Weekly Wayfinder – March 12, 2018

Welcome to the Weekly Wayfinder, a curated list of wayfinding-related inspiration, ideas, activities and fun stuff to click on and learn from. 

WHAT WE’RE READING: The joy of tiny projects.
WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO: Can you maintain it?
WHAT WE’RE PLAYING WITH: Three steps to calm. 
WHAT WE’RE CURIOUS ABOUT: What is my average speed?
WHAT WE’RE TRYING: Self love is an adventure, not a destination.
THIS WEEK’S MANTRA: “Know your worth. Then add tax.”

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how we measure our value. It seems everyone's talking about things like self-love, setting boundaries, putting our needs first, and saying no (including me, as seen above!). Like tiny, little starlights leading us through the dark, open ocean, these conversations do help us navigate in the direction of knowing – and acting in alignment with – our value. But what about another kind of value – namely, the money kind? 

For better or for worse, one of the key mechanisms for valuing ourselves is often the money we make. This is a tricky one since getting paid a good wage both can make us feel valuable, as well as feel valued… two unique concepts that aren’t quite the same thing. Alas, money can’t buy (self) love, but it sure can help us feel like we’re worth it. 

Out on a walk a few weeks ago, I tuned into to one of my favorite money podcasts, HerMoney. In this specific interview, self-made fitness guru Robin Arzon said: “Know your worth. Then add tax.” These six words have stuck with me ever since – popping up when I’m going into a new client negotiation, or preparing for a job interview. But they’ve also started to rub off and reframe how I approach other pieces of my life beyond salary negotiations. Knowing my worth and adding tax means only investing in the relationships that really pay me well. It means only pouring my time and energy into projects that deserve the value of my attention. It even means saying no to the energy zappers that feel, frankly, below my pay grade.

When you see those 6 little words, what do they make you think of and feel? Do you currently know what you’re worth in the market? Are you valuing yourself accurately given your skills, experience and accomplishments? And, perhaps more importantly, are you inflating that value to account for taxes – both literal and metaphorical? 

Repeat after me: we’re worth it,