There’s one thing I find myself doing whenever I speak to colleagues and peers about what I do for a living. I’m a publicist who initially wanted to pursue a career in journalism but didn’t do it because I had a steady PR job and decided to stay the course. I steadily climbed the corporate ladder and while each new job led to some incredible experiences where I worked alongside some of the most talented people I have ever known, I always wanted more. I guess I have always had that entrepreneurial spirit but just didn’t know that was what I was destined to become. The only way for me to create the perfect job, was to design one for myself.
I typically share stories from one of my most memorable jobs when I worked at a major TV network and was responsible for publicity campaigns for top rated TV series, specials and movies. While I oftentimes wistfully recount the days I managed red carpet events, brought camera crews to the sets of shows, booked killer media schedules for talent and even arranged for the cast of a show to ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange, what I blocked out was the reason why I quit that job.
To put it simply, the corporate politics and the bullying by personal publicists and talent caused a great deal of stress, doubt and anxiety for me. At the time, my kids were pretty young and I found myself questioning why I worked so hard only to be demoralized by demanding narcissists. At the time, I decided to jump off the corporate ladder because I was ready for a new challenge where I could chart my own course and work with clients who valued my experience. Now, with 2019 on the horizon, I’m taking a hard look at the things I plan to do in the coming year while continuing to learn and grow from the decisions I made in the past.
Instead of creating a laundry list of resolutions, I’ve decided to share the five things I plan to do each month so I can move forward in my career and stop trying to recapture those “glory days.”
FIVE SIMPLE GOALS FOR 2019
Stop saying I’m going to do something and just do it.
2019 is all about giving up the idea of everything having to be perfect. I am always so concerned with things turning out a certain way that oftentimes, I become paralyzed and don’t move forward with something I’d really love to do. It’s time to stop being afraid of not measuring up and just put myself out there once and for all
Do not let unexpected projects pull me away from my goals.
My biggest problem is that I constantly get diverted from doing the things I am truly passionate about because someone reaches out to hire me for a PR project. While I am grateful to have consistently secured business for the last decade, I’m trying to be incredibly picky about the projects I want to work on. If I believe in the client and their story, I will go for it. But no more making lemons out of lemonade because in the end, you can’t disguise a lemon!
Stick to personal deadlines and stop procrastinating!
I’m really good at making plans and even starting projects but for some reason, my personal projects always fall by the wayside. Whether it’s writing an ebook, producing a webinar or launching a podcast, I always start out super excited to work on a project for myself but when work piles up, those personal projects always seem to suffer. This year, I’ll be scheduling my personal projects into my daily routine so that I don’t miss those deadlines and I can finally achieve my goals.
Ask for help when I can’t figure something out.
I’m typically the person who will try to put stuff together without directions. If I can’t figure it out, then no one can. Actually, that’s totally not true. There are plenty of people who have the experience that you may need to help enhance what you do. Whether it’s working with a graphic designer, a social media guru or an ecommerce expert, in order to be truly successful, you have to admit that there are just some things you can’t do yourself and that’s okay.
Make course corrections if things aren’t going my way.
Success is not about giving up completely or quitting. Sometimes it’s about making changes or switching course in order to point you in the right direction. Learn from failure, grow from failure and move on.
Here’s to a new year filled with possibilities, new opportunities and a chance to pursue my passions, one dream at a time.