Hello December! We are officially in the traditional gift giving season. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or nothing at all, you can treat yourself to a few well-deserved gifts that will have a lasting impact.

Pats on the back

Far too often, we are immersed in doing the work we love that we never stop to consider what we have have accomplished. Recognition is nice but let’s face it, we do not always receive it.  In this season, give yourself the gift of celebration. Bask in the glow of your achievements; and toast your own success. Clients may not always understand (or appreciate) all that it takes to deliver results, but you know the blood, sweat and tears that went into this year. If you keep a work journal, jot down your favorite successes, so that you revisit it when you need a boost.

Time

Managing time is tough for everyone, but running your own business makes it even more challenging. Take a quick review of how you spend your time, and streamline or eliminate things that are wasteful. For years, I had email notifications on my phone. I have my email app on my phone but liked being able to quickly view incoming mail across accounts…until I didn’t. I turned off the notifications to force myself to intentionally check email at intervals (not every 5 minutes). This small tweak made a huge impact and gave me back hours per week. What can you do to gift yourself more time?

Money

You may not get gelt or cash in a card this year, but you can gift yourself with more cash right now. Get rid of tools and services you no longer need and keep the change. As you look at how you spend your time, look for ways to serve your clients more efficiently. Are you spending hours on emails or client phone calls? Are you doing weekly and monthly reports? Are you doing things manually that can be automated? Each solo PR pro is different but all of us can find ways to improve our bottom line by trimming excess.

Health

You can’t show up for anyone else if you don’t show up for yourself. Mahatma Gandhi remarked,” It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” As a solo PR Pro it is hard to have wealth without health. But far too often, we place this at the bottom of our list.  We serve our clients, families and often neglect our own well-being. What do you need to be at your best this coming year? Sign up for that exercise class, try meal delivery, schedule a massage or just commit to getting more sleep.

Bravery

Commit to be brave enough to stand for what you deserve and say no to people who don’t share the view. Be brave and set your own rules of the game; you don’t have to play like anyone else. Lean into the fear, and do that thing that makes your stomach do flip flops. Shut out the voices that say “you can’t”,  or “it’s never been done,” and leap into your victory. Bravery does not require money or superpowers, but decision to act in spite of the fear. This gift may not make Oprah’s list of favorite things but it is the very best gift you can give to yourself.

What is on your gift list this year? Share in the comments in words or pictures or on social media using #solopr. We are on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash