Time – who has it? And with the New Year fast approaching (Can someone please explain where 2011 went?) and the days turning into the night before happy hour, it seems like everyone’s in a race against the ticking clock. There’s a lot of pressure to meet the goals you haven’t thought about since last January, and even greater pressure to start 2012 off on the right foot, once and for all. Plus, there are SO MANY great EOY lists that have to be read and so many parties to attend. In the words of a Cathy cartoon, “AAAACK!!”

We get it. You told yourself you were going to beat the odds, increase sales and really turn your business around. Then, you snapped your fingers and found yourself eating Thanksgiving leftovers in what seemed like a matter of minutes. This year, give yourself a fighting chance by following these simple instructions.

Prepare now. Don’t be silly and think that you can launch a full-fledged PR plan by January 2 without planning for it today. Make sure you have the basics covered (press kit, media list, goals and the tactical steps to achieve them) or you will drive yourself and your team crazy. If you don’t have these things in place, get to work, and factor that time and those resources into your long-term forecast.
2.Set reachable goals. If you own a local banana stand, you probably can’t expect to end up on Good Morning America by March, so don’t set yourself up for failure by making the impossible a priority. Set small intermediate milestones that lead up to a greater, quantifiable goal so you can track your progress every step of the way.
3. Organize and systemize. If you’re living in the clutter of 2011 (or worse, 2010), there’s no way you’ll make it past Valentine’s Day. Clean out your files, put a system in place that’s easy to use and stick with it. Heck, make “stick with the organization system” a goal, and remind yourself of it every day.
4. Schedule a time for checks and balances. Twelve months may seem like a reasonable reporting period, but that doesn’t mean you have to position your blinders until next year at this time. Before 2012, schedule days when you (and perhaps, your whole team) can reassess your goals. Be prepared to shift and shuffle along the way so that your goals are what’s best for your company – not just an item on your checklist.
5. Pat yourself on the back. [Nerd alert!] The Premack Principle states that “more probable behaviors reinforce less probable behaviors.” You know, eat your vegetables and then you can have ice cream. At Black Sheep, we like to reward ourselves with Champagne and sparkles after a week of completed goals. Try small rewards for small goals and big rewards for big goals. As a marketer, you should know the power of a good incentive.

We know, we know. It’s cold, and you just want to go home, watch a sappy movie and avoid the holidays (and the impending lecture about “where your life is going”). You’ve got a whole 1/12 of the year left and there’s much you can do, so get positive, get moving – and if you’re productive, pour yourself a glass of eggnog. See, we told you rewards work.

New year goals

Regular

‘Twas the week before Christmas over here at Black Sheep
Where carols were playing over loud email beeps
The lights were all hung reminding us to be cheery
But with much to be done, we started to grow weary

The clients were restless, hoping to check out soon
As the Black Sheep worked hard by the light of the moon
One last release, a few more lines of copy
We had to act fast, but we couldn’t be sloppy

Then, in a twinkling, we heard something outside
A fat man in a suit hollered, “Hop in my ride!”
We looked at each other, not sure how to respond
But he seemed pretty nice, so we shrugged and jumped on.

He yelled “Ho, ho, ho!” but it wasn’t offensive –
And somehow, we all felt less apprehensive
But where were we going? And would there be elves?
We couldn’t help wondering in spite of ourselves.

This ride, how mysterious! This old man, how hairy!
As we sped through the night, we felt twinges of merry
We noticed that time was no longer an issue
And as we turned a corner, St. Nick passed a tissue

On South By, On TEDx, on Creative Mornings and tweeting
On press conferences, clippings, on last-minute meetings
Viewing the past year with this red-clad historian
We sped through the year on his festive Delorean

He spoke not a word, as we flew near Downtown
Then over to Montrose, soon we were Heights-bound
As we saw all the things that inspire Black Sheep
That old guy was right, we all started to weep

But the tears were not sad ones, no they were quite happy
(and readers, we’re sorry, this is where things get sappy)
For a very brief second we’d let our brains forget
That the things we accomplish are worth all the sweat.

That all the experiences – big ones and small
Are really the very best present of all
And ideas, like popcorn exploding in our heads
Are better than mistletoe and a warm bed

Feeling revived and ready to spring into action
Santa dropped us off, smirking with satisfaction
But as we opened our laptops, we heard o’er the roof
“Happy holidays, Sheep!” and we all raised a hoof.

You see, we thank Santa for showing us how
All it takes is remembering what came before now
But when making a list of the naughty and nice
There’s no doubt that old man will be checking it twice

We left him a gift – to remember the night
And pasted our logo in very plain sight
On the door of his shiny time-traveling sleigh
We couldn’t resist – it’s the true Black Sheep way.

Despite our rebellion, we hope you all know
How much you have helped this ol’ company grow
Each time we make toasts to celebrate this season
We hope that you realize that YOU are the reason.

Black Sheep Christmas Special