4 Steps to Do Away With That Pesky Five-Year Plan

Photo: Neemias Seara from Pexels

As the bartender made his way over with four birthday shots in hand my friend looked at me and said, “Chels, I don’t want to turn 26.”

At first, I thought it was a bad attempt at making a joke but the look in her eyes told me she was actually being serious. I gave her the biggest hug as I tried to wash away the confused feeling in my chest. Despite having a passionate budding career under her belt, a loving man by her side, and the greatest friends behind her, she still felt that she wasn’t exactly where she “needed” to be.

As we raised our glasses in honor of the birthday girl, I found myself distracted by the elephant in the room that apparently now comes with turning a year older. Instead of celebrating it with arms wide open, society has cast a spell over us saying if we don’t have x, y, and z by the time we blow out a certain amount of candles, then we must be doing something wrong. We then proceed to beat ourselves up and never take a moment to stop and realize that possibly, we are doing everything right.

Let me ask you this, have you ever been the person who thought you could actually plan out your entire life?

Half of you are currently laughing at me while the other half know exactly what I’m talking about. If you fall into the latter category, you aren’t alone. I am completely guilty of being the college senior who sat at her desk and wrote out a five-year plan. I put my heart and soul into that color-coded timeline, so it may come as a surprise when I say that I am forever thankful that the plan on that piece of paper never became my reality. The person I loved, the city I wanted to call home, and the job I strived to land were all meant for the girl who I was then, not the woman I am now.

Here are a few steps you can take to say goodbye to the dreaded five-year plan.

1. DON'T DRAFT A TIMELINE BASED ON SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE

As cliché, as it may sound, playing the comparison game, will only lead you to a dead end. Comparisons can either make you feel superior or inferior and neither of those feelings serves a useful purpose. Write your own story, learn from your own experiences, and live your life through your eyes.

2. EVALUATE YOUR GOALS

Saying goodbye to the five-year plan does not mean you should wash away your goals! Instead, use this as a chance to check in with your personal and professional goals and know that it is absolutely OK to tweak them if you see fit to do so.

3. BE NICE TO YOURSELF 

When you are your own best friend, you don’t seek out validation from others, because you realize that the only approval you need is your own.  This is your life and your journey and once you recognize the value to that then no one, not even a “plan,” can get in the way of your happiness.

4. WELCOME NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Since life doesn’t always go according to plan, being able to welcome new opportunities with open arms is key. How silly would it be to close the door on an opportunity just because it wasn’t color-coded on a piece of paper you drafted up three years ago? Don’t sell yourself short out of fear of not sticking to your five-year plan—learn to ride the wave of life with a smile on your face and motivation in your heart.

Life is going to take a different path for every single one of us, so constantly comparing your journey to someone else’s will only hinder you from making the moves that are meant for your life. Just because your best friend is engaged, your roommate landed her dream job, or your younger sister purchased a house with the white picket fence all before you did does not mean that you are screwing up. With each new day and each year that you are lucky enough to blow out another candle, know that this is your life to live and your journey is uniquely beautiful.

Keep dreaming, keep loving, and as always, just keep swimming.

Chelsea Briche runs the popular blog The Millennial Miss. A platform for young women surviving their twenties with grace and a lot of humility. The platform is Chelsea's "pledge to you, the ones who haven’t quite figured it all out yet. That we, together, will immerse ourselves in every single thing possible; explore, love a lot, love a little, and never touch the ground."

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This post was originally published on January 11, 2019, and has since been updated.

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Pro Tip: How to Get the Most out of a Slow Season

It’s no secret that being a freelancer is a lot like riding a rollercoaster. Some days are fast and fun while others feel like a punch to the gut while you cascade down into a dark, unknown tunnel as you inch along wondering which turn will happen next. For freelancers, this is what we typically refer to as a slow season. While this part of the rollercoaster can vary from field to field, for most of us it does happen.

