The swag industry is unique in that we are always checking our emails. If you’re anything like me, then you probably feel like you check your email way too often.
I’ve had plenty of friends outside of our industry preach the whole theory of only checking your email a couple times a day. Unfortunately, for the swag industry, this just isn’t possible.
Think about it…
Whether your daily grind is in sales or production; you are most likely leaning on your inbox. You know what I’m talking about - the rush projects, the emergencies and everything in between.
While we may not have the luxury of neglecting our inboxes entirely, there are 3 easy steps we can practice daily to help with our peace of mind in this chaotic industry we love so much.
A. TO-DO LISTS
Admittedly, this is not a ground-breaking suggestion to practice. However, I’d like to offer 3 ways you might be able to enhance your list making skills.
Firstly, use the notes app on your phone. I do this daily and am constantly updating my list on my phone any time I may be away from my computer. This includes between sets at the gym, after runs and just in daily life. My mind is constantly racing and if I don’t write it down, I may forget that “thing” I wanted to do. AND this is more than just client projects - this includes marketing ideas and anything else that really relates to my life (doesn’t have to be business related).
Secondly, I come from the office supply industry and my favorite office supply ever is this little notepad that on the left reads “To Do Now” and on the right reads “To Do Later”. Here’s a worksheet you can download to see it visually. But honestly, you can just draw a line down the middle of any piece of paper and do this yourself ;)
What I love about this system is that I usually will take all my ideas/tasks from my phone app and write down the ones that need to be performed ASAP on the left then the remaining tasks on the right. I actually update this and start a new piece of paper several times in any given day if I need to.
Thirdly, I use my money system. Again, none of this is rocket science - I’m sales focused so I draw dollar signs on my to-do lists rather than stars. I put 3 dollar signs near the tasks that are most important or that will equal sales in some way. Then I do 2 dollar signs and finally just 1 dollar sign for the least important tasks. This helps prioritize my time to knock everything out efficiently!
I tend to like to do the heavy lifting first so sometimes I’ll just put 3 dollar signs towards the bigger projects so that I can easily knock out everything else pretty easily later on.
B. MEDITATION
Everything we’ve touched on so far has just been about prioritizing to help with your peace of mind. Now, it’s time to actually talk about your mind! Meditation has been a trending topic in recent years; especially in our industry!
Last year I went through the transcendental meditation course which teaches you the importance and how to meditate twice a day for 20 minutes. I usually meditate less than once a day for less than 5 minutes. So to say that I kept up with the TM teachings wouldn’t be a true statement.
My biggest forms of “meditation” come when I’m running and swimming. Even when I’m stretching early in the morning I feel as if I’m meditating. I’m a believer in the concept “the best system is what works for you”. For you, meditation might mean walking your dog, doing the dishes or something totally different. The point is, find an activity that helps you put your mind to ease. It truly will pay off in the long run!
C. CELEBRATE YOUR WINS
The topic of this blog post came because I’ve been feeling in the past few days that everything that comes my way seems to be either a rush project or have some sort of emergency last-minute change to an order that is already squared away and ready to go. It’s frustrating, you know the feeling so I don’t need to go on about it.
We move so fast in business (whether it be in this industry or any industry) that we rarely take a moment and celebrate wins (no matter how small). It’s important to take a step back, breathe, and look at how you’ve acted in any given situation and celebrate. You deserve it!
These are my quick and easy 3 tips to help you find your balance in this chaotic industry. Hope these help and if you have more tips to add or questions on any of this; please hit me up - Sam@SwagWorx.com.
Swag On,
SwagSam
Sam Kabert is the creative director of SwagWorx and the creator and co-host of the podcast “WhatUp Silicon Valley!” A risk taker who embraces permanent beta, Sam is leading the transformation of his family-run office supplies business into a promotional products powerhouse. Sam can be reached at Sam@SwagWorx.com