Welcome To The Season Of Stress!

By Perry Rearick, Chief Editor, Follow Your Buyer

According to the American Institute of Stress, yes, there is such a thing, we are entering one of the most stress-inducing times of the year. In the US it begins this week and runs through Christmas and New Year’s.

Hosting guests, traveling to see family, shopping, preparing big meals, and gift-buying tends to rob us of anything that resembles a silent night.

On top of all that, B2B marketing departments can become overwhelmed with an equally big to-do list as we finalize our plans for the next year, fight for our last bit of budget, and complete year-end reports all while sustaining current marketing operations.

Tis the season to be jolly? Maybe not so much!

This week marks our start to this end-of-year crucible.

When I served as the senior director of publishing for Life Science Connect, I would occasionally arrive at work at the same time as one of the business’s owners and we rode the elevator together. I always looked forward to these days because he often presented a thought-provoking question. For instance, “how would you describe your biggest opportunity these days?”

Back then, I typically had a do-to list that was far more than what I could accomplish in a day. I often felt like I was rushing through my responsibilities just to check them off and get to the next thing. “Opportunities? Good question!”

When I shared with him that I felt buried by my to-do list, he encouraged me to not worry about completing all the tasks, but rather, focus on priorities. Consider what would enable me to make the biggest impact on the outcomes I was seeking.

I still follow that guidance and practice it daily.

There will always be more to-do! I encourage you to slow down, seek quality over quantity, and focus your efforts on the impact you can make.

I hope you have a great week and Happy Thanksgiving!