For me, it's usually around the holidays. For others, it's the summer. No matter when it happens for you, the best thing you can do is be prepared for it and don't let it get you down. It's inevitable when you’re freelancing and when you find yourself in a slump, so in today’s Pro Tip, we’re sharing a few ways to get the most out of your slow season.

Learn A New Skill

Professional development is something we freelancers have to hold ourselves accountable for. Use the slow season to learn a new skill via an online class or even summer courses at a local university. For videographers it may be learning a new editing platform or getting your drone pilot's license. For copywriters, taking a class to learn better SEO/SEM writing habits. Whatever your trade, there's always something to learn and who knows? What you learn during your slow season may be what helps secure your next client.

Research New Business

It's my personal belief that twenty-five percent of your time as a freelancer should always be spent on networking and new business so that you hopefully never run into a slow season. If you do experience a slump in business, use this time to research and outreach to clients you see a potential working with. Identify a need for your services, find the right person to contact and secure an introductory call.

If you want additional guidance for creating an effective pitch letter, download my Freelancer Starter Kit.

Work For Fun

When was the last time you used your skills for fun? You more than likely started freelancing in your field because it's something you're not only good at, but you enjoy doing. Be your own client for a change and use your slow season to work on something that makes you happy.

Develop Your Brand

Chances are you've spent so much time working with your clients lately that you haven't updated your LinkedIn in a year or created those case studies you wanted to show off on your website or any other you-related task that's been pushed to the bottom of your to-do list. Spend your down time to grow your personal brand. Maybe this is a social media refresh or researching potential speaking opportunities or going to a local networking event. Whatever it is, do it!   

Start Your Side Hustle

We should always be side hustling and if you're short for cash during your slow season, this is the time to do it. Mine is going through my closet and selling things on Poshmark. For others, it might be hitting up yard sales and flipping things on eBay (thanks, Gary Vee), signing up as an Uber and Lyft driver or selling personal designs on Society6 and Etsy. There are so many ways to make extra cash these days and what's great about most of these is that they can be done on your own schedule so once your slow season comes to an end, you can keep the side hustle going.

 Indulge in Some Self-Care

I can't speak for everyone but when it comes to me and the freelancers I know, we are not the best at putting ourselves first. Use your slow season to work on YOU. Get a massage, read a book, spend your mornings meditating, go for a hike, do whatever makes you happy and helps clear your mind. This can also be a good time to look at the year ahead and start setting goals so when a slow season happens to you again, you’ll be prepared.

About the author: Audrey Adair is a seasoned freelance communications professional and founder of ‘The Scope’ - a platform providing resources and community to freelancers and the self-employed. Connect with The Scope on Instagram and join their email list to receive your free resource, The Freelancer Starter Kit.

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Slow Stories: The Big Picture—The Relationship Between Content and Sustainability

This is the second installment in a series on slow content. See the first installment here.

For most modern marketers, content has become an essential component of their overarching digital strategy. But with content's increasingly present role in both our personal and professional lives (in tandem with an often complex social and political landscape), the conversation is now shifting in a thoughtful direction toward considerations of its role in social epidemics surrounding mental health, the evolving news climate, and more.

Since launching the Slow Stories podcast, I've spoken with leading brand-builders who have collectively alluded to the fact that our current consumption habits are forcing new ways of thinking about content's relationship to sustainability. And when looking back at our first season as a whole, my collective takeaway from these conversations revealed three primary elements that make up the slow content movement today:

1. Slow content provides value and purpose

Beyond aesthetics and virality, many of our podcast interviewees defined slow content as being something that offers true value in a densely saturated landscape. Understanding a piece of content's purpose and how it will serve an audience—whether through educating or inspiring—gives it a better chance of leaving a long-term impact beyond just fleeting inspiration in our day-to-day scrolling.

