and friends. Their support is the fuel that keeps our startup engine running. In the rollercoaster of highs and lows, showing gratitude is a vital part of the journey, making the climb a bit easier and the view from the top all the more rewarding. So, let gratitude be your constant companion, reminding you that every step, no matter how challenging, is a milestone worth celebrating.

Gratitude is a seed that always bears good fruit. Cultivating the art of gratitude is very important. It will make those who help you fell appreciated for their efforts, it will also help your team feel appreciated, when you express it in response to their contribution to the Startups objectives. All round, Gratitude never goes unrequited.

Challenges are part of the journey but being able to honestly take a step back look at the challenge deeply, we can outline the positives that comes out of that challenge. It's difficult to do this when nothing seems to work, but coming back to the journalling every step you take in your business can help you go back to do that and see how far you have come. Sometimes, we can come to a point where we need to pivot but that is a learning to be grateful for.

The hallmark of a great entrepreneur is how they deal with challenges. Business by its commercial nature is not static. Policies can change the market and newcomers can disrupt a current model. As a startup founder you have to assume that these challenges are possible and plan ahead on how to mitigate them. You can do this by creating what is called a Moat strategy. When challenges do happen, it is beneficial to see it as an opportunity to learn. Always document what you did wrong that led to the challenge so that you can improve going forward. Startups are built to scale quickly so you don’t have a lot of time to feel bad about failure. Accept it, learn from it and make progress. In the end, if you keep going, you’re going to win.

One way, startups can develop a purpose is to focus on the value they can deliver to customers. This focus on value can set the true north for a startup and its founders. Driving growth with purpose is a constant challenge for startups as they evolve. It is the responsibility of the founding team to ensure that they have a proper governance and oversight available to guide them through this journey. This can help them to maintain focus on purpose and realign when needed.

I’ve found that extended time in nature is a way to unlock our deeper purpose, especially if surrounded by other founders that inspire us and get us thinking differently about possibilities. As an entrepreneur never underestimate the power to creating space to do nothing. It could be the most effective use of your time. I view anything that aids my best thinking as worthwhile, even if it doesn’t ‘feel’ like work. Paradoxically the work that is ours to do becomes more apparent when we’re not thinking about work.

What fuels your creative engine? This is a very pivotal question you must ask yourself at the onset and even as you journey on. Secondly, find inspiration in your ecosystem- in people, systems and accomplishments.

One piece of advice I have for entrepreneurs here is to break out of your bubble. Most industries are in silos of their own making. Everyone is talking about the same thing and debating the nuances of their industry. But real breakthroughs happen when we expose ourselves to new perspectives, new thinking and other ways of working. So do yourself a favour and spend more time with folks from different worlds - your ideas and business will be better for it. When trying to solve a problem the chances are someone in a different industry has a solution you’d not thought about. Read The Medici Effect for more on this concept.

In cultivating gratitude, reflecting on our team's journey is key. We embarked on a bold, innovative venture with lengthy revenue timelines. To appreciate our progress, we documented our challenges - internal, market-related, and the remarkable individuals who rose to meet them. Their strategies, attitudes, and the milestones achieved are captured, showcasing our collective triumph over adversity. This narrative fosters gratitude and inspires us to keep pushing forward together. #Teamwork #Resilience #GratitudeInBusiness #InnovationJourney

Don't forget your 'Why'; the reason you started. Keep your 'Why' close, it will help you through challenging times and make you smile when you begin to see the positve impact your Why has made.

Surround yourself with great people - mentors, teachers, fellow founders and collaborators - that share your values. Most founders aren’t short of people around them, but their friends and family usually don’t get them when it comes to struggles in business. For this reason entrepreneurship can feel like a lonely path. Your success and happiness will depend on how connected you are to those that know what it takes. Invest time in finding your tribe. Your future self will thank you for it,

Find a mentor with a similar career path that can keep you accountable when needed but also that can manage to inspire you and make you appreciate how far you excel