Staying On The Right Track

Lately I have felt like nothing has gone my way. Whether it is in school, work or my personal life, I have been feeling like I just can’t win. Although I was feeling down and not myself, I realized complaining and not tackling my problems only makes matters worse. If I wanted to succeed, I needed to get out of this funk!

Below are tips PR students should know in order to stay on the right track to success, taken from PR Daily:

1. Balance- Whatever you do, do not spread yourself too thin. It may be easy to sign up for a number of activities but the work you do in the activities is what makes a difference. Show up to every activity and event like it’s your first and only.

2. Process is not progress- Hard work goes a long way, but is what you’re doing getting you the results you worked for? Clients and employers like to see results, not just the “work” you’ve done. Keep a mindset of what you want to accomplish, and do it. 

3. Done is better than perfect- It’s good to be your worst critic and a perfectionist at times. But don’t let your perfectionist ways hold you back. You need to be confident in your work so you have the ability to knock out your next project.

4. Sit at the table- It is important to stand out from others instead of just blending in. Build relationships with people you’ve never met and make an impression that will last. Always remember: A little bit goes a long way.

Ultimately, do not think your problems are the end of the world. Take your problems one day at a time and work through them. Prove yourself wrong and learn from the situation to be better and do better. The right track is always out there; you just need to decide if you’re willing to take it.

Article http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/14241.aspx

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Amanda White.

Finding A Balance: Your Personal Trapeze Act

As PR students, each and every one of us loves to stay busy – we know what we’re getting into. Just because we like the fast life of tackling assignments, scheduling interviews, spending hours in the office, working late at events, and studying for classes, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t catch up to us sometimes. With an internship, job, involvement in three student organizations, and five classes, I know what it’s like to feel the pressure of a busy schedule. Try out these three tips I rely on to stay sane and balanced during even the most hectic week:

1.     Create a positive vibe   

I personally believe that allowing yourself to be in a happy mindset is the number one way to relieve stress and stay focused. Don’t be afraid to indulge in a cliché. Light your favorite candles to spread a calming set and feel relaxed. Hang string lights around your desk or workspace so that you don’t have to be seated in harsh lighting 24/7. Treat yourself to your absolute favorite coffee or tea to keep you motivated on the task at hand.

 
2.     Make a timeline
Organization is key, so be sure to stay that way when it comes to your schedule. Write down all of the tasks you need to accomplish in order of importance, and with deadline in mind. Give yourself time before deadlines to revisit what you’ve created and make any edits, so that you can still send in your best work, even though you found it hard to find time to complete the assignment. I’m a huge fan of post-its, so I write down each individual task and deadline on a post-it and stick it to my wall. Once I finish the task, I remove the post-it! This is simple way of tracking everything you need to get done.

 
3.     Sleep!
All-nighters are never the answer. I have never pulled one off, and not sure I ever will. Incorporate a good night’s sleep into your schedule. You don’t need to declare a specific “bedtime,” but don’t overbook yourself for the entire day. It’s important that you get the proper rest you need, so that you can continue to put your best foot forward every morning when you wake up. Every day is a new day, and you may even find yourself with more creative ideas once you wake up!

It’s the easiest thing to become stressed during a college semester. Always remember that you’re doing all of these internships, student organizations, and classes to improve yourself, but including quality time with friends and catching up on your favorite TV shows is key to a successful schedule and a happy you!

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Staff Member Alyssa Guckin. 

Eat. Pray. Love: A Healthy Balance for PR Pro’s

Many of us are familiar with the 2010 hit movie Eat, Pray, Love starring the beautiful Julia Roberts on a journey to balance the crossroads in her life. Successful careers often require a “give-all” attitude at any hour of the day. In the round-the-clock field of public relations, maintaining the drive to balance both professional and personal life can be challenging. Fortunately enough, there are ways to master an  award-winning performance of one of life’s greatest challenges: the balancing act. 

EAT For the on-the-go professional, smart snacking between meals is important. Snacking on healthy foods stabilizes blood sugars, fuels energy and evokes “positive” thoughts. From personal experience, if you’re in a hurry, Fiber 1 Bars do the trick because they provide 30% of your daily fiber. Grab that box of almonds, bag of dried cranberries,bananas or any dried fruit, and a tablespoon or two of chocolate chips to create your own personal brand of trail-mix. Your creation will be irresistible to colleagues and clients. 

PRAY Take a moment at the end of the day, week or month to reflect on your hard work. Writing it down, privately or publicly, is a great habitat to fall into. Reflection forces you to utilize your down time to recognize mistakes, set future goals and build on the millions of ideas you have running through your mind. Once you free your mind and recognize everything that you have accomplished, be proud of your time and effort. Rightfully earned success is something to celebrate. 

