3 Easy Ways to Reset Your Year

BRISBANE, Australia - Feb. 1, 2017 - PRLog -- As the corporate world starts to grind back into full swing it's time for us all to walk the talk.

"Next year we will…" or "In the new year, I want to…" sound great and achievable in late October and the thought process is as sensible as it is noble.

"It'll be quieter over the Christmas break. We'll have time to refresh our marketing communications materials then. We'll put together a bank of really engaging digital content and come up with good content management strategy that the whole organisation can contribute to. We'll run those media training refreshers before things get too crazy."

But it's amazing how quickly October becomes February.  February is today!

Why you need to reset

In the death throes of 2016, some very astute Sequel clients embarked on a media training refresher program.

Part of the reason was to step out of their every day routines and get the teams to focus on hitting a reset button for 2017.

But the reset button can be hard to find, particularly for seasoned communicators.

It can be even more challenging to locate towards the end of the year, when you're tired and can't wait for summer holidays with the family.

What was astonishing in the few days our trainers spent with these groups was the ability for even the most capable and experienced performer to stretch, tweak and reinvent.

Sometimes, all it takes is the smallest of changes to dramatically alter the result.

Autopilot is a dangerous thing when it comes to communicating with people. It doesn't consider the important nuances of timing and temperature.

How to reset your year

If you haven't already rebooted and hit the 2017 terra firma running, don't despair!

Here are a few cheats that might help you hit your communications reset:

1. Ditch the list

Long lists can be overwhelming despite new year intentions.  Do yourself a favour and choose THE NUMBER ONE thing you want to change and then set about doing it.  Big or small – knocking off that outstanding item that irritates you most, or the performance trait that lets you down, will help you reset in 2017.

2. Make a date

Before the calendar fills entirely with meeting requests or work trips, diarise some hours to devote to acting on your 2017 wish list. Block out the half day for your media training refresher and book the course; make a meeting time with the web designer to discuss a new look and feel; lock in a date for new corporate headshots or videoing some customer testimonials. Do it before October rolls around again!

3. Do it differently

Same old, same old is safe but is it effective?  Sometimes you need to try new things to extend yourself and your organisation. If you haven't embraced the digital revolution take a baby step.  Write a blog, film a short interview explaining what your organisation does and why you're better than the rest, agree to try the podcast your PR team is keen on.

Fortunately, the reset button doesn't launch a nuclear warhead!  You can press it again if the experiment fails, so don't be afraid. On the plus side, rethinking your approach to marketing or communications might attract new audiences who want to hear your story.

Melissa Watter

www.sequelpr.com