Totem: figurative. A sign, symbol, or example; a guiding principle or value.
—Oxford English Dictionary
I have a set of desk totems. Every month or so, I pick out one to place next to my computer to help give me clarity around a problem or challenge I am experiencing.
For example, right now I a using the Yoda totem, which reminds me to “Do or do not. There is no try.”—a clear call to action to take action.
More recently, I have used my Black Swan Totem as a reminder of the frailty of life and the need to fully embrace the present.
And in the more distant past I have even used my Frozen Totem to remind me of the power of ubiquitous marketing!
Do they help?
I think so. In those moments when I find my fingers not typing as I mindlessly stare at the screen, my eyes will often drift towards my desk totem. I will subsequently pick it up and play with it for minute. This invariably reminds me of the of the words or concepts I have draped it in, often snapping me back to the necessary task at hand.
In this sense, desk totems are a vaccine against internet surfing—and there are few things I like better than vaccines!