Fill Your Own Tank

Unless you’re driving a Tesla, you know what would happen if you failed to fill your gas tank. Donald O. Clifton and Tom Rath suggested in the short read, How Full is Your Bucket, that we each have an emotional bank account which requires regular fill-ups. We can rely on others to fill our emotional bank account or, we can fill ours by expressing genuine appreciation and gratitude toward others.

There’s another step that I’ve been using for years. It’s called a “win” file or a “kudos” file. Every time you get a pat-on-the-back via email or a written note, either store it in an electronic file or make a copy and keep a hard file. When someone gives you verbal praise or an expression of gratitude, jot it down and put it in your file.

Why? Because we all have days when we feel depleted, discouraged or dejected. At work, home, school – anywhere, people can steal our joy and evaporate our emotional bank account. It is on those days that you need to lift your own spirits. Look at what you’ve kept in your “win” or “kudos” file and remind yourself that you are a good person and you’ve done things that others have appreciated.

Just this week, I received perhaps one of the kindest emails from a keynote speaker/actor that I had the pleasure of stage managing at a recent conference. His comments were totally unexpected and so very kind. That’s an email that will go in my “kudos” file. When I’m having a day that causes me to doubt what I’m doing, I’ll happily read that email and I can guarantee it will lift my spirits again.

Sometimes others will fill your emotional tank, sometimes you’ll need to fill up on your own!