LOVE We never work a day in our lives if we do what we love. This outlook requires us to love what we do both in and out of the office. Quality time with family and friends is important and adds relaxation and excitement to our schedules. Love is a key element to strengthening relationships with those people who are dear to us. Sunday night rolls around, and you think about the week in front of you. Just remember to eat, pray and love and know that happiness and success will come your way! 

This guest blog post was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Caitlin Kummeth.

Smartphone Anonymous

You fall asleep to it every night, and you wake up to it every morning. You obsessively check on it through out the night, and sometimes it even wakes you up. No, it's not your significant other or your child - it's your smartphone. A New York Times article written by Tanya Mohn, "Silencing the Smartphone" discusses how companies are making resolutions to wean their employees off their smartphones by adopting in office policies.

More and more companies are adopting these technology policies in order to keep employees alert, refreshed and balanced. A nationwide survey of 2,254 adults found that 44 percent of cellphone owners had slept with their phone next to their bed and that 67 percent had experienced “phantom rings,” checking their phone even when it was not ringing or vibrating. Contrary to popular belief, these habits actually undermine productivity. In order to combat this vicious cycle, the Chief Executive of Empower Public Relations in Chicago, Sam Chapman, has enforced what he calls a, "BlackBerry blackout policy". From 6 p.m. until 6 a.m., both Chapman and his employees turn off their smartphones. Chapman stated that the policy has increased company productivity and morale.

Still, one of the best pieces of advice I took from the article was from a founder of a startup company who said, “Just because you can e-mail at 2 a.m., doesn’t mean it’s a good thing". I'm not recommending we all go cold turkey but we can probably all agree we should put down the phone every once and awhile.

My name is Cori and I'm addicted to my smartphone, are you?

Surviving the Industry During the Holidays

As PR professionals, the holiday season doesn’t necessarily mean a day off. We can normally be found with smart phones in hand, mile long to-do lists, and a full inbox. While our jobs and clients are important, it is equally important to slow things down and enjoy family, friends, and holiday fun. Here are some quick ways to remain professionally productive while enjoying the holiday season:

• Plan ahead: Knowing what you have to do in advance enables you to get things done promptly. Using monthly calendars that have important dates and events listed not only helps you pan out how much needs to be done but also how much time you have to do it in.

• Color Coding: Some may say that color-coding is only for the OCD organizer, but it is an extremely effective method of organization! Give every category a color, so that when it’s listed on a calendar or to-do list you instantly know the task at hand. Color-coding little things like day planners and to-do lists will also help you find daily tasks faster. The more organized you are, the more time you can spend with family and friends.

• Turn Off the Smart Phone: This may be the hardest tip by far, but it is also the most crucial! Set a time each night that you will turn off your phone and stop replying to emails. Removing work distractions during time spent with family and friends insures a better time had by all.

• Friends Only Social Networking: As PR professionals, many recreational social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook are used for work as much as they are used for play. Try keeping all social media interactions on a strictly recreational level. It’s much easier to have a good time when you aren’t tweeting about clients and deadlines!

These tips are sure ways to enjoy the holidays without returning to the office with a pile of work. It’s all about maintaining the balance between home life, and office life. Do you have any additional tips on balancing? Let us know!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Amber Burns.

Back to School, Back to School, to Prove to Daddy I’m not a Fool!

Ahh… school is back in session. This means the daily grind of waking up early, going to class after class, finishing continuous amounts of work for the week, and going to bed at an ungodly hour is about to take over the lives of thousands of college students around the country. With all of that being said, college students must also start planning for their future, and now is a great time to try and make the most out of your school year.

Public relations students, as well as general communications students, have many options when they graduate with what they would like to pursue in life. In order to be prepared for those steps though, Becky Johns of PRdaily.com reveals tips on how to plan efficiently and effectively for success in future endeavors.

1. Have a part-time job- Time management is one of the most important lessons students can take away from college. Balancing schoolwork, a social life, and a job can be very difficult. It can also be extremely beneficial for students because they can gain invaluable experience in learning time management. If students can strike a balance between school work, making some money, and finding time to go out and be with friends, then they will be well prepared for when they enter the work force. This forces students to focus on the task at hand, which will result in a more disciplined self.

2. Study and know your industry- Find out as much as you can about the agencies or companies you could see yourself working for when you graduate. See who the major game changers are in your industry and find ways to emulate what they do, so that when you go looking for a job after graduation, a future employer views you as an irresistible hire. The more you know about the industry the more beneficial it will be to yourself upon hunting for a job.