2. Slow content considers data and fact-checking

The immediacy that social media and self-publishing affords us has presented new challenges in how we detect what is real and what is being obscured. To create a credible storytelling environment, our interviewees contend that a return to a slower, well-researched process is critical for all conscious storytellers.

3. Slowing down our relationship to content makes us nicer, more well-rounded people

Finally, a lot of my conversations with these incredible women signaled that there's not necessarily a need to create content all day, every day. As we all work to discern what it is we want to say (and consume), it is equally important to create space to take a step back, recharge, and connect with what drives us offline just as much as what inspires us online.

With these pillars in mind, today's article is going to further expand on the importance of thinking about creating content through a sustainable, big-picture lens. If you find yourself struggling to think about or implement "slow" content in your own strategies, let's look at a similar movement like slow fashion.

At their core, slow fashion brands are commonly known for championing ethical and sustainable production practices, educating consumers on how their pieces are made, and rewriting the rules regarding social and business expectations surrounding their brands. As a result, companies like this have slowly begun to transform the greater fashion industry by creating new standards that are more conscious of both the modern brand builder and consumer's needs. The content and marketing space can surely borrow from these efforts to create a more sustainable landscape for storytelling professionals on both sides of the equation. Below, I've listed a few considerations for brands and content creators to ask themselves—and each other—to enact more sustainable, mutually-beneficial opportunities to create content that has longevity.

1. Set the expectations

The same way a fashion brand would set standards regarding their production process, a content creator can similarly follow suit and establish their own set of best practices when taking on projects. Part of this exercise is educating brands about the importance of ethics—which extends to proper compensation, creative resource allocation, and so on.

2. Ensure consistency and communication

As I mentioned in last month's article, setting yourself up for success in the slow content space begins by laying a long-term foundation in collaboration with your team or client. Part of this is not only communicating what resources you need to bring the content to life, but further educating your team on how it fits into their big picture brand story and mission. When creating enduring content for a brand of any size, it is essential to discuss the end-goal, and what elements must be considered to bring it all to life in an on-brand way. That is where tools like brand books or guidelines come into play to ensure that all relevant details are considered during the production process.

3. Champion the investment in content—and the creators needed to bring it to life

At times, it can be hard for brands to justify the additional spend on custom content (especially when UGC is alive and well). But going back to our slow fashion example, whenever I've found myself in a new business meeting, I often compare the investment in content to investing in quality-made clothing: I'm purchasing a well-made garment and supporting a brand I love as a result. Not only does this demonstrate an interest in championing the brand as a content creator, but it often helps contextualize why putting resources into original (and quality) content is vital for the brand's business goals—and on a more human level—sustaining the support of/relationship with content collaborators.

In a world where trends, expectations, and platforms can change in an instant, thinking about sustainability's role in content isn't always an easy task. I hope this article provides a framework to have necessary conversations with your clients or team to establish systems and tools that allow you to create content that is thoughtful (and provides value) for years to come.

For more musings on slow content, I invite you to follow along with the Slow Stories podcast on iTunes and my monthly column here on the Create & Cultivate blog!

Rachel Schwartzmann is the Founder and CEO of The Style Line LLC. She created The Style Line in late January 2011 via Tumblr and has fostered The Style Line’s brand in its growth since then. Rachel has been featured in esteemed sources including Forbes, Refinery29, and MyDomaine and has also spoken at Create & Cultivate and Columbia University on establishing a unique brand point of view and entrepreneurship. On October 1, 2015, Rachel took The Style Line in a new direction as a boutique content company with the introduction of its slow content agency CONNECT(ED)ITORIAL.

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How Your Own Language Can Make or Break 2019

Language is powerful. As we enter 2019, would you believe that the outcome of your year may ultimately reflect the words you use to describe your experiences throughout it? As many people set goals and become more mindful of their habits, there’s no better time to make a conscious effort to become more aware of your language.

