I know you’re fed up already with XYZ ways to set PR goals for the New Year.
You’ve read it all, done it all, and are already tired.
Where are you supposed to find the energy to put them into practice?
The thing is, we put too much pressure on ourselves when setting our goals for the New Year.
January is no longer the first month of an exciting year anymore.
It’s now a chore
We unnecessarily transformed it into want it all, do it all, yesterday if possible month.
While setting PR goals for your career or business is a great thing, how you approach them throughout the year makes the difference between achieving them and, well, not.
Today we are going to look at how to achieve your PR goals in 2017 without burning out.
Write Down Your PR Goals
While it may seem obvious, you’d be surprised to learn how many people rely on memory instead of writing them down.
Even worse, some establish vague PR goals: More business, a new job in communications…things you don’t totally control.
A goal or resolution should be reliant only on you.
If you want to successfully reach your PR goals, the first step is to write them down.
You can use a bullet journal or a regular notebook.
You can use apps, if that’s what works for you.
The bottom line here is to write them down, and then break them into monthly and weekly milestones.
This way they won’t be so overwhelming.
Do One Small Thing Each Day
You now have your PR goals divided into monthly and weekly easy-to-achieve bite.
I even break my weekly goals into daily ones.
Do one small thing each day that brings you closer to your weekly goal, and likewise for monthly and quarterly goals.
Send that email, check Google Analytics, connect with a journalist on social media, call a potential client, or write that blog post you’ve been putting off.
Whether it’s about your career in PR or about taking your business to the next level, when you add a small task to your daily to-do list, several things happen.
First, you feel good about yourself because you’re moving forward in the direction you want.
Second, you get used to it and, in no time, it becomes a routine.
Third, you see progress from one day to another, from one week to another, from one month to another.
Review Your PR Goals Regularly
While breaking weekly PR goals and milestones into daily tasks makes them doable and achievable, you may be sucked into the busyness of every day.
All of the sudden you have too much on your plate and your to-do list never seems to end.
What were you thinking when you signed up for this?
Sounds familiar?
That happens because we loose sight of the big picture.
You don’t know why you’re doing it anymore.
To avoid that kind of frustration, make it a habit to consistently check yourself against your goals.
Check your big goal when you prepare your week (usually that means Sunday night), and check it again at the end of the week.
By reviewing your big goal twice a week, and by taking notes of the progress you did, you tell your brain you are on the right track.
Moreover, you get back the excitement you had when you set those goals.
Regularly reviewing your goals keeps you from falling into the busyness trap and forgetting about them.
Regularly reviewing your progress reminds you you’re on the right track, and gives you confidence to push forward.
Celebrate Small Victories
I know, you’re busy.
You need to finish that project, call that client. There is no time to celebrate anything. You just want to be finished.
The trick is to remember it’s about the journey—and what you learn along the way—and less about the end goal.
Of course, you have to achieve you PR goals to be successful, but don’t forget to enjoy each step of the journey.
That’s where the most learning will come.
So, when you review your weekly progress, celebrate small wins.
Offer yourself (you can involve your team as well) a reward that’s important for you.
And no, I don’t mean you should break the bank.
But maybe you want to try that new restaurant in your neighborhood you’ve been putting off for a while.
Maybe you want to have a day at a spa, spend a full day with your loved ones, or fill in the blanks here.
You get my point. It needs to be something that is matter to you.
Before You Go
Once you’ve introduced the steps above and you’re getting closer of reaching (or not) monthly or quarterly milestones, stop.
Take a step back and review everything.
How close are you of reaching that milestone? What have you learned so far?
Should you adjust your strategy or keep going as planned?
There is nothing set in stone. It’s up to you how slow or fast you go.
You can apply these to everything, from writing or reading more, to losing weight, or attending more conferences this year.
You have the floor!
What works for you?
