Speaker 1: Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office,
Speaker 1: the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the
Speaker 1: new world of work, where the location and hours are
Speaker 1: more flexible than in the past. This week we've been
Speaker 1: talking about some practical and surprising items to keep in
Speaker 1: a home office. Today's tip is to display a memento
Speaker 1: to remind yourself of where you work and why. When
Speaker 1: you're working remotely, it's vital to set up your homework
Speaker 1: space for maximum productivity, and it's also valuable to set
Speaker 1: it up to be meaningful and motivating. The right memento
Speaker 1: can help with that. I think we've all heard the
Speaker 1: story of the three workers carving blocks of stone. One
Speaker 1: said he was just shaping a block, another said he
Speaker 1: was helping to build a wall. The third said he
Speaker 1: was building a cathedra. All of course, the tasks the
Speaker 1: workers were doing were exactly the same, but the meaning
Speaker 1: they ascribed to their work was different. When you're working remotely,
Speaker 1: especially by necessity rather than by choice, it's easy to
Speaker 1: get consumed by carving stones. Show up for this video conference,
Speaker 1: edit this report, prepare that presentation. Propose how your department
Speaker 1: can cut its budget what's harder is to keep connected
Speaker 1: to the bigger purpose of your work. And yet presumably
Speaker 1: your organization isn't sending emails and hosting meetings just to
Speaker 1: do so. Presumably there is a purpose behind it. Whether
Speaker 1: your cathedral is tangible like making outdoor equipment, or more conceptual,
Speaker 1: such as helping other companies be more efficient, it can
Speaker 1: be helpful to keep your eye on these things. And
Speaker 1: if these cathedrals don't move you, maybe you can still
Speaker 1: find meaning in the relationship aspects of your job. You've
Speaker 1: helped several people get promoted into management where they can
Speaker 1: try out leadership skills for the first time, or you're
Speaker 1: proud of all the young people you've mentored in your organization.
Speaker 1: In any case, think about what makes your work rewarding
Speaker 1: to you. Then, to make your remote workspace motivating, figure
Speaker 1: out a memento that captures that value. It could be
Speaker 1: a photo of your nephew hiking the Appalachian Trail wearing
Speaker 1: a backpack that your company designed. It could be a
Speaker 1: framed thank you note from someone who's promotion you helped,
Speaker 1: orchestrate a desk clock with the logo from a conference,
Speaker 1: or you volunteer extensively, or a newspaper clipping profiling the
Speaker 1: positive work culture at the business you lead. If you're
Speaker 1: a solo worker like me, identifying a memento of your
Speaker 1: work can be a little trickier, but it's still worth doing.
Speaker 1: I keep copies of my books in my office and
Speaker 1: posters or photos from events. Sometimes I print up and
Speaker 1: display emails from people who found my time management advice useful.
Speaker 1: These physical mementos connect me to the why of my job.
Speaker 1: Day to day life can sometimes be a slog but
Speaker 1: keeping a little reminder of the cathedral you're building can
Speaker 1: give you a nudge to keep going. In the meantime,
Speaker 1: This is Laura, thanks for listening, and here's the succeeding
Speaker 1: in the New Corner Office. The New Corner Office is
Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts, visit
Speaker 1: the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
Speaker 1: get your favorite shows.