Keeping the Long View Part II

Friday at RiteAid tripping down an aisle that was suddenly filled with Christmas merchandise that hadn't been there the day before it dawned on me, oh my goodness, it's the holiday season! It's the end of the year! Ack!

One of the challenges of being a publicist is that our minds live a bit in the future (i.e. the national and larger regional magazines we're pitching to right now are looking for ideas for spring/summer 2011), so sometimes it's difficult to remember our bodies are living right here in the present.

Today marketing superhero Seth Godin wrote a short pithy piece on Doing More vs. Doing Better. I found it so very apropos. I have a tendency to try and do both, and to drive myself to exhaustion doing it. So much so that at times I don't remember what season I'm actually in (if you live in So. California you understand how this can happen). So this year I've decided to start on my New Year's Resolution overview early so I can take a deep breath and really contemplate how to let go over the idea of more more more and really focusing on what better might look like for me.

The first thing I've done is update my resume. Most of my clients come to me via local connections and relationships. I know that's likely the same scenario for you as well (though perhaps your connections are focused in a particular industry). But here's what I just discovered about updating your resume - it forces you to examine your life and get clear on what you really like to do and feel good at. It allows you to recognize what you'd like to do more of in the future and also, importantly, what not to sign on for again.

I hadn't updated my resume in two years and a lot has happened in that time. My work as become more project oriented rather than long term contracts with just one client. It has also seen me working in partnerships rather than solo. This has allowed me to not only work with a broader range of clients, and talented people, but also develop new skills and delve more into my creativity.

And this is exactly what I decided I wanted two years ago, this is what I wrote down that I wanted to make happen.

Of late I've been frustrated by a couple of projects I'm very passionate about, and want to bloom fabulously, but they haven't seemed to be taking off. Much treading of water has been going on. But by taking the time to step back and focus on myself and my resume I've been able to really appreciate this what has really bloomed in my own life and recognize that I have achieved many of my goals.

So now it's time to focus on what I want to make happen for the future. What would better for me look and feel like? I'm going to chew on this for the next couple of months. But I know that one thought is that I would not get so caught up in the current moment emotionally and do better at keeping an eye on my long term vision. I would remind myself to find ways to enjoy the process but not get attached to each and every outcome.

If Mr. Godin were to ask me, "So Ms. Balmer how will you really choose better?" I would tell him I am  getting very clear that I want to work with those who set clear goals, develop clear vision and want to bring a greater level of sophistication and artistry to what they're doing, and luckily for me it appears that some opportunities to do just that might be on the horizon.