How To Prepare For A Successful Year Ahead
⌛ By Kaylin R. Staten ⌛
It’s late January, and you may already have your 2021 plans well underway. Most of us tend to fall into the resolutions trap, which looks differently to each of us. You may swear up and down that this is the year you will lose weight or start eating healthier. You’ll give up a slew of bad habits, only to fall off the wagon less than a month after your self declaration of your hard-reset goals.
Essentially, you want to take care of your clients and everything related to your business while also focusing on your own well being. (Yes, they can certainly coexist.)
The important thing to remember is to give yourself grace throughout this process. This could be new territory for you, and there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach. If 2020 taught us anything, we are better at going with the flow and adjusting within a moment’s notice.
I’m here to tell you that you can make small changes every day to maximize your planning and Many of us -- myself included -- make grandiose plans that could impress anyone, but the implementation falls flat. Whether you’re a dreamer, doer, or somewhere in between, your can find your own brand of success in the new year with these four considerations:
Have a planning session with yourself.
Set aside an entire work day or spread out your planning over a few days. Do what works best for you and your schedule. In years past, I would block out a day or two and complete all of my planning in that timeframe. It was easy to set aside that time, but these days, a little man takes my extra time and attention. I work more in fragments and have to plan my days to a T. Do what works best for you. Knock it out all at once or have 30- minute-to-an-hour sessions. The important caveat to remember is that small steps add up to your overall master plan for the year.
You will want to focus on the following aspects of your annual plan:
Mission
Vision
Goals
Objectives
Strategies/Tactics
Timeline
Evaluation
Simply put, go through your year like it’s part of an RPIE (Research/Planning/Implementation/Evaluation) plan for a client — only it’s for your company at large.
Match all efforts with your mission and vision.
I know this sounds daunting, and you may not know where to begin when you’re trying to tie together your mission, vision, goals, and objectives. All you have to remember is to only do the activities that move the needle on your mission and vision. That sounds simple, but honestly, it’s something I have struggled with since I began Hourglass Media in March 2015. When you are starting a company, trying to move up a corporate ladder, reaching out to individuals to garner more sales for your new product, or wherever you find yourself in your career, you want your actions to match your mission.
My rule of thumb is to create one quantitative goal and one qualitative goal. The accounts for both the art (storytelling) and science (data) of public relations. Since goals are an overarching macro look into your annual plans and beyond, I keep them incredibly simple. Hourglass Media’s goals for 2021 are to continue to tell stories and to scale the company. Those two goals work in tandem with the more micro objectives, strategies, tactics, and more. Start large and then work on the details. For a detail-oriented person, I know this can be a bit rough and against your nature; however, it’s well worth the internal struggle! I also consider Hourglass Media’s brand personality, voice, clients, ethical codes, and other industry standards and internal processes as I craft goals and work my way down.
One word of advice: be sure to set up a time to check in with yourself. You can set a slew of goals and objectives, but if you don’t reassess them on a regular basis, then you’re doing yourself (and your work) a disservice. Put a standing reminder on your calendar, and do your best to not cancel on yourself. Pick a timeframe that works best for you. For me, Sundays work the best because I am already in that new-week mindset. I use my Elegant Excellence Journal and the WAND Method to reach my own levels of clarity.
Do a SWOT.
Be honest with yourself. Don’t sugar coat what didn’t work and still break your back trying to change that narrative. Accept it or modify it and then move on to greener, more lucrative pastures.
Based on my own internal SWOT, I came up with the following examples (these are brief, while my internal analyses are more in-depth. I just wanted to give a general idea.
Hourglass Media’s SWOT Analysis Example:
S: Our levels of expertise in public relations, writing, education, etc.
W: Not enough employees
O: More client outreach
T: Competition
Pro tip: Revisit your evergreen content. Rework this content as needed and repurpose it as much as you can. For example, in 2021, you will see us use our previous blog posts as sources for new content, as well as showcasing the nuggets of information within each post.
Manage your mental health and stressors.
Mental health issues have increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustice discussions, and other conversations in 2020. Now, more than ever, we need to get our minds and environments in working order. There’s only so much that coffee and other vices can do. Sure, you can continuously burn the midnight oil, but you will eventually burn out -- and your purpose could look exceedingly grim or nonexistent. While I by no means a saint when it comes to my mental health advocacy, I do manage my anxiety and depression in healthier ways than even this time last year.
If you’re in the public relations profession, are an entrepreneur, or have any career path at all, then you know you will have stressful moments. In 2019, this CBS News article outlined the results of a CareerCast survey regarding the most stressful jobs in America. PR executives rank as the eighth most stressful profession. It can be challenging when every client needs something equally as important, daily deadlines, and the 24/7/365 news cycle.
