a peek inside the fishbowl » Blog Archive » Reminders and self-therapy

10 Mar, 2009

Reminders and self-therapy

Posted by andrea tomkins in: Misc. life

I have a virtual yellow post-it note “stuck” on my computer desktop. I see it everyday and it’s in my periphery as I work.

It’s a pretty long post-it. It contains a bunch of things I need to access quickly – story ideas, my library card number, quotes I like – but at the bottom I’ve written “Great things are happening”.

When I’m feeling stressed or anxious I read over my list of Great Things. It’s funny how often I forget that great things really ARE happening. And to see them collected this way and all listed together just adds to the boost.

I was looking at it again it today and for the first time I realized that my list of Great Things doesn’t contain anything about my awesome new (size 8!) pants, great movies I’ve seen, or the cool new tote bag my MIL picked up for me during her recent trip. It doesn’t even mention my wonderful husband and lovely young daughters. My list is truly about me. Almost all the points on the list are work and career-related, or about my own personal development.

I wonder about this. Work is not my favourite thing. I’d much rather be lying on a beach or paddling a canoe, but perhaps it is the thing that keeps me grounded and defines me for myself, and that makes me feel good.

10 Responses to "Reminders and self-therapy"

1 | Lala

March 10th, 2009 at 9:34 am

It’s the absence of work that shows me what it represents in my life. Six months of maternity leave has made me feel like I’ve lost myself and I have to get back to work to have me time and get positive reinforcement.

March 10th, 2009 at 11:16 am

i can understand this. although i have a wonderful husband and awesome girls, i too am defined by my work to a degree and that’s okay for me. i keeps me active, creative and balanced.

March 10th, 2009 at 11:59 am

You will understand that this isn’t weird, but I thought about you when I was in the shower this morning (doesn’t everyone do alot of thinking in the shower???) and I think you are very fortunate that you get to work and stay home with your kids at the same time. Then I wondered if you’ve told me how that came about????? How did you become a work at home Mom doing the work that you do?????

4 | andrea

March 10th, 2009 at 12:07 pm

I am very lucky that I can do the work I do from a home office.

Porter: I’m not sure if I blogged that story or not. I will have to google myself and find out. ;)

March 10th, 2009 at 12:48 pm

Kudos to you on your great things, both work related and non-work related (I am just wishing my size 8’s were loose and not tight ;) ). My Sister gave me a note pad for a list of things “I don’t want to do” instead of do. I turned it around a little and write the things I don’t want to forget I am good at or needed for. Since I don’t have a boss getting some positive affirmation daily is a little bit harder than it used to be.

6 | The Moffman

March 10th, 2009 at 3:10 pm

Very thought-provoking post. I don’t have a list of Great Things, but I think if I did make one, the fact that I’m able to work at home would be right up there. I really don’t like my job very much, but being able to do it from home and be around my little girls while they’re growing up is truly a great thing.
A friend of mine asked me this past weekend whether I would accept twice the pay to take a 9-to-5 office job. After briefly considering it, the answer was an emphatic “no”.
So among my Great Things you wouldn’t find any mention of what I’ve accomplished professionally, but you would mind find mention of where I accomplish it.
You would also learn that I once ate an entire large pizza.

7 | andrea

March 10th, 2009 at 6:42 pm

Moff: I don’t know if I could work in a traditional office setting again either. And my Great Things automatically includes my home office environment.

BeachMama: I’ll give you some daily affirmation if you’ll give me some in return, ok? :)

March 10th, 2009 at 9:12 pm

Perhaps it’s just that you need two lists? One on each side of your screen? One that contains your small pants, tote bag, and all great every day “life” things, the other for your work and career development successes.

But – great idea – I may just borrow it and stick notes like this all over my home!

9 | Mimi

March 10th, 2009 at 9:20 pm

You’re right about the self-definition. Work is where we spend a great deal of our time. It’s possibly the most ready source of name-calling “I’m a .”

I truly have difficulties celebrating my accomplishments. It’s a bit late for starting it up for Lent this year, maybe next year I’ll take up forcing myself to look at what I’ve done well. Goodness knows that’s near torture for me!

10 | Trea

March 10th, 2009 at 10:04 pm

Sigh … I’m still trying to find that work-life balance … and my size 8 body. Congrats!

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