I still haven’t completely wrapped my head around the fact that the year will soon be over. This year has flown by so quickly. I always do look forward to the end of the year because it is provides an opportunity to reflect on the past year, and figure out how to make the next year even better.
Now that my career has taken off, I really want to focus on not only trying to be an even better publicist, but also finding ways to improve my personal life. Since we do spend so much time at work, we need to create a happy working environment that will spill over into our personal lives.
So, as we approach the New Year, let’s not only figure out ways to become more of a kickass publicist, but let’s also look at how we can find more personal happiness, as well. With that being said, here are some things to think about:
As a publicist, your world probably revolves around numbers: the number of placements you need to make a client happy, the number of social media followers you can get for a client, the number of impressions your last article got. This can be overwhelming and frustrating.
For this year, instead of always worrying about the quantity, focus on the relationships you have with your contacts and clients. This will get you further, and in the end, the numbers will come. If you spend time getting to know your contacts, rather than just using them as a means to an end, they will probably place your clients in more stories. When building relationships, try to think about longevity, instead of, what you need in this exact moment.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from new publicists is that they feel like they are on call 24/7. It doesn’t have to be this way. In PR, things usually aren’t life or death. If you don’t respond to that e-mail until tomorrow morning, the world won’t end. If you don’t set these boundaries, you will burn out very quickly, and that isn’t good for your professional or personal life.
I am the biggest proponent of treating yourself. A lot of times we dwell on all of the things that didn’t go right, and we never celebrate our achievements. Switch around your mentality. Instead of letting a bad day stop you dead in your tracks, brush it off, and move on quickly. However, if something good happened, dwell on that, and take time to celebrate.
Did you just book your client on the Today Show? You deserve a pedicure or massage. Did your client just send your boss a glowing e-mail about their campaign? Take yourself out to a fancy dinner with friends. Celebrating your victories, gives you something to look forward to, and this will help you stay motivated all year long.
Have you always wanted to take learn something new? Stop putting it off, and do it now! There is no time like the present. Maybe you are interested in taking a class in photography, social media, coding, public speaking, writing, etc., all which will make you a better publicist. There are all kinds of non-traditional continuing education classes, such as Instappable, General Assembly in NYC. Or luckily with technology, you don’t even need to go anywhere to add to your education. Look into Codecademy, MIT OpenCourseWare, or Girl Develop It or even a local MeetUp group might offer the lessons you are looking for. There is no reason to have excuses anymore.
I have good feelings about this year. I think it is going to be a year full of success and awesome accomplishments. It is important to take the time to really visual and plan out what you are trying to accomplish. I really do believe if you can visualize it, it will probably happen. When we get caught up with the craziness of the year, we don’t always take the time to reflect.
Photo Credit: bolandrotor
