Gratitude for 3 Things We Can Control

In sales and business development, there's an endless list of things we cannot control—market shifts, customer delays, the economy, competition, pricing pressures, economic changes. Personally, after experiencing the worst sales year of my career years ago, I knew there had to be a better way. I created a new formula to support me in conquering adversity that often comes in this career. Today, when my personal, sales, or business performance is down, I continue to stop, pause, and reflect and ask myself, 'where do I stand right now with the AAA formula?' More often than not, there is an element out of alignment...

But the true top producers share one truth: Success comes from focusing on what is within our control.

In my Sales Confidence Code™ work with leaders and teams, we call this the AAA Success Formula:
Attitude • Activity • Accountability. And today, I invite you to practice gratitude for these three game-changing elements that determine your growth, performance, and peace of mind.

1. Attitude

Your attitude sets the tone for your day, your energy, and your influence. We have all heard 'attitude is everything' and I didn't realize it until a tough year in sales helped me see this. Shifting from fear of failure to success in mind and focus changed my results in a spit second and lead to a record-breaking sales year of success.
A grateful mindset doesn’t ignore challenges—it gives you the resilience to face them with clarity instead of fear.

Be grateful that you can choose:

• Your perspective

• Your response

• Your internal narrative

• The meaning you assign to setbacks

• Who you surround yourself with

When you master your attitude, you master your outcomes.

2. Activity

Activity is where intention becomes motion.
You can control your outreach, preparation, follow-up, and consistency. Some of the best advice I heard in my sales career happened during my first year in sales from a mentor: focus on your daily activity vs. your results. Activity = results, and the numbers do not lie. Instead of focusing on the one deal that didn’t close, be grateful for the ability to take the next step, make the next call, refine the next conversation.

When you stay in motion, discouragement loses its grip.

3. Accountability

Accountability is a gift. I define accountability as what we are doing when no one is watching. We are rewarded publicly for the work we do privately. It means you’re not waiting for circumstances, coworkers, or customers to determine your success—you’re owning it.

Celebrate that you can:

• Track your behaviors

• Adjust your actions

• Ask for coaching

• Show up for your commitments

• Pivot, make a 2mm shift when your results are not where you want them to be

• Get a mentor, accountability partner/group, or coach (some of the ways I keep myself accountable and how you can, too)

• Know that when you do what is hard, it becomes easy

Accountability isn’t pressure—it’s empowerment.

When you are grateful for the things you can control, you regain confidence, purpose, and momentum. In sales and business development, that’s not just a mindset shift—
it’s a competitive advantage.