Only half of Americans took their allotted PTO (paid time off) before COVID-19 began in early 2020. Due to travel restrictions and your own personal safety parameters, that number likely increased. You probably didn’t reach your maximum level of PTO in 2020 (unless you’re like my husband and me and had a huge life event by having a child and had to take PTO!). No matter your situation, you may not know how your PTO or unpaid time off will shake out in 2021. My word of wisdom to you: take time off. Even if you cannot travel, take some time away from work. All of us have work and life stressors thrown our way on a daily basis, and we owe it to ourselves (and those we live and work with) to take breaks every once in a while. Taking care of yourself will pay dividends for your goals and help to set your plans in motion.
How can you manage your stress levels as a PR practitioner or within another profession? The below are from my own experiences and also examples from this Forbes article (an analysis of the above CareerCast survey):
Pay attention to your work environment. I am the type of person who thrives in a beautiful work environment. Aesthetics matter to me and help with my creativity, productivity, and motivation. While I know we can’t always work in beautiful locations, I do make an effort to ensure that my office is aesthetically pleasing. (See the photo below.) The Hourglass Media headquarters are a mix of Art Deco, mid-century modern, travel, cyberpunk, pop culture, projects we have worked on, and sentimentality. It’s a work in progress, but it helps to look at things I love on even the most stressful of phone calls or virtual meetings.
Limit distractions. Nothing kills time more than looking at your phone all day every day. While it’s a useful tool for work and play, our digital devices cause more stress than we would like to admit. I have found myself mindlessly scrolling through my Instagram feed and wanting to chronicle my every move. It can be jarring when you assess how much time you actually spend on your phone. My daily goal is to be on my phone for a total of 4 to 5 hours per day -- even with work-related pickups and usage. Limiting distractions, digital and otherwise, can help you reach your goals’ full potential and allow you to get in some much needed rest.
Eliminate anything that doesn’t serve you and your mission. This one has been quite a growing pain for me personally and professionally. In 2020, I really delved into what Hourglass Media’s mission is, and I began to cut out what doesn’t serve that mission. This not only helps from a time-management perspective but also for your mental health. If you’re over-committed, then you can’t be as efficient as you want.
Figure out your financial fitness. When I am not on top of budgets and other financial outlooks, I tend to worry about spending and being able to afford items for my home and business. Money can be one of the most -- if not the most -- stressful aspect of life. Don’t avoid finances. Set your goals and look at your budget versus actual report on a regular basis. This could be at the end of every week, month, quarter, etc. Do what fits for your scope, but don’t neglect to report on this measurable outcome of your business and career. You will be able to see what you’re doing well and what you would like to change in order to become a more financially fit and educated individual.
Plan ahead as much as possible. Prioritize what needs to be done today, this week, this month, etc. We could all look at our to-do lists and schedules and make headway at any given time, but that is the fast track to burnout and overwhelm. Plan ahead as much as possible. Work backward from your project deadlines and know how many hours it will take to accomplish your goals and objectives. That way, when a surprise comes your way (and they will, trust me), you will have some built-in room to handle those when they arise. I usually like to accomplish 5-7 items per day. If I complete more tasks, then that is just something less I have to do the next day. One thing to realize is that you should also embrace the unknown. If 2020 taught us anything, it taught us to be more flexible, understanding, and easier on ourselves and others.
Set boundaries. As public relations pros and professional communicators, we feel as though we always have to be “on.” We tout availability like it’s the most important selling point when we are trying to wine and dine a new client. The truth of the matter is, setting boundaries right out of the gate will eliminate any suspense. Others will know what to expect from you, and likewise, you will know what to expect from their end. Give tangible (and feasible) deadlines for projects and be communicative throughout the process. Be clear about your work days and hours, your preferred method of communication, response times, and anything else that could stress you out. S
Don’t avoid issues. This could involve putting off a medical appointment or refusing to have a heart-to-heart conversation with a client. Don’t refrain from anything outside of your comfort zone. The more you avoid it, the worse it will be, especially for you internally. While this is not my favorite thing because I naturally do not resonate with conflict, I know that it’s the right approach to take through every walk of life. It’s OK to compartmentalize issues when you have to focus on other tasks at hand, but be sure to come back to them when you get the first opportunity.
Kaylin R. Staten, APR, is an award-winning, accredited public relations practitioner and writer based in Huntington, WV, with 18 years of professional communications experience. As CEO and founder of Hourglass Media, she uses her compassionate spirit and expertise to delve into the heart of clients’ stories. She is a recovering perfectionist, mental health advocate, wife, boy + cat mom, and Leia Organa aficionado. Connect with Kaylin on LinkedIn.