PR Girl 101: Prep for a Successful Week
Let’s be honest: PR girls rarely have a boring week. Whether it’s a project coming together for a client, a full schedule of events or a pitching to new clients day in and day out, there’s always something to do.
Even though we know that a full schedule is really just part of the job description, we still find ourselves surprised once in a while when a crazy, hectic, stressful week pops up. Sometimes an uncontrollable crisis is truly a surprise – springing from unforeseen circumstances or things beyond our control – but more often than not, it’s of our own doing. We fail to plan, we get overwhelmed, we procrastinate, we simply don’t do the things we know we should.
Fear not, it only takes a little extra effort to keep your life in line week after week.
Carve out a little time for planning
Whether it’s over a glass of wine on Sunday evening or a cup of coffee on Monday morning, setting aside just a little time to create a schedule of the events and meetings for the week, plan out your to-do list and a timeline, and visualize the week ahead of you, can really go along way. In addition to helping you see what’s ahead for you, it can also help you if you start to stumble a bit mid-week.
Give yourself something to look forward to later in the week
During an especially hectic week, having something to keep you going all week will keep you working towards something. Even the smallest things, like a lunch or coffee date with a friend, a date, or a relaxing night alone to recharge, can power you through the more dreadful tasks at hand.
Organize your workspace
Sure, a little clutter on a desk is normal, but if you’re workspace looks like a natural disaster site, it might be time to get it in order. A clean desk let’s you keep the important things in plain sight without fearing you’ll lose them along the way. If whipping your workspace into shape is an overwhelming thought, slip the mess into your inbox and work through each piece one by one. Speaking of inboxes…
Start the week with an empty inbox
Work emails can pile up over the weekend, inducing stress even before the week has begun. Take a little time to organize your inbox by sorting your unread messages into folders to sort through and trashing the ones that just need to go. There’s no excuse for missing that client’s email that came in at 8:59 a.m. now.
Prep for Monday on Friday
Leaving cumbersome tasks looming over you for Monday just to get a head-start on your weekend is one of the worst things you can do. Not only will you start your week with a black cloud of doom hanging over you, but you may end up dreading Monday all weekend long. At least give yourself a fighting chance by starting off with a clean slate.
Dress up a little
Even if you feel like you’ve been drug along the tracks by the E train, get up on Monday with the intention of making yourself look better than normal. Looking good on the outside can give you a new lease on life (or at least Monday)