the evidence file.

I read about this magical concept a number of years ago about assembling an “evidence file”.  Somewhere you could document your successes. Keep any letters of thanks or acknowledgments you received. Basically a physical place to keep any feel good “evidence” of your accomplishments so that you could go back and look through when you needed a bit of a confidence boost. 

As someone who is known to doubt themselves from time to time as a leader (and a mom… and a wife… and…) this seem like it was made for me. Like most things, I went in with unbridled enthusiasm. I started to accumulated things - thank you emails, notes from departing colleagues, birthday cards with particularly special messages - random piles of things started amassing in various corners of our home and on our hard drives. Sometimes I’d save things without even thinking about it, almost out of habit. 

Recently I started to put together my “file”. I have spent time printing emails, sifting through notes and cards, and reflecting back on my various accomplishments. Whether it be the thank you note from the junior employee I managed or the email from stranger who was touched by a mental health presentation I delivered or the birthday card from my mother-in-law that thanked me for inspiring her - each piece of evidence carried it’s own meaning and documented a moment where I had an impact. It was amazing to be able to hold on to these moments and be grateful knowing that I had made a difference. 

Confidence boost: check. 

While I’d like to pretend that one day I’ll have some beautiful DIY-scrapbooker-extraordinaire vessel worthy to carry all of these sacred items, I’m striving for progress over perfection (in other words: it’s not going to happen). My evidence file is a box I bought from the dollar store but I think it’s quickly becoming one of my more valuable items. 

Do you an evidence file?