WAYNE S. SCHMIDT 57 High Street • Portland, CT 06480 • 203.930.0541

wayneschmidt@comcast.net • www.linkedin.com/in/wayneschmidtinfo • twitter: @schmidtwayne

www.wayneschmidt.info

Six Unconventional Ways to Energize Your Work Published allaccess.com Wayne Schmidt, Media Professional

Considering the truly dynamic business cycle we are in, it has become commonplace for Media professionals to work 50-60 hour weeks and do everything possible to squeeze out that last 5% of productivity. Sadly, no matter what branch of the business you are in we all do this to either impress the boss, keep the stock holders happy, or simply because something must get done.

You might not think so, but believe it or not this is actually a good time to allocate a portion of your day to do a little self maintenance. Keeping your stress level in check and servicing yourself is critical if you wish to maintain your company value (not to mention your own self worth). That being said, a minor change to your routine can really improve your professional life, hone your edge, and reaffirm your personal relationships. After all, if you keep a tool to the grindstone for too long, you ruin its edge. Here are six quick ways to keep this from happening:

1. Find someone in your office who you don’t interact with on a regular basis and get to know who they are and what they do. A quick cup of coffee or even a casual chat can reveal new insights and ideas about your business and will make it easier to accomplish tasks with that person in the future. Definitely make it a point to ask them about something non-work related if you can. You will be amazed how learning something new about the business or discovering something interesting about a coworker can open a new perspective to your day.

2. Keep yourself “plugged in”. Make sure you are connected electronically to industry and hobby groups. Spend some time updating any professional e-profiles you may have - especially “LinkedIn”. You should also search out professional groups that are similar to your job function and see what they are doing on-line. This will help keep the creative juices flowing. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, make one.

3. Find some part of your daily routine that you can change. Take a different route to work, eat lunch at a new location (and make the time to do so), or change part of your attire. You can even rearrange the furniture in your office or a room in your home. A little physical alteration to your surroundings can go a long way to keep your energy level up when tackling the rigors of the day.

4. Reaffirm your personal relationships. Find someone whom you haven’t spoken with for a while and reach out to them with an old fashioned phone call or make time with someone important to you and visit a local place you have never been. New sights and sounds can give you a feeling of momentum and accomplishment which you can bring to the office with you.

WAYNE S. SCHMIDT 57 High Street • Portland, CT 06480 • 203.930.0541

wayneschmidt@comcast.net • www.linkedin.com/in/wayneschmidtinfo • twitter: @schmidtwayne

www.wayneschmidt.info

5. Dust off and look at your Meyers Briggs personality review or find someplace to have a new assessment. If you haven’t had an assessment, get one. You can find free services at you state employment agencies, other non-profit organizations, or even on-line. You might discover something about yourself that you haven’t noticed before.

6. If it has been 6 months since you recorded a spot or had hands on production experience, get yourself into the production room and contribute in some way to the product process – preferably doing a voice over, media layout, or whatever is appropriate to your specific company. This is especially important if you are management. If you have never been in the production room for anything other than handing over instruction to your staff, make time to bond with them immediately and suggest some sort of collaboration. Don’t forget to follow through!

Remember, the goal is to become more productive by spending your time wisely and reigniting that childhood urge to discover new things. Find time for at least one of the above every other day or think of something else to try. You will be surprised at how much better you feel. Good luck!