How Do You Stay Motivated?

Sometimes motivation hits me at the strangest times: late at night as I’m falling asleep or in the middle of an important client meeting. A sudden wave of determination strikes and my thoughts race as I mentally develop a plan of action that will help me achieve this new goal. Within minutes, I have it all figured out. But, lately, I’ve noticed that if my goals aren’t career-oriented, the motivation to achieve them disappears as quickly as it surfaced.

In the work place, I am ambitious. I hold myself accountable. Every morning, I create a task list and I don’t leave until every last “to-do” has a check mark next to it. But being as motivated about my personal life as I am my professional one is something I’ve been struggling with recently. To-do lists and writing down my goals just aren’t enough.

I understand the importance of achieving work-life balance; I wish I could transfer some of the drive I have at work over to my other goals.

Take the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run, for instance. Ever since I moved to D.C., I’ve been determined to finish this race. A week ago, I got the sudden urge to start a training program. So far, I’ve stuck to it, but in the back of my mind I’m wondering how long it will be before I lose the motivation.

It’s not just running. It’s starting a book club or finding an organization to volunteer with; it’s writing a novel or going on architecture tours once a month. When these ideas first occur to me, I am elated and passionate. But the momentum wanes as soon as I walk through my front door after a long, stressful day at work. Even though I know I’ll feel better after a late-night run or a morning spent volunteering, it’s maintaining the motivation to keep going for more than a couple weeks at a time.

For me, finding a work-life balance isn’t only about making sure I don’t overwork myself so that I have time for friends, family, and a social life. It’s having the motivation to achieve personal goals as well as professional ones. And, unfortunately, I’m not quite sure how to do ride the wave when it hits.

What do you do to keep yourself motivated after leaving the office?

Photo cred: treehugger.com

Sony Bravia Hits the Mark with Latest Advertising Campaign

My friend Mike shared these clips of the Sony Bravia campaign with me. As I watched, I was glowing with pride for my industry. Not only are the ads moving, creative, and original – they also have a clear message. Imagine that.

What struck me the most, though, was the fact that Sony and the creative agency posted behind-the-scenes looks at both ads. I haven’t seen that done much, but it helped drive home the message and made me feel more connected to the brand.

What do you think about this campaign? Did Sony get it right? And, who wants to go play with some bouncy balls??

Paint:

The behind-the-scenes look at the ad:

Bouncy Balls:

Behind-the-scenes:

A Reflection: How Blogging Affected My Life

It recently hit me how dramatically my life has changed in the past year that I’ve been blogging. In twelve months, I have graduated from college, moved from Florida to the Nation’s Capital, left my family, interned at a prestigious public affairs firm, landed my dream job, and interacted with brilliant people from around the world.

Almost all of these milestones are a direct result of this blog. That may sound exaggerated, but it’s not. Launching my blog has significantly influenced my life in many ways, especially in my professional career, but more importantly – blogging has made me more appreciative of everything I have achieved so far and more willing to help others reach their own milestones.

When it comes to professional development, I might be the poster child for how beneficial blogging can be to one’s career. Looking back at the recognition I have received in the past year because of my blog is very humbling. Since creating this blog, I have been offered numerous freelance writing opportunities and professors have asked me to speak to their students about blogging. As someone making the transition from college student to full-time professional, these experiences allowed me to develop skills necessary for a successful career in communications.

Last spring, I was awarded second place in the PRSSA/Edelman Outstanding Public Relations Student competition, and the nominating team mentioned that my blog showed how passionate I was about my education and the PR field. When my last semester of college was ending, I sought advice from bloggers who had re-located after college and, with their advice and encouragement, decided that leaving Florida to pursue my career in PR was the best decision for me to make. Then, I used my blog to develop a professional network on LinkedIn and Twitter, both of which earned me informational interviews at several prestigious PR agencies in Washington, D.C. Because of my blog, I landed a summer internship at one of the best public affairs firms in the country. There, my supervisors tapped me for insight into the digital space and pulled me into important client meetings I never dreamed I would attend as an intern. I met former congressional members and presidential press secretaries – and got paid for it!

After my internship ended, I needed to find a full-time job. I wanted to work at a forward-thinking company that understood social media. Connections I made and conversations I had through my blog and Twitter led me to my current position – my dream job – at a company that embodies those exact qualities.

Though these opportunities enhanced my resume and portfolio, they are not the reason why I love being a part of the blogosphere as much as I do.

Perhaps the most substantial impact blogging has had on my life has been helping me push aside my shyness so that I could talk to people with more ease and confidence. After receiving insightful comments on my posts from prominent professors and professionals, I felt my bashfulness gradually subside. With this newfound courage, I reached out to people I respected and admired; something I’ve never been comfortable doing in the past.

