Morale is like a Garden, It needs to be Watered
Whether we are struggling with a cold, car troubles, financial headaches or people issues, all this affects our morale, our day and ultimately our work.
In his April essay Be Good, Paul Graham shows how this applies to startups and offers some recipes for success.
Some days are better than others.
How do we deal with the highs and lows and keep things in perspective?
Paul Graham suggests that feeling what we do is useful to others can sustain us through the lows.
He mentions the following: "Blogger is a famous example of a startup that went through really low lows and survived. At one point they ran out of money and everyone left. Evan Williams came in to work the next day, and there was no one but him. What kept him going? Partly that users needed him. He was hosting thousands of people's blogs. He couldn't just let the site die".
The best morale boosts are not financial ones.
In my restaurant days, the best reward I ever got was from a woman who thanked me for making her (then deceased) parents Sunday dinners a pleasant moment.
On conclusion as my title states Morale is like a Garden, It needs to be Watered.
Monday Work Etiquette #35