It never hurts to have a physical reminder of what you work so hard for daily. Whether it be a meaningful quotation for daily inspiration or a symbol of admiration, knowing that motivational forces are working in your favor is equally important as inspiring others.
So what should you keep in your workspace … and what should you toss? We asked 10 successful entrepreneurs what they thought.
Their best answers are below:
1. A Happy Face Bouncy Ball
I was on a very important call with a new potential client several months ago and at the exact moment we decided to move forward with the project, a bouncy ball with a happy face on it fell from the sky (no joke). The thing literally missed my head by about a foot. I've decided it was the luckiest thing in the world and have kept it on my desk since then.
2. A Picture of My Family on the Beach
This picture is a daily reminder of why I do what I do and who I do it for. It reminds me that I should always think of them first and to be sure to take regular trips so we can have new experiences as a family. Without this focus, why am I busting my hump?
3. My Father's Alexander Graham Bell Award
My father won the Alexander Graham Bell award for his work at Bell Labs, which included his patent on the T1 line. It reminds me of the fruits of a long career dedicated to a field, the incredible accomplishments of a corporate culture of innovation and the passion involved in a life's long work. "Everything worthwhile must be won again each day." -- Eric Eden Sumner
- Trevor Sumner, LocalVox
4. Rick From 'The Walking Dead'
I have a pop art figurine of Rick from "The Walking Dead" facing toward me with his gun pointed. The road might be tough, but it could be a lot worse. Fight the good fight and always look out for your community and family.
- Vinny Antonio, Victory Marketing Agency
5. My Company's Mission
Keep your business' mission statement visible at all times so you never forget what you're working toward. That constant reminder will impact how you talk, think and work because you'll always be hustling with the company's best interests in mind, rather than your own.
6. The Basics
My office is as minimalist as you can get. An IKEA desk, a coaster, a pen, a trash can and my MacBook Air. This serves two crucial purposes: I can focus and enter a flow state easily without distractions, and it reminds me to create powerful, necessary products that would be worthy of inclusion in the offices/lives of others.
7. A Paint Rock From the Phoenix Children's Museum
Kids at the Phoenix Children's Museum paint a particular wall every day. The paint accumulates on the wall and becomes a couple inches thick after a few years. The Museum then scrapes the walls so new paint can be added and creates these paint rocks as a reminder that what you do, day after day, adds up to something tangible. One of these "paint rocks" has been on my desk ever since.
- Brett Farmiloe, Internet Marketing Company
8. A Clean Space
For me, a clean desk (and workspace) is like a blank canvas. Having a messy space keeps me from being wholly productive. I get inspired by all I can do when my space is clean, rather than all the things I have to do, which tends to happen when the first thing I notice is that I need to clean my office.
- Adam Cunningham, 87AM
9. Sticky Notes of Habits
We always want to create great habits for ourselves, but they are so hard to engrain. I keep a digital Post-It note on my computer desktop with 13 habits I'd like to develop. I read them to myself first thing every morning. It contains obvious, yet easily forgettable processes, such as focusing first on the activities that will impact my business most.
- Neal Taparia, Imagine Easy Solutions
10. An Important Reminder
Tim O’Reilly once said, "What you are doing now is what you would die for.” The concept is that we all die, so what you are doing on a daily basis is essentially "what you would die for” because you are making the decision to spend your time doing it. I have that quote on my desk, and it reminds me to make sure I spend my time doing things that are meaningful.
