1. Reserve Time To Think: Carve out time each day just to think. PR has become too reflexive in the past two decades because everyone is available instantly. If you work in PR or at an agency, you are constantly besieged with messages, emails and requests. Most of them are not as urgent or critical as advertised. It’s PR — not ER — after all. While you should always work to respond quickly and meet deadlines, you should also give yourself permission to think or walk away from devices and the roller coaster of PR. Try to spend quality time with a document you were asked to review away from the screen. Take time in the morning to thoughtfully read the news and maybe note ideas. The best ideas and storylines often come far away from the daily hustle and bustle. PR is built around strong ideas: give yourself time to find those ideas.
2. Pursue Inbox Zero: E-mail folders are too crowded and filled with old items and projects long past submitted, Google alerts about your clients and their competitors, and spam. Try to keep your inbox lean and mean. When a project is done, file emails in appropriate folders. Aim to answer, file and organize your email each day.  Digital luggage becomes mental luggage. The less you have to look at, the more you will be able to think clearly.
3. Prioritize Work-Life Balance: A perennial on many resolution lists but the first thing to get sidelined by PR pros. To be successful, you need rest, time away from work, healthy food and exercise. There will be times when you have to work more and harder (like CES in Las Vegas, where I am currently working). But your default work week should factor in workouts, good meals and exercise to blow off steam and safeguard health. The healthier your body and mind, the more you’ll be able to do quality work.
4. Go Outside Your Silo: Like many professions, PR has specialties. Some PR pros are aces at pitching or media relations. Others are strong writers. Others might be crisis communications specialists. Try to help in an area outside your core strengths or job description at one point during the year. It will provide insight into how others tackle the profession, help build your skills, and make you better rounded. 
5. Look At The Big Picture: When you work in PR, you sweat the results. That means press coverage and op-ed placements for your clients, award and speaker submissions and more. Realize that PR isn’t just about the results. It’s about the counsel you offer clients daily, sometimes during rough periods. It’s about helping people and brands learn to tell their stories so they can share them and succeed. It’s about listening and offering thoughtful advice that positions a business or brand for success (see tip 1 for more on that).

Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2023.

Looking for help with PR strategy and to break through the noise? Mercury Global Partners is an award-winning PR firm focused on emerging tech. Get in touch with us at hello@wearemgp.com. 

1. Reserve Time To Think: Carve out time each day just to think. PR has become too reflexive in the past two decades because everyone is available instantly. If you work in PR or at an agency, you are constantly besieged with messages, emails and requests. Most of them are not as urgent or critical as advertised. It’s PR — not ER — after all. While you should always work to respond quickly and meet deadlines, you should also give yourself permission to think or walk away from devices and the roller coaster of PR. Try to spend quality time with a document you were asked to review away from the screen. Take time in the morning to thoughtfully read the news and maybe note ideas. The best ideas and storylines often come far away from the daily hustle and bustle. PR is built around strong ideas: give yourself time to find those ideas.
2. Pursue Inbox Zero: E-mail folders are too crowded and filled with old items and projects long past submitted, Google alerts about your clients and their competitors, and spam. Try to keep your inbox lean and mean. When a project is done, file emails in appropriate folders. Aim to answer, file and organize your email each day.  Digital luggage becomes mental luggage. The less you have to look at, the more you will be able to think clearly.
3. Prioritize Work-Life Balance: A perennial on many resolution lists but the first thing to get sidelined by PR pros. To be successful, you need rest, time away from work, healthy food and exercise. There will be times when you have to work more and harder (like CES in Las Vegas, where I am currently working). But your default work week should factor in workouts, good meals and exercise to blow off steam and safeguard health. The healthier your body and mind, the more you’ll be able to do quality work.
4. Go Outside Your Silo: Like many professions, PR has specialties. Some PR pros are aces at pitching or media relations. Others are strong writers. Others might be crisis communications specialists. Try to help in an area outside your core strengths or job description at one point during the year. It will provide insight into how others tackle the profession, help build your skills, and make you better rounded. 
5. Look At The Big Picture: When you work in PR, you sweat the results. That means press coverage and op-ed placements for your clients, award and speaker submissions and more. Realize that PR isn’t just about the results. It’s about the counsel you offer clients daily, sometimes during rough periods. It’s about helping people and brands learn to tell their stories so they can share them and succeed. It’s about listening and offering thoughtful advice that positions a business or brand for success (see tip 1 for more on that).

Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2023.

Looking for help with PR strategy and to break through the noise? Mercury Global Partners is an award-winning PR firm focused on emerging tech. Get in touch with us at hello@wearemgp.com.