The hospitality and encouragement I received from my mentors blew me away. Blogging made it easier to connect and build friendships with intelligent people like Karen Russell, Robert French, Les Potter, Constantin Basturea, Paull Young, Melanie Seasons, and countless more. Their kindness showed me the importance of community and that building relationships is the foundation for everything, especially in PR and social media.

Considering all of the professional goals I have achieved in the past year, you might be asking why something like gaining courage has had the biggest impact on my life. Well, it’s the circular nature that resonates so well in the blogosphere. My blog gave me more confidence in my abilities as a writer and communicator, so I felt more confident reaching out to bloggers I admired, and when they were so open to helping me, I knew that I had to give back in some way, too. The blogosphere frequently reminds me how important the pay-it-forward mentality is: help and be helped, what goes around comes around, sharing is essential.

The communities I have gotten involved with through blogging made me realize how much I love helping people, especially college students and recent grads. Each week, I receive comments or e-mails from students saying my blog has helped them in some way, whether it’s encouraging them to start their own blogs or inspiring them to apply for awards that seem out of reach. These kind words are never taken for granted – in fact, they are often what keeps me going when I find myself frustrated with blogging (or even life in general).

Blogging has helped me achieve many of the goals I set for myself, and all of the wonderful things that have happened to me would not mean as much if I did not try to inspire other people as others motivated me during my rough times, life changes, and professional pursuits.

So how has blogging affected my life? It helped me come out of my shell so that I could somehow interact with industry geniuses, move to a big city by myself, land my dream job, and share these experiences with others who are going through the same things I did. For me, this blog is about developing confidence in my own voice so that I can help others in the same way others helped me. If being vocal online helps other people along the way, I’m more than happy to pretend that I am a gregarious extrovert who doesn’t even know what the word “shy” means.

H/T to the phenomenal team over at Brazen Careerist for holding this outstanding contest and motivating me to write the post that should have been written a long time ago. Those guys really know how to challenge me!

Reviewing A, Lady First: Letitia Baldrige’s Autobiography

Most people in my generation have probably never heard of etiquette connoisseur and public relations executive Letitia Baldrige. I hadn’t until my grandmother gave me a copy of her autobiography, A Lady, First, as a graduation gift. Now that I’ve finished Baldrige’s book, I have found my newest hero and someone I would love to emulate during my career.

Baldridge, who is most famous for being Jacqueline Kennedy’s social secretary at the White House, immediately warns her readers that her story lacks the scandalous makings of a best-seller. Fortunately, her story doesn’t need scandal to be entertaining and inspiring, especially for women in the public relations field.

During her career, Tish Baldrige broke through barriers that society placed on female professionals. After college graduation, when most of her girlfriends were starting families, Baldrige moved by herself to Paris to work as a social secretary for U.S. Ambassador David Bruce and his wife, Evangeline. From that position, she went on to serve as an assistant to Clare Luce, the U.S. Ambassador at the American Embassy in Rome. It was rare for young, single women to forgo a personal life to advance their careers, but Baldrige was determined to work abroad.

The chapters about her time in Europe provide insight into international affairs, political discourse, and public relations. Baldrige wrote that succeeding at this point in her life meant “wandering far beyond her job description” – advice every new employee should take.

When Baldrige returned to the U.S., she became one of the first female executives at Tiffany & Co., where she was the Director of Public Relations. This part of her life interested me even more than when she worked in the Kennedy White House. She focused on her role as a PR practitioner when the field was still in its infant stage, which enlightened me about the history of my profession. It didn’t hurt that Baldrige wrote about meeting my idol, Audrey Hepburn, when the actress was filming Breakfast at Tiffany’s on location at the famous Fifth Avenue location.

On Baldrige’s first day as an executive at Tiffany’s, she asked the CEO exactly what her job duties were. He looked at her and said, “I’m paying you to know what to do,” without giving further direction. For the next five years, Baldrige relied on gut instincts, past experiences, innovation, and creativity to cultivate a new direction for the communications department of one of the most prestigious companies in American business. I highlighted several anecdotes about her successes and missteps during this period, as she provided great PR campaign case studies.

Baldrige opened her own PR agency, helped U.S. First Ladies transition to the White House, and published over 20 books on a variety of topics. She also managed to live in Paris, Rome, D.C., New York, and Chicago, and maintain a work-life balance that allowed her to maintain an active social life while raising two children. Reading about Letitia Baldrige’s professional and personal lives was refreshing and inspiring.

While A Lady, First has great advice for all communications professionals, it caters to an audience that is interested in history, international affairs, and politics. It might not be for everyone, but if you’re looking for an entertaining, insightful read with a powerful message about using ambition to achieve your goals, I encourage you to read this book.