If you walked around your office today and asked, “What day
is it?” The response would undoubtedly be, “It’s Wednesday.” And that is
correct, but many may have forgotten that today is also Administrative Professionals’
Day. All those except administrative professionals, of course. We know it as a
day to celebrate those who make an impact by assuming managerial-like
responsibilities in a work environment that nowadays, require more than just a
typing skill and pleasant phone etiquette. Today is a day of recognition, did
you get recognized? Some will say, “Yes, there was a beautiful bouquet of
flowers sitting on my desk this morning.” “My boss took me to lunch today.”
The true admin celebrates their career every day, not just
on April 22 or during the week of, but each and every day. Here 3 ways to have
your own daily celebration:
1. Keep
track of small victories as well as the big ones. A small victory is
something that makes you feel good afterwards. For example, how many times have
you caught a mistake before anyone else, especially the boss? How about the
time you almost forgot to send the email without an attachment? These are worth
celebrating because, although small in nature, you saved yourself and possibility
the company public embarrassment. Good job!
2. 2. Reward
yourself after completing a task before moving on to the next. I like this
one because I am rewarding myself throughout the day. Rewards include: taking a
10-minute stretch break after sitting for hours, which studies show is not healthy
by the way; have a piece of chocolate (my favorite), and a good ol’ fashioned internal
pep talk “You did a great job!” Which
leads to the next point...
3. Give
yourself a self-PEP talk. How often do you have an internal conversation
with yourself? I call it a “meeting of the mind.” Self-PEP talk builds
confidence, rationalizes situations, and are critical. When I “meet with my
mind,” I mentally replay the previous situation, think about why the outcome
occurred, and how to react if it occurs again. My “meetings” always end on a
positive note-ALWAYS! The more meetings you have, the more you are recording
notes so that if and when similar situations arise (and they will) you will be
ready because you have already analyzed, evaluated, and motivated yourself to
be prepared. Now, that's worth celebrating. Time for a reward…
Today, may have been a day specifically designated for
celebrating the efforts of those who lighten the burdens of others, but why not
continue the celebration tomorrow and the next day, and the next day…
Have a happy administrative professionals day – everyday!
