ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT FOR THOSE PROMOTING BOOKS

Here’s something to get you out of a booking dry spell…

We are all unique individuals and our lives follow different paths, but one thing we can agree on is that we all experience the high of the day of great media bookings and the low of a day of rejection and turn-downs.  It’s all part of the job.  The key is to have more of the highs than lows, and to temper most days with an even-keel approach to our jobs and lives.  But when there are days that you find your spirits low, adjust your attitude.  Get out of that self-created mental funk and position yourself to break out of the slump and into a hot streak.  Easier said than done, right?

Well, everything starts with one’s attitude.  Now some people like to complain and look for sympathy instead of results; whine instead of correct a situation, or talk and not take action.  In PR especially, above all else, you have to bring you’re A-game in attitude to work or you might as well not get out of bed.  

Different things motivate us.  For some it’s the money or a chance for advancement – or resume-building.  For others it is an ethics matter, wanting to succeed to serve the world.  Others might be moved by pride: “That booking is mine!”  Others like a challenge and turn the work of PR into a board game.  Some just like the art and craft of PR, enthralled in the whole process from devising a pitch to the creation of a media list or strategy to getting a booking.  Many of us have a love and respect for books – otherwise we’d be pitching widgets for corporation X, right?

Whatever it is that gets you going, there will come a day where things just don’t go your way.

You might have out-of-work issues going on.  You might feel under the weather, exhausted from a party-filled weekend or you just feel like if you pitch one more diet book you’ll go out and puke 10 pounds in thirty days.  Perhaps you just have an overload of converging deadlines and projects that call for your attention beyond your comprehension.  So what do you do, short of hiding under the covers – curled up with a good book of course?

Adjust your attitude!

What’s that you say, change my freaking attitude?

Attitude is all.  Come on, say it with me.  Stand up, take a deep breath, close your eyes and think only positive thoughts.  Ok, so that doesn’t work.  Go binge on some junk food, watch a movie, hit bed early and come back the next day feeling refreshed and with a new attitude.

It’s not easy to go it alone, that’s why I’m writing this missive to all of you.  It’s not easy to always be at your best.  Ballplayers get into slumps.  Creative artists produce duds.  Even the weather man gets it wrong – often.  But many bounce back and deliver better than ever.  SO how can you break through your brain block?

First, find a mentor, someone you can go to and ask for sage advice and guidance, bounce ideas off, and to use for inspiration when times get rough.

Second, consult a book of quotes and savor the ones that can continually lead you to new levels.  Others have failed before you – as well as soared to unbelievable and seemingly unachievable heights.  Learn from them and embrace their words and experiences as your own.

Third, set a reasonable set of goals for the day.  Just strive to be better than yesterday.  If yesterday really sucked, well, hey, it shouldn’t be too hard to beat expectations of improvement.  Don’t look to go from basement bum to star player in 24 hours, but take moments and strides to be more than you were a day ago.

Fourth, read something inspiring each day, whatever the source – news media, books, religious materials, Dixie cups, Bazooka gum jokes, cutesy websites – whatever.  Go literate and see if that learns ya something.

Fifth, take a break and cleanse your mind, soul and body of whatever happened up until this point.  Reflect, acknowledge and move on.  Never dwell in the past.  Previous success or failure can’t make the present any better or worse than you choose to make it now.

Sixth, take a look at the people in your life – at home and at work.  What kind of attitudes do they have?  Look for them to support you, build you up – not bring you down or burden you with their crap.  Sure, no one can constantly be your cheerleader and not expect you to be a friend in turn, but avoid the perpetual losers who always nag and complain and bring your spirits down or drain you of energy in trying to cheer them up.  There needs to be a balance in your favor.

Seventh, when you are rotting away and feeling bad for yourself and wondering when the sun will come out, think of all the others who have screwed up, went through times of adversity or did something that forever set them back.  Realize the world won’t come to an end for whatever mistake, shortcoming or lack of productivity you incurred.  Again, just learn from what has happened and be inspired to know others experienced down times and they came back and felt stronger for it.

Eighth, simply change your focus.  Get off the negativity.  Remove the cancer.  If you really have a problem on your hands that you can’t seem to get past or resolve on your own, tell others and see if they can help.  It’s better to speak out than to be miserable.  It’s going to show in your work and you’re going to sour on coming to work.  So why continue to struggle in a crappy situation.  That doesn’t mean you throw in the towel just because of one bad day. 

I hope this helps and perhaps one day when I complain about something or someone you’ll just remind me to change my attitude.  Have a nice day.  J

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2014