{"id":8036,"date":"2011-12-23T07:00:33","date_gmt":"2011-12-23T14:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=8036"},"modified":"2011-12-15T16:01:45","modified_gmt":"2011-12-15T23:01:45","slug":"do-affirmations-and-quotes-work-for-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svapm.org\/?p=8036","title":{"rendered":"Do Affirmations and Quotes Work for You?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>In the first and second blog posts of this series we talked about heavy stuff. I shared some thoughts about disappointment<\/em>\u00a0and forgiveness<\/em>,\u00a0two key human conditions that I\u2019ve observed in my practice that consistently drain and distract people from reaching their full potential (and enjoyment) in the workplace.<\/p>\n

Now I\u2019d like to shift gears and to offer you something on the lighter side of the spectrum:\u00a0 Positive Affirmations<\/em> … and why they can be useful and self-reflective tool in the workplace.<\/p>\n

First, did you ever notice that many offices or cubicles sport insightful, often humorous inspirational phrases or quips? I can\u2019t tell you how many times I\u2019ve come across \u201cYou have to believe it to see it!\u201d especially when I visit R&D teams.<\/p>\n

If you do a Google search for personal affirmations or inspiring quotes, you pull up search engine results in the neighborhood of 7.9 million and 4.4 million respectively; up from 2.5 million and 1.6 million in 2009 (I have a thing for data). There are lots of them being posted.<\/p>\n

Two things I have noticed about\u00a0personal\u00a0affirmations:<\/p>\n

1. You can use a personal affirmation or inspirational quote that appeals to you at any given point in time as a self-reflective tool to pinpoint exactly where you are in your heart space<\/em> and <\/em>your head space<\/em>, which ultimately impacts how you show up in your work space<\/em>.<\/p>\n

2. Affirmations can grow dull. A quote that simply rocked your world with its profound ability to capture exactly<\/em> how you were thinking and feeling<\/em> might lose its luster over the course of days, weeks, or months (like an old boyfriend or girlfriend you meet in the street and you ponder what you saw ever in them).<\/p>\n

Why is this? My sense is that the affirmation or quote that spoke to you so eloquently in the past may no longer be relevant \u2013 in your head, heart, or work space. To take it one step further, if you recognize that the trigger appeal<\/em> of a personal affirmation is a mirror reflection of where you are in your life, then it presents a great opportunity to tune into what you need more of (or less of) in your life to show up as a fulfilled human being and by extension, 100% in your project management role.<\/p>\n

Here are three inspirational quotes that may apply to how project managers see the world. \u00a0The first could be from someone thinking of suggesting a radical change in \u201cthe plan of record\u201d, the second from a team ready to cutover to a new medical records system, and the third could be from any project manager\u2026any day of the week!<\/p>\n

1 . \u201cA ship in harbor is safe\u2014but that is not what ships are built for\u201d- John Shedd<\/em><\/p>\n

2. \u201c My life has been filled with terrible misfortune; most of which never happened\u201d – Montaigne<\/em><\/p>\n

3. \u00a0\u201cMost things which are urgent are not important, and most things which are important are not urgent\u201d – Dwight Eisenhower<\/em><\/p>\n

You\u2019ll notice that each quote offers a key message that has the potential to help focus and center your energy in the workplace. The trick is to be mindful of selecting personal affirmations that help you today with a go forward\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0rather than a fall backward<\/em>\u00a0message. For example, self-effacing or cynical quips like \u201cYou\u2019re born, you die, and in between you make a lot of mistakes\u201d, might give you pause to reflect at first glance, but they often undermine and deflate in the long run.<\/p>\n

As a general rule, it is best to select the personal affirmation that you would like to make come to life, something that acts as a catalyst for the actions, thinking, and feelings you would like to manifest for a better quality life and work life.<\/p>\n

Here are three that really \u201cpop out\u201d for where I am right now in my work life:<\/p>\n

1. \u201cForget not that the Earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair\u201d \u2013 Kahlil Gabran <\/em>(Self-reflection: Invite more nature and play into the work day).<\/p>\n

2. \u201cBe yourself; everyone else is already taken\u201d \u2013 Oscar Wilde\u00a0<\/em>(Self-reflection: Time to tackle the website branding project that has been on the back-burner).<\/p>\n

3. \u201cA little rebellion now and then, is a good thing\u201d \u2013 Thomas Jefferson<\/em> (Self-reflection: Have the courage to collect your own data, challenge, and question).<\/p>\n

If personal affirmations and inspiring quotes appeal to you, as a self-reflective exercise that can enhance how you show up each day in your work life, here are some tips on how to put them to use:<\/p>\n

5 Easy Tips for Using Quotes and Affirmations:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Look<\/strong>\u00a0– Be on the lookout for personal affirmations that capture your attention. Then ask: \u201cWhy am I so attracted to this personal affirmation and what wisdom does this have to offer me in the work place?\u201d<\/p>\n

Collect<\/strong>\u00a0– Start a signature collection. A laptop is a great place to store inspiring quotes that you come across during your work day. Plus, for the creative types (like me) you can always expand your horizons by collecting inspiring photos and music. For example, I have a YouTube<\/em> song that I listen to each day because it immediately catapults me into an amazing work space; I also have a collection of panoramic photos that constantly invite me to step back and look at the big picture.<\/p>\n

Track\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 The quotes and affirmations that attract you today may or may not attract you tomorrow, or next year. This is because you may have other challenges and opportunities on your plate. This being so, tracking your year-to-year affirmation and quote appeal is an excellent way to honor where you\u2019ve been, how you\u2019ve grown, and to solidify what you\u2019ve learned as a project manager.<\/p>\n

Share\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 People often relish an opportunity to share personal affirmations and inspiring quotes. At first, I suspected that this tendency was simply an act of kindness and generosity. After observing many, many people (including myself), I now know that the sharing stage is an important part of a self-reflective process akin to putting a stake in the ground and saying: \u201cYes, I have walked this talk in the workplace \u2026 and if I can do it, you can do it too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lead<\/strong> \u2013 Use the affirmations that encapsulate where you want people\u2019s heads and hearts to be when they read your emails. Lead by affirmation<\/em>. You can quote me on that!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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