Planning meetings. Budgets. Deadlines. Last-minute projects. Family vacations. Holiday shopping. Kids are out of school.
It’s safe to say this time of year can get stressful for just about anyone.
A 2017 study found that during December alone, more than two-thirds of workers report being less productive compared to other months. And for every 14 minutes employees spend shopping online at work during CyberMonday, employers can lose $450 million in productivity/wages.
Plus, on Nov. 6 the U.S. Labor Department reported that its standard measure of worker productivity (“real output per hour”) dropped an annualized 0.3% in Q3, the first quarterly decline in almost four years.
For public relations pros, agency owners, communicators and marketers, this can be an especially crazy time of year.
And the struggle is very real.
2020 planning to maintain momentum. Last-minute client or leadership demands to execute campaigns and hit business goals. Year-end reports to show the value of what you’ve spent the last 11 months executing. Invoicing, budgeting and closing the books. The list goes on and on.
Now, while none of this is new, if you’re anything like me, you look for small ways to find motivation. Just that one thing each day to keep you going.
Some make a to-do list. Others have just one extra cup of coffee. And still others hit that snooze button just one extra time.
All of these are great, and you should do what works for you. But, it all starts with getting in the right mindset. A attitude to push through the noise and focus on what matters.
So, do yourself a favor – print this out, put it on a sticky note, or write it on your bathroom mirror:
Every day I will…
Wake Up. Kick Ass. Repeat.
It’s simple, but it works. Then you can have that cup of coffee, take a few extra minutes to listen to your favorite podcast or just get started on that to-do list.
But, no matter what you do, don’t forget to do it with purpose and intention. Don’t forget about your plan, your goals and your strategies. You created your plans for a reason, so stick with it.
And when all else fails, remember these 3 tips for dealing with the craziness:
1. Don’t freak out. Remember there’s a solution for everything. Take advice from the trolls in Disney’s Frozen, “People make bad choices if they’re mad, or scared, or stressed” (yes, I have a 2-year-old that loves Frozen). So, take a step back, look at the real problem, opportunity or challenge, and come up with a strategic solution to move you forward.
2. Stay strategic and stick to your plan. It’s easy to get lost in one-off requests and last-minute demands to get that earned media placement, launch an ad or post on social. It’s fine to do these things if they are strategically aligned with the work you’ve put in already and the plan you’ve created. Make sure there’s value in your tactics and you’re acting with purpose and intention to drive real results.
3. Look for help. Whether is a mentor or colleague, or an agency like TCSC, there’s help out there to execute those last-minute campaigns, plan for 2020, or develop strategies to keep the business moving forward. Just remember, you’re not in this alone!
Here are some additional tips and blogs as you make your 2020 plans:
– 5 Crucial Elements of the Strategic Communications Process You Need to Have
– A Meaningful Message, or Pandering Without Purpose
– How to Create Content That Engages Audiences and Builds Brand Trust Quickly
– 7 Tips to Measure Your Strategic Communications Campaigns
Good luck staying motivated and don’t forget to follow us @TCStrategic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
