Easy Ways To Surround Yourself With Inspiration At Work
If my last post felt a little dry then please forgive me… I promise we’re going to move on to the fun stuff here, because this is where I’m going to encourage you to surround yourself with inspiration and things that make you happy.
As an entrepreneur, I’m fairly confident in saying you’ve probably got a pretty strong WHY behind your business. A reason why you struck out on your own and set something up from scratch. Take a moment now to pause and reflect on what that is for you. What gets you excited about your business? What problem(s) are you solving? How do you want people to feel when they use your product / service?
For me, my whole focus is on community connection. It sometimes feels like we’re living in an increasingly divided world but I firmly believe that we all have more in common than can ever drive us apart. There’s value in sitting down with people, all of whom have vastly different lived experiences, and sharing stories. When I’m tired and stressed and running a business feels overwhelming, I try to hold onto this. My WHY for starting out in the first place.
What is it for you?
Once you’ve identified it, have a think about what could symbolise that in some way. It could be a picture of the person who inspired you, or the person you want to help. It could be a favourite quote or affirmation. It could be the book that sparked the idea for the business in the first place. As always, there’s no right or wrong. It can be as silly, small or abstract as you like… but surrounding ourselves with these sources of inspiration can be hugely motivational when the going gets tough.
I know, I know I told you to get rid of the clutter, not add more things in… but some things are worth it. Having a couple of little things around you that spark joy is valuable and can help shed a little light when things feel overwhelming. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a physical item either, you could change your screensaver to a quote that will spark inspiration. You could also try swapping in something you already use for an item with greater meaning. For example, could you buy a mug from a fellow small business owner to remind yourself of the tribe of support that’s out there?
Not everything has to be related to your business either. If something sparks joy in and of itself, then it has its own kind of value. I mentioned previously that plants are great for air quality in your workspace but they can also add some life (literally) into your world of work. I’d always try and resist the temptation to spend too much money on something like this, as I don’t think we can ever spend our way to happiness… but if there’s a particular item that will spark joy then why not save up and add it to your workspace?
I like to link purchases with ‘wins’ / happy memories so that they have more meaning for. For example, could you get that beautiful new desk lamp when you’ve onboarded a new client? Or treat yourself to a snake plant when you hit X followers on your socials? This way, the things in your office also become visual symbols of your success and a celebration of the milestones you’ve hit as you build your business.
MY ACTION PLAN:
- What can you add into your workspace that would act as a source of inspiration? This could be a favourite quote / affirmation, a picture or an item that holds meaning for you.
- Add those things in now or pop a note in your diary for when you’ll do this later.
- Make a note of any items you’d really like to get for your workspace. Could you save up and purchase them when you celebrate a business ‘win’? What would those milestones look like for you?
