4 Quick Tips for a Thanksgiving You Won’t Forget Posted on November 26, 2014June 27, 2016 by Jonathan Herrick Thanksgiving kicks of the start of the holiday season. Tomorrow many of us around this great nation will celebrate turkey day with family and loved ones and dig into that turkey feast. Oh and don’t forget Grandma Ruth’s famous pumpkin pie. It’s one of my favorite holidays, I love the smell of the bird cooking in the morning and all of the long standing family traditions. Check this out you’ll see what I mean: I do love the tasty food but the real reason I love Thanksgiving is because it is a time to truly reflect and give thanks for the blessings in my life. Thanksgiving lands every year on the 4th Thursday of the month but it wasn’t always that way. Our great leader and president, Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed the date to be the final Thursday in November in an attempt to unite and bring healing to our great nation. We now celebrate “Turkey Day” as a day set aside for coming together, reflection and giving thanks. So in that light I thought I would share a few tips to help make this year’s Thanksgiving the most memorable one yet: Give Thanksgiving is a time to remember what is most important in your life and your work. It helps you to reflect on the things most precious to you. Winston Churchhill said it best: “We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give” This holiday, find a cause you can truly support and give. If you have team members, empower them to be a part of the journey to give and make a difference. Make giving not just a one day event but use Thanksgiving as a springboard to infuse it into your daily culture. Places like www.kiva.org-Loans that change lives for just $25, http://www.operationhomefront.net/ which helps our military families as their loved ones are deployed, or places such as http://www.havenhousestl.org/ that provide housing and support for families traveling out of town to have extended medical needs met for their kids are great places to give your time and resources to. You can also check out http://www.charitynavigator.org/ to get insights into multiple charities and how they use your donations to further their cause. Slow Down I know, I know you are too busy to take a day off. Hogwash. You need to routinely take time away from your business or work to reflect on the blessings you have and recharge the batteries. According to Harris Interactive, the average American had 9 unused vacation days at the end of the year, up from 6.2 days in 2011. Study after study demonstrates that you and your team are more productive when you slow down and give your brain a break. Mark Rosekind, researcher at Alertness Solutions found that the effects of a vacation can increase performance by 80%. Take the next few days to nap, read a book, or if you’re in Buffalo NY, build a snow man! Use the time to get away and connect with those around you that you are most thankful for. Be Human This Turkey Day spend less time trying to capture moments with your iPhone and more time making them. Recent studies show that taking those must have pics actually hampers our ability to recall the event. So for just one day, try putting down the technology gadgets and enjoy being free from expectations to post every bite of turkey on Facebook. Use your time to reconnect with family and friends in a more personal and authentic way. Say Thank You This is a great time to pause and give thanks to your customers, vendors and most importantly your team members that make your business what it is today. As a business, your dream would be just that – a dream – without your loyal customers and great team alongside of you to help drive your mission. Show your appreciation with a simple email, handwritten note, personal video, or even a gift card. Here is a free holiday email template you can use to send out to your customers to let them know just how much you care: Thanksgiving templates This Thanksgiving take the time to reflect, recharge and give thanks. From all of us at Hatchbuck, may your holiday be filled with amazing memories with your family, friends and loved ones and give you the opportunity to start this holiday season off right.