The new normal is digital!
Zoom Calls, Video chats, Social Media, OTT Entertainment. Altered reality of our time is the physicality distant world is brought together in a more concentrated way digitally. Leaving no space to put perspective at times.
If you work in Advertising – Digital or servicing industry your day starts with a chaotic schedule or rather say no schedule. Abrupt client calls, team follow-ups, shifting priorities and every task demands a decision if this is urgent or important to take up now. Everyone has looming worry of such decisions every minute of #WorkFromHome in #Agencylife.
Here are a few quick things that you can follow simple rules to make more sense out of new normal.
* Make your own To-Do.
It is cliché but having worked with younger gen which makes up today’s agency workforce. I know they don’t follow it.
It needs habit and practice, to control your day and what you want out of it before others do.
Put your own priority and focus on finishing 50-60% of it without spillover. Keep unfinished on open and carry them to next day.
This will make you say no to something that come your way randomly, demands better planning from other team members too.
* Keep your Mental Strength available.
If your work revolves around scheduling, planning, thinking, follow-ups and calls, which is a typical agency life for every department. A client will demand urgently and abruptly, teams will ask debriefing and clarity, reviews on work will come and take away unplanned time. If that keeps frustrating you, you are in the wrong job.
Accept this!
Half the time I have seen people complaining more about it than the time the job took. Think hard how much you complain and discuss distress work? is it worth it?
Unless you keep your mental strength available consciously this isn’t the job for you. Look for quite a research or desk task with lesser team involvement.
* Switch Off The Notifications
During your working hours keep social media notifications off. You don’t owe it to your job but to your own self, your own time, and your own commitment. Starting with 11-5 PM keep your social media off and see the pace and bandwidth you will get for your work.
Decide when you want to be social, control of your time and attention should be with you not on your notifications. Don’t be the product.
* Reserve the time for Deep/ Focused Work
Actual thinking, writing, objectives, problem-solving or analysis of your own work and day needs uncluttered mind. Decide when will do you do that, before the day starts or end of the day ? You are the best judge.
The everyday night before going to bed and after series of zoom and Netflix start this new habit. Stair at the fan while lying on the bed and spend 15-20 good mins to introspect your own day’s work. Don’t force, just go over and spot your own mistakes and improvement areas.
The objective of working shouldn’t be clocking the hour for remuneration. Any work that you do should lead to a feeling of contentment which leads to personal satisfaction. Goals is not work but feel good about the work you do.
Agency life from the studio or from home isn’t any less demanding. Expand your universe while keeping the right focus.
Happy Advertising!
Happy Working!
Authored article by Khushboo Solanki Sharma, Founder of Zero Gravity Communications
