Give Yourself a Boost with Your Greatest Hits Album
The most powerful tool in your fundraising toolkit is your mind. Do you feel successful? Do you feel confident? Are you enthusiastic about the mission of your organization? Are you ready to face 2022’s challenges with energy and a positive mindset?
Over the past year, I’ve had moments of anxiety and self-doubt, and moments where I stumbled. I’ve also had successes and achievements.
I call those past successes my Greatest Hits Album.
During the stressful year that was 2021, I realized that I can play that greatest hits album in my head any time I want to boost my mood when I am feeling anxious.
We all need a little boost every now and then. Because let’s face it, you probably don’t get a lot of direct feedback from your board about what’s working well.
It’s most effective when we can boost our own mood rather than rely on someone else to do it for us.
I use the following simple exercise on my own, and with my coaching clients. I encourage you to try it. This won’t take more than five minutes of your time.
List some of your development successes, your personal greatest hits.
Here are a few that came to mind for me:
I helped a board chair successfully lead a campaign team meeting
The grant I wrote was funded
I mentored and encouraged a newer fundraising professional
A donor and I had great cultivation phone call
My personal meeting with a donor strengthened their relationship with the organization
A donor said “yes” to a specific major gift ask
I pushed and encouraged my client to find their own best answer to a situation
I worked with a board chair to solve a campaign issue
I picked myself up and kept going after a defeat
What’s on your greatest hits album?
When you take time to reflect, you may realize that you have a long list of successes and achievements despite the challenges you’ve dealt with in 2020 and 2021.
Your greatest hits album may look different from mine. But you probably have more successes than you give yourself credit for.
If you struggle to come up with some successes, or you’re downplaying your achievements, that’s something to explore in a one-on-one coaching call.
I encourage you to take a few minutes and reflect on the past year, so you feel confident as you head into 2022. None of us could have predicted that 2020 and 2021 would turn out as they did. But here you are, kickin’ ass and making it through it each day.
I’d love to hear about your successes during the past year, and those moments where you may have stumbled.
Reach out to me via email and let me know what you’d add to your personal greatest hits album. You also can schedule a free call.
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Let’s develop an effective fundraising plan, boost the performance of your team, ensure your organization’s sustainability, and overcome your leadership challenges by examining your mindset now. Contact me today!