Was Last Year Crazier Than Ever…or Was It Just Me?

TGYECIO: Reflections on 2013 and Tips on Starting the New Year off to Maximize Success in 2014

Don’t you love text talk! And don’t you love learning new ones!

I do… and my latest addition is somewhat of a remake of a friend’s…TGYECIO! (“Thank God Year-End Craziness Is Over”).

After all these years at “having at it,” I still am amazed at the push…the fervor…the magnitude…the complexity…the stress of the August through November Holiday/Year-End direct mail and email production.

2013 was absolutely the most challenging of all direct response production years in PS history! Jeeeze…

It was the closest this old body came to literally vomiting because of stress.
Almost every day, reports on the status of mailings forced a constant battle with my throat and my stomach as to which way the bile was going to be directed.

Was I really drinking a Cosmo at lunch and was it wise to do so? Was I so stressed at the end of the week that the weekend saw me abandon daily hygiene and seek comfort in not shaving, not showering, not brushing my teeth or never coming out of my pajamas?

Yes I was, and yes I did.

Thank goodness Christmas and New Year’s Day fell midweek and created a long respite for many, which eased the need to track me 24/7. Now I know how a Thompson’s gazelle feels when they’ve outrun a pack of lions.

Ahhhh…TGYECIO!

DON’T JUST MAKE RESOLUTIONS: JUST DO!

Now it’s January…and it’s time to reflect…learn from the good, the bad and the ugly.

It’s time to embrace January for what it truly is…a time to cleanup/clear out, organize, plan and fight off Mr. Procrastination and Uncle Murphy (Murphy’s Law).

CLEAN UP/CLEAR OUT: Clear that desk, ditch that which is doubtful you’ll ever touch again, file what is only necessary and recycle all those package samples. (Dust and polish your furniture while you’re at it).

ORGANIZE: That means look at that calendar and schedule those standing events and meetings through at least the end of January. You need to prepare proactively for the needs of your clients and partners. January tends to be a meeting-heavy month, so be careful of your schedule. Book those you know now, so you are better prepared for that impromptu meeting requested by a client.

PLAN: January should be a planning month…to plan for the whole year. It’s the time to be strategic in your goals for your clients, in your resource needs (creative, technical, human) and keeping your brand promise, as well as commit to that all-too-important goal for revenue and expenses!

DO IT NOW! Do not put off what you need to get done. One tip…don’t look at ALL that you have to do but look at one thing at a time and keep moving. Organizing ONE box in a CLOSET of boxes is one thing at a time. Above all…KEEP MOVING!

SO TGYECIO! But make the most of your JANUARY!!! It will help you maximize your potential for success in 2014!