Staying Motivated

Motivation quote

A post by PR columnist, Alison Kenney.

It’s summer…the mind wanders…and all of a sudden you don’t have the same energy for your PR efforts.   Those new media pitches aren’t rolling off the keyboard anymore; you aren’t spending time on networking occasions; or you haven’t, ahem, blogged in awhile.

Fear not, here are a few tips to stay get that motivational juice flowing again:

Hit re-start – take a fresh look at your work and go back to original proposals and/or plans to see if you’re meeting objectives or to gather ideas for other efforts you could be doing

Give yourself permission to roam – some of my best ideas come from surfing the web, clicking through to links that others have shared, and reading whatever catches my interest

Take advice from those who’ve gone before you – you’re not alone and co-workers, colleagues and others in your network or online have plenty of advice to offer about breaking through writer’s block or ideas for generating content

Check out the competition – sometimes nothing gets you motivated faster than the idea of being left behind; looking at your firm’s or client’s competitors and their PR efforts, or checking out what other PR professionals are up to, could be the motivation you seek

This topic came up in a recent #soloPR chat on Twitter and the group had this advice:

Take some time off:

@dariasteigman “When was your last vacation? Just a few days off did wonders for me”

@karenswim “Take some time away, even a day to recharge & assess if you need to change direction”

Look outside yourself for inspiration:

@CommAMMO “Learn something new, talk to someone new, go to a new conference or meeting, have a new martini…”

@BlueprintCG_PR “I get my mojo back by picking up a good business book on what I need insight on”

@REDMEDIAPR “find what your passionate about and start dabbling ex I love wine but have no wine pr exp so cut my rate to get feet wet”

@dconconi “learn a new skill (eg. sm), take a mini break (or a long one), bring in a sub who you can teach (and learn from)”

@BlueprintCG_PR “Always keep reading…it feeds the brain, gives insight, & points u to new directions”

@BlueprintCG_PR “A good workout helps me clear my lungs & recharge my mind”

@sophie180 “Brainstorm! New biz opps or that new BIG idea”

@mdbarber “Meet with another pro and exchange ideas about each other’s job, or another business problem”

Change things up:

The creator and moderator of the SoloPR chat, Kellye Crane says, “Sometimes working from a different location can jump start the mojo.”  She added, “Also, is it time to raise your rates? Sometimes we feel defeated when not being paid our worth.”

Consider the big picture:

@dariasteigman “Assess the problem: is it burn out, boring work, uninspired projects, etc.?”

@jenzings “first, step away and identify the problem–what’s boring? The client, the approach, etc. Can’t fix until examine critically”

@KellyeCrane “When in a funk, I start thinking about what it is I *want* to be doing. Then figure out how to do it!”

@jgombita “Is it really the work you are bored with? Or is it other aspects of your life you are unhappy about?  (Transferring emotions.)”

[You can read the full #soloPR chat transcript here or at the solopr.com web site.]

Do you have other tips for staying motivated? Please share your ideas in the comments below.

Alison Kenney an independent PR practitioner with more than 15 years of PR consulting experience. She is based on Boston’s North Shore and has worked with organizations in the technology, professional services and consumer industries. She writes a bi-monthly PR column on LindsayOlson.com. You can find her at www.kprcommunications.com. Learn more about Alison Kenney.

Photo credit: Personal Development Blog

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