3. Compile a portfolio- Public relations and many other communications professions rely on strong writing to succeed. Creating a strong portfolio and keeping it organized by adding writing samples will allow you flexibility within your portfolio. This will give you multiple options of which samples you would like to present to future employers during the interviewing process. Each company or agency may want a different type of writing sample, so a diverse portfolio is best.

4. Go out and have some FUN- College is not all about cramming for tests and stressing over what your going to do with your life five years from now. It’s about going out on your own and experiencing a new adventure. You do not need to totally sacrifice your social life to succeed in college. There needs to be a balance. So go out on a Thursday night and stay up till 3 am and have fun with your friends. Just make sure that homework for that 8am class is typed and ready for you the next morning.

What do you think of these tips? Agree/Disagree? Shoot your comments our way! If you would like to read the rest of the article and other tips provided, click here.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Andy Esworthy.

Who Runs the World? GIRLS!

As a young woman and aspiring public relations professional, one thought about the future always crosses my mind: can I have it all? Any other female professional knows exactly what I’m talking about. Is it possible to have a successful career and the family or personal life that you desire? Beyonce’s empowering anthem gives us hope, but here is what the professionals say.

Each year, Fortune creates a “Most Powerful Women” list that is comprised of various different professional women who manage their professional and personal lives with ease. Editor at Large, Patricia Sellers formed a “top 10” list of tips from these women. My personal favorites are highlighted below:

1. Don’t plan your career. The most successful women have remained flexible throughout their careers while also having an open mindset about the path they are on.

2. Forget the ladder, climb the jungle gym. Women should not focus so much on climbing the hierarchy in their respective business. Instead, think of your career as a jungle gym with opportunities all around.

3. Follow your compass, not your clock. Do not allow your personal time line to get in the way of your goals or ambitions.

4. Don’t balance, juggle. Anne Sweeney, who oversees Disney Media Networks, believes that all you can do is give each day your best shot and try again tomorrow. Balance does not exist because at any given time, something will need more of your attention than another task.

5. Own your power. The word “power” needs to stop having a negative connotation. Most women interviewed by Fortune think that power is the ability to create change and impact others.

In the last twenty years, there have been many advances in technology that now allow mothers to work from home and still accomplish just as much work if they were working in an office. With patience and compromise, it is possible to have it all, as long as women never limit themselves.

Have you seen a woman in your life who has struggled with this challenge? What strategies do you think are important when managing a career and personal life? Please share them with us!

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Alex Crispino.

All Work and No Play Means Trouble

For many of us, twenty-four hours is not enough in a single day! With classes, internships, jobs, and the hope of a social life, each of us is cramming as much as we can every day. While we are trying to keep up during this highly competitive age, working too much has some negative, lingering effects.

CNN, Fortune, and the Today Show have been investigating what happens when people overwork themselves. Ellen Langer, a psychologist at Harvard University, finds that a vacation is essential for mindfulness, which is mediating in a non-judgmental way. This allows individuals to be present while clearing their minds and has plenty of health benefits, like lowering both heart rate and blood pressure.

In the article, “How Many Hours Should You Be Working?” author Laura Vanderkam helps workaholics decide how much work is too much. She quotes the authors of Rework, saying that workaholics aren’t the heroes but that the real hero is at home because she figured out a faster way to get everything done. While a study of Italian CEO’s found that working more hours does increase overall productivity, it is contingent upon how these hours are spent. For example, when executives spend more hours meeting with employees, productivity increases, but not when they meet with clients or outside vendors.

A recent segment on the Today Show highlighted the problems with overworking yourself. When juggling so many balls in the air, the one that usually drops is your own. This segment explained how women are at a greater risk for depression, arthritis, cancer, and other chronic illnesses than men. In their quest to have it all, a career, a family, women often neglect their own health. The Healthy Woman’s Forum, held for the first time this year in Princeton, NJ, offered solutions and suggestions for workaholic women. One idea was for women to join an exercise group or find some kind of hobby just for themselves. In the end, it is all about balancing your priorities.
It is extremely hard to shut down the computer, turn off the phone, and just unwind. Most of us have this ridiculous fear that we will miss some amazing opportunity or not respond fast enough to the "oh-so" important email. But, at the end of the day, our health, sanity, and well-being must be put first. There is nothing wrong with working hard, but we all must strike a balance between work and play.

Are you a workaholic? Do you think there are ways you can change to better yourself?

To read more on the benefits of taking a vacation, click here.

To read more on the value of your time, click here.

This guest blog was written by PRowl Public Relations staff member Alex Crispino.