Words were my first love. Now, as a communications professional, they are the foundation of my professional living. As I’ve spent time around other entrepreneurs and successful business people, I’ve become aware of a common thread among them: their language is as on purpose as their success.

Consider making these three changes to begin experiencing the benefits of an immediate, more positive perspective and, ultimately, a more successful life.

“Have to” versus “get to”

How often do you hear colleagues talk about how they have to complete a project by a certain deadline or they have to get to work early for a big meeting? While the reality of those circumstances may be true, their characterization is disempowering.

Instead, imagine if your colleague said that they get to do those things. This phrasing reframes the commitments as opportunities instead of chores. Beyond changing the way other people experience the description of your obligations, it also reinforces a more positive perspective about your own commitments. The effect of this change is that you become more grateful for the plans you have, making them more enjoyable, instead of feeling burdened by tasks.

“Should” versus “will” versus “excited to”

The word “should” implies that the action is unlikely to happen and lacks urgency and significance. “I should start writing that book,” or “I should ask for a promotion” begins to sound like you’re giving yourself a pass to forego the leap between action and outcome. Changing “should” to “will” immediately conveys commitment and a stronger belief in yourself and from others that you’ll follow through.

Want to take it step further? Add a word that describes how you want the action to make you feel, and you’ll set yourself up to experience it that way. “I’m excited to have this conversation with my boss,” or “I’m grateful to have been chosen for this assignment.” Immediately, you’re in a position to feel the way you’ve described.

“Challenge” versus “opportunity”

What if the situations that most challenge you are actually opportunities for betterment? A business owner may be challenged when an employee leaves to pursue a new opportunity, and the inclination may be to simmer in frustration or feel daunted by the process of filling the role.

But what if this change is an opportunity to bring on someone with fresh ideas who’s even better equipped to support your work and grow your business? If you believe that’s the case, you’re more likely to focus on and find the person that meets those expectations. By changing the language you use, you can adjust your vantage point on a challenging situation and gain more control over the outcome.

This year, challenge yourself to make an intentional choice to find opportunities for growth and positive momentum that can result from encountering difficult situations. Making these changes may not come naturally at first and will take practice. Like any goal, the key is to stick with it.

After all, the outcome may depend on it.

Julia Bonner is the founder and president of Pierce Public Relations, a national public relations agency that helps individuals and brands accomplish their business goals through strategic PR programs. She frequently writes about communication, leadership and personal branding and has been published in outlets such as Fast Company, The Muse and The Nashville Business Journal.

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Give Your To-Do List a Goal-Getter Makeover

The new year is here! It’s time to crush those goals—but first, let’s give your to-do list a little makeover and make getting sh*t done in 2019 as efficient as possible.

First, grab yours and scan the first 5 tasks listed (if you don’t have one, then we have a bigger problem—skip the next two paragraphs and dive right into the most effective tool at your fingertips right this very minute!).

What’s prioritized at the top of your list? Laundry, returning calls or emails, errands you need to run? Chances are your list is a blend of your personal and professional life —what it takes just to stay on top of everything, and not a plan to achieve the longer-term goals you’ve set. 

With the daily responsibilities of adulting—your job/career responsibilities, being a parent, a spouse and trying to have a social life, you’re left with a whole lot of chaos and not a lot of time. It’s easy to be sidetracked from your dreams and the “someday” plans that fight for your attention. That’s why I live & die by my daily to-do list—and make sure it’s working for me beyond simply keeping me afloat. 

When I take the time to plan out my day and week, I’m more productive, focused and proactive. I find more time for personal activities, and accomplish goals that actually move my business forward. In my post, “7 Sanity-Saving Tips for Busy Mompreneurs” the tip that seemed to resonate most with readers was to make your To-Do List actually work for you.  Here are my tips on how to do just that.

