The Me Folder
In 3rd grade, I was diagnosed with an auditory and visual perception disorder.
This basically means that my brain doesn't process information through the sense of sight or sense of hearing the way yours might. Sometimes, the information gets jumbled or misinterpreted. If you tell me it's 4:32 p.m., I may understand the time as 3:42 p.m.
I distinctly remember that my diagnosis felt like being told my brain was broken.
One day, I was snooping through my parents' office (because it was full of interesting things, made doubly interesting by the fact that I wasn't supposed to be in there), and I found a file folder with stuff about me. The Diana Folder.
My parents kept my report cards, ballet recital programs, drawings, writings, and so much more. It was a life-giving moment to see that, despite my learning disorder, my parents kept these little pieces of my life to treasure. The Diana folder reminded me that I can do good things.
Years later, at the start of my career, someone told me I needed a "me folder." It's the same concept as the Diana folder in my parents' office.
The Me Folder
The me folder is like a brag book. It's a folder (hard copy or digital) where you save your accomplishments, awards, and affirmations from your colleagues. It's somewhere to keep anything that makes you smile and feel proud.
Whenever someone sends me an email with praise or a thank-you card, it gets filed in my me folder. My favorite thing in my me folder to date is a wedding invitation from one of my SMPS Houston Protégé. This wedding invite is my reminder that special connections are made when I lead from my heart.
This is your call to action to create your very own me folder.
Here are a few ideas of what to put in your folder:
Thank you notes
Voicemail transcripts with kudos
Emails from technical team members praising you
Congratulatory emails for awards and accolades
Flyers for conferences you're speaking at
Win notification for a proposal you're proud of
Screenshot of your firm's LinkedIn post that features you
If you're ever feeling unsettled, unsure about work, or need encouragement, pull out your me folder and peruse through the good things inside. This is sure to give you a little boost of self-esteem.
One genius way to use your me folder is to browse through it before your employee reviews. When you start to prepare for your review, you may not remember all the fantastic things you've done, and your me folder can remind you. It's also something to look back at when you're updating your resume and need to remember notable accomplishments (check out next month's newsletter for my tips on prepping for your yearly review)!
I'm itching to know... what's one thing you're putting in your me folder?
Hit reply and brag on yourself a little so I can celebrate with you!
This blog was originally published as part of the Hello Diana Brown MEGA Mail newsletter. To get the industry’s most exciting and helpful newsletter in your inbox, click here to sign up.