Motivation Monday: Rainy Day File

You know those crappy work days where you feel tired, unproductive, in need of more caffeine, full of doubt, and ready to run back to a cubicle? Where all you want to do is pull the covers over your eyes, curl up with a cup of coffee, turn on Friends, or take a road trip to get away? Yeah, we've had them too -- the days where it might be sunny outside, but it sure feels like a rainy day. On those days, it can be tough to remember why you usually love your job and the many successes you’ve had. The awesome client response to a project; the great feedback from a customer; the sweet thank you note from a blogger you worked with -- they all seem to be instantly banished from your memory.

Which is why we keep a Rainy Day folder (or a 'Keepers File', as Jenny Blake says!) to keep track of the nice things people say about our work or metrics that prove that we are, in fact, on the right track.

Where to create your Rainy Day collage:

• Email (add a "Rainy Day" label to all nice incoming emails)
• Pinterest board (keep it secret if you want)
• PicMonkey (though you won’t be able to edit it)
• Polyvore (you could save it as a draft so that it’s not publicly visible)
• Evernote (better for words than photos)
• A bulletin board (yes, a real one!)

What to include:

• Thank you notes (or photos of them)
• Text from positive emails, tweets, or Facebook messages sent by your contractor, your client, or your customer
• An article with your byline and headshot
• Screen shots of your successes (like that graph showing a 500% increase in your site stats for your blog!)
• An autograph of a famous-in-your-industry individual that you were able to meet
• An image of a graphic you designed

We're all about internal self-assurance and intrinsic drive, but sometimes, you just need that little bit of external reassurance. Undoubtedly, these things won't complete you, but they can provide a quick pick-me-up on a rough day.

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