C'MON GET "APP-Y"

Using an app on your smartphone to manage your To Do List makes things extremely easy & convenient, since your phone is with you all the time.  I love the Wunderlist app, and Evernote, for managing my to-do list because I can keep several running lists of things that need to get done, and update them whenever a thought pops into my head, plus:

Set up a daily to-do, weekly list, and long-term goals, and simply move these tasks around as they become a priority

Set up reminders to alert you when tasks or lists must get done. (As I was finishing up this article, I got an alert from Wunderlist telling me that it was time to finish this article.  So meta!)

Quickly add an item to your list as you think of it, clip an article to read later, add a grocery item to your running list and share it with your spouse or assistant (collab! delegate!) and sync to your desktop seamlessly.

Use your smartphone’s dictation feature —just press the little microphone and talk. What could be easier?

PLAN (AHEAD) TO SUCCEED

Now that you know where you’ll make and keep your list, you can set aside 10-15 minutes in the evening to create your action list.  In the morning, we tend to grab a cup of coffee, sit down, and tackle never-ending email, right? But at night, when things are quiet and distractions are at a minimum, you can take some time to focus on how to be most productive the following day.  Planning your list at night allows you to get everything out of your head and onto your action list. You’ll sleep better after you’ve cleared your mind and can hit the ground running in the morning.

"At night when things are quiet, take some time to focus on how to be productive the following day."

Tweet this.  

KEEP IT (CHRONO)LOGICAL

This seems obvious, but as you’re planning your day, be realistic about how long things will actually take, what your absolute “must-do” items for the day are (top of the list and starred!), and how organizing your tasks and errands chronologically and geographically makes the most sense. For example, if you have a lunch meeting that is near a grocery store, plan an extra 15 minutes to run in and save a second time-consuming trip. Make a sub-list of the things you need to get so you can run in and out without forgetting anything. By arranging your day properly, you’ll be amazed at how much more efficient you can be!

EMPLOY THE 3 "Ps": PROJECTS, PEOPLE, PRIORITIES 

High Performance expert Brendon Burchard stresses the importance of organizing your day by considering the Projects, People and Priorities that matter most. Thinking this way is key to really moving your business forward and finally accomplishing your bigger goals.

Projects: List the top 3-5 projects you have going right now.  Include 3 simple things you need to do to advance these projects—beyond your daily to-dos.  Chip away at the bigger goals through smaller, actionable tasks you can tackle each day.

People: Ask yourself, “Who am I waiting on?” (or,“Who is waiting on me?”)  If you need a decision, information, or data to complete your part of the task,  reach out to the people who can give you what you’re waiting on to move forward on your bigger goals. 

Priorities: List the 5-10 urgent things that you absolutely must get accomplished today.  List it, do it, cross it off. If it take less than 5-10 minutes, just do it now. Be specific: A task like “answer email” or “organize desk” is too broad and will remain on your list forever. Instead, “return client email re: press plan” or “file papers on desk for five minutes” is more specific and attainable. You may not achieve “inbox zero” or organize your whole office, but even answering a few pressing emails or sorting for five minutes a day will add up.

GET FIRED UP

Start your day in the right mindset, then dive in! Wake up earlier, even by just 10-15 minutes. The goal is to eventually wake up a whole hour early, by starting with 10 minutes each day until you’re adjusted. Before you jump into work head first, get in the right mindset: Meditate for 10 minutes (try apps Calm or Headspace for easy, guided meditations), stretch or exercise, take a shower, and drink lots of water. Ask yourself, “What am I most fired-up about today?!” and start from a place of passion and purpose.

Now you know how to use time to your advantage to really rock your goals! Challenge yourself to see how many spare minutes can you find in your day, and make them count! And tell me, do you have any surefire tips to share about how you organize your to-do list?

Jennifer Berson is the President & Founder of Jeneration PR, a Public Relations & Social Media Marketing firm specializing in promoting beauty, baby & lifestyle brands. Prior to founding Jeneration PR in 2005, Jennifer was a civil litigation attorney in Los Angeles.

