The resolution from 3 years ago . . .

This is the 157^th consecutive week that I’ve written about PR.

Not like I’m proud of myself or anything 😉

That New Year’s resolution in 2015 was hard at first, but fortunately I stuck with it. I was sold on the simple power of consistency.

And it turns out that consistency works. I won’t bore you with the details, but forcing myself to deliver value each week to you, my article reader, has been a rising tide. It’s lifted all aspects of my business, and therefore my ability to help PR people excel.

This first week of January, choose at least one resolution that relies on the power of consistency.

Create a new habit, something that you’ll still be doing 157 weeks from now that will make your life that week and that new year so much easier because you’ve invested in doing it regularly to that point.

There are three consistent habits that I see top media relations pros, the people I call Media Relations Masters, do that I don’t see from the other 99 percent of people in our business. These three behaviors account for most of the difference between big-time success and mediocrity.

Give your career a major boost and choose just one of these as a resolution for this year:

– Spend one hour per week reaching out to journalists and other influencers you’re targeting and let them know what you think of their work. (Not only right before you’re about to pitch them.)

– Spend one hour per week talking to people — phone or in person, no digital shortcuts — in your organization (or a client’s) about what they’re seeing and thinking. This is how you uncover the really good angles to share with media. Not waiting for someone to tell you what to pitch.

– Send your bosses an update each week about some win or progress or insight that you and/or your team gained. Not braggy, just keeping them in the loop. This is how you build the trust necessary to get the license to try new and riskier things.

Imagine what your life would be like after 52 weeks of doing just one of those activities. Visualize the relationships with media, the wealth of story ideas, or the sense of partnership with leadership, that you’ll have. Work would be a lot easier, right? So just do it!

It’s entirely in your control. It’s not an aspirational resolution, like, “This is the year I’ll land the New York Times.” I’m all for resolutions like that, for sure. But this consistent-habit-building one I’m pushing here is totally up to you. If you can react to social media posts, make phone calls, and send emails, then you can achieve this challenge.

And you can be reaping the rewards in January 2019 🙂

Send me an email, [email protected], and let me know which one you’re pursuing and why – I’d love to help along the way.