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manejah

Your mind is a powerful thing. When you fill it with positive thoughts, your life will start to change. – Unknown


It's 5 o'clock Monday evening and after a flurry of weekly status calls and hours of KonMaring your inbox (finding little joy), you might feel like you just survived the "Battle of the Bastards." It's about this time that you remember that very important project to-do list you so diligently and proudly laid out late Friday afternoon. Monday morning rolls around, you don't feel great. You're just going to try to get through the day. Let's be honest, you didn't really forget about the list, you just chose not to focus on it. Instead you decided to multitask away all the less meaningful stuff. Although multitasking may feel productive and does get those small dashboard items accomplished, according to a recent piece on Thrive Global, the long term negative effect they have on our brain could be counter-productive:

“It ruins productivity, causes mistakes, and impedes creative thought…. As humans, we have a very limited capacity for simultaneous thought, we can only hold a little bit of information in the mind at any single moment.” (Thrive Global, "9 Ways Multitasking is Killing Your Brain and Productivity, According to Neuroscientists.")

So what's the problem: motivation? focus? interest? If it's interest, you may want to see a career counselor - I won't be covering that in this blog post. BUT if it's motivation and focus, I've got a few thoughts that might help. With all those "hashtag Monday Motivation" posts and quotes and videos, it can feel suffocating - false starts left and right. And if you are like myself, who works remotely, without bosses and co-workers to push you, the beauty of self-employment rears its ugly side all too often.


Eventually I decided to take time to understand what simple things I can do to correct this behavior and how I can best set myself up for success. So I came up with my own little Monday Motivation Mantra (good for any day of the week): Create an Atmosphere, Balance the Noise and Clear your Head.


My local Starbucks with big time atmosphere.

Create an Atmosphere: Finding the right location for your computer in your office or cubicle, room in the house or in a coffee shop in order to be productive can be an ongoing challenge. I find it best to find a place with just the right amount of visual engagement; people going about their business (this could be people working at this space or neighbors walking by with their dogs), artwork/pictures/books to spark creative thoughts and a sense of peacefulness, and a good workspace (a table and comfortable chair - keep the space clear of all clutter). If you have the luxury of being near a window - great!- just don't let what's on the other side of it be too chaotic. And don't face the window, have it be off to the side so it's there when you need a break from your screen. You know what feels right. If a library is too sterile, try a local Starbucks, too much commotion? Perhaps a museum. Bottom line, find out what works for you.



Sample of my playlist - don't judge!

Balance the Noise (or distraction): Hand and hand with atmosphere is noise. and gentle distraction. "Gentle distraction"?? Ok, so this is what I mean. You don't want it to be too loud so that it creates anxiety. People arguing, talking loudly on their phones or having a tense personal conversation within earshot. A gentle roll of sounds that blends into each other works best. Next headphones. You'll likely going to need these. Especially if you work in an office and trying to get into that "motivation zone." And your choice of music is EVERYTHING here. What I tend to do is listen to a variety of music, maybe music selected by Spotify or Pandora that match a song, group or genre that you've chosen. When I find a song that seem to speak to my inner motivation beast, I save it to my play list - either my "Songs to Work to" or "Songs to Write to" (each has very different needs). Depending on the project, different sounds may resonate. Working on a presentation, perhaps some Pearl Jam or Drake, to pump of the energy. Writing - I always love me a little Damien Rice or Pink Floyd. But you know your groove best - go with it.


Clear your Head: Just like taking a shower, making our bed or tidying up our workspace before we start our day or begin a big project, we also need to clear our heads. Some say exercise can actually make you smarter. Now exercise doesn't have to be an all out boot camp, it can be a short run, 20 minutes of jumping jacks or push-ups or yoga and meditation. Or blast yourself some Metallica and dance it off (Gronk-style). Shake off all that anxiety and stress you may have woken up with this morning. Clear your mind of all the meaningless tasks cluttering your head (your broken windshield wiper, those unread emails (let them sit there!), last night's Grammy's (you catch my drift)).


So let's all do 1 giant Lion's Breath and punch today in the face!












One note: I am not an expert on motivation. I'm not a coach nor do I represent a lifestyle brand (in real life or TV) but I am someone we tends to lack motivation and focus. And I'm hoping these tricks that I've learned might help you too.


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manejah

Not too long ago, in a big bold move for a more fulfilling life, I took off my heels, put on some comfortable shoes, and decided to head out on my own. And after much thought, discussion and daily self-motivating pep talks (i.e. tons of Thrive Global binge reading), I'm ready to officially announce the decision and the launch of Manejah PR. Specifically positioned to support small companies and other entrepreneurs that are looking for a clear content marketing strategy, Manejah PR focuses on creating a space for brands to be heard.


As my "About Me" states, I've spent the past 15+ years developing and executing integrated communication programs for brands like Crest, S.Pellegrino, Hershey's and more. By combining elements of public relations, event planning and social media, these programs accomplished their brand goals and objectives by perfectly engaging targeted audiences. The past decade and a half have been filled with exciting new challenges, experiences and awakenings (insert mind blown emoji here.) I loved every part of it and I'm excited to take all this knowledge and experience and put it to use to help companies and brands get off to the right start.


Utilizing traditional and digital aspects of public relations (press releases, fact sheets, white papers, message guides and briefs), marketing (blog posts and newsletters) and social media (profile setup, content creation and distribution), Manejah PR works with expert support in each category to provide:


Content Strategy: Need help with determining the best way to reach customers? Manejah PR will leverage your existing assets and combine them with new content to position your brand in the best light - giving it the platform it needs to be heard.


Public Relations: Looking to get media talking about your brand? Let's create some buzz together by pitching your news to top influencers - and getting your story told.


Social Media: Do you currently have a Facebook, Instagram or Twitter account for your brand/company but don't have the time or the know-how to execute a content plan? No worries, I've got your back and will work with you on a regular basis to develop and execute engaging content - so you can be seen across all your social profiles.


Event Execution: The best part of hosting an event? One-on-one contact with your key customers and influencers. Whether it's a meet & greet, product launch, networking dinner or panel discussion, you only have one chance to make a good first impression (as they say) - let's work together to make the experience engaging.


I understand that creating a positive brand halo requires a constant churn of fresh and creative content to capture the attention