Jennifer has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Inc., Business Insider, Yahoo!, Entrepreneur Magazine, PR Week, Huffington Post, Fox 11 News, TV Guide Network's "Hollywood 411," PR Web and was profiled on Apple.com.  Jennifer was also selected by Babble.com as one of the 10 “Mompreneur’s Who Made it Big!” 

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How Letting Go of the Hustle Helped Me Grow My Business

By Alysha Light, FLIGHT PR

Ask any entrepreneur if they consider themselves a hustler, and most of them will proudly say, “Heck yes!” The concept of the hustle is glorified in business and entrepreneurial communities, because we’re struck by the image of the self-sufficient go-getters who are putting themselves out there, making things happen and having no one but themselves to thank for the the leaps and bounds they've made along the way.
For a long time, I was damn proud of my ability to get sh*t done, to do more with less, to fire on all cylinders and go out into the wild in pursuit of big game because hey, fortune favors the bold and those bills aren’t gonna pay themselves, amiright? In a 2016 C&C piece, Dr. Lauren Hazzouri broke down why so many of us are addicted to the hustle: "We're human-beings, and humans tend to repeat anything that feels good," she wrote. "For women, especially, nailing the presentation and bringing home the bacon feels SO damn good."

And she's right. It does feel good to secure a big win. But how "good" is it really, when you're spending every waking moment on your phone or laptop and missing out on life in the name of the hustle and grind?

That's how I operated for the first few years after launching my business in 2013: no vacation, no team, #nodaysoff. Just me, grinding away 24/7 to prove that I can get things done for my clients, fast. That I was basically superwoman.

Unsurprisingly, I was burning out from the constant grind. I was bending over backwards and stretching myself so thin for small wins and inch-by-inch growth. I knew I needed to reprogram my mindset if I wanted to stay physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy.

Check yourself before you wreck yourself

Here’s the thing about the "hustle" mentality that no one tells you: Even though it champions hard work and self-reliance, it's ultimately rooted in fear. Your core belief is basically, If I'm not constantly chasing new opportunities and busting my ass, then I don't eat. I’ll let people down. My business will stall. You become terrified of the things you think you might lose if you dare to take the world off your shoulders for a moment.

Even though ‘the hustle’ champions hard work and self-reliance, it's ultimately rooted in fear.

click to tweet

Plot twist: When I stopped hustling, that's when my business grew the most. In no way have I lost my "go get 'em" attitude – but hear me when I say that my business tripled when I let go of the idea that things would stop if I stopped...chasing, pursuing, stressing, hustling, stretching, bending over backwards, etc. In fact, it was just the opposite.

There’s a spiritual principle behind this that basically shifts your mindset to one of stress and anxiety (or fear) to one of ease (abundance). What you’re basically doing, is signaling to the universe that you trust it to operate on behalf of your highest good, and that you believe things are always working out for you. Because they are. And when you really get this, you find yourself in “the flow”—that amazing space where things start flowing with minimal “effort” on your part.

Setting intentions > goals

One of my favorite people on Twitter, Maryam Hasnaa, believes in setting intentions rather than goals. Having adopted this for myself, rather than focusing on a list of things I want to accomplish, I’ve started asking a simple question: how do I want to feel?

One of my intentions this year was to feel ‘in demand’. If I'm in demand, that implies money is flowing and my inbox is flooding with new business opportunities. And guess what? That's exactly what’s happened.

As Rumi once said, “When I run after what I think I want, my days are a furnace of stress and anxiety; if I sit in my own place of patience, what I need flows to me, and without any pain. From this I understand that what I want also wants me, is looking for me and attracting me. [There] is a great secret here for anyone who can grasp it.”

Grasp it, and prosper girl!

Alysha Light, a reformed hustler, is founder of FLIGHT PR, a boutique PR agency for companies at the intersection of tech, design, marketing and entertainment. Follow her @lightalysha.

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