There was life before Vu Le arrived on the blogosphere and there is the much, much more sane life that exists now that he is a regular fixture of my week.
For those unfamiliar with the term "nonprofit unicorn" let me break it down for you. In the nonprofit world, unicorns are the mythical creatures who can do it all for nothing to help change the world.
Expectations for unicorns include:
-unlimited access nights and weekends to any and all client, staff or board needs
- a diverse set of skills that combine unimaiganiable personality traits such as extreme extrovert with focused, detailed introvert
- willingness to accept work with no cost of living increases, merit-based raises and professional development opportunities
If you find yourself in this stew of unicorn-ness, I feel you. As Vu Le says "These people are underpaid to work on emotionally challenging issues, and all with crappy chairs that they got off Craigslist. We are like unicorns, imaginary creatures here to make the world better.”
Here are my three recommendations for unicorns:
1- Unplug
Take time regularly to get away from your screens. Go for a walk. Call a friend. Buy yourself a latte. It can be tempting to put the pedal to the metal none-stop, but by taking a break you will recharge your batteries and become more effective and productive.
2- Get Connected to Your Personal Mission
Every organization has its own mission statement, but what is yours and how does it align with your work? I recently use the FranklinCovey online mission statement builder and that was incredibly helpful see myself reflected in language that grounds me across all aspects of my life.
3- Practice Gratitude
No joke, you actually get an emotional boost from gratitude, I'm not just preaching Oprah-like magic. It doesn't have to be big or even verbalized, just thinking about one thing that you are grateful for in the past 24 hours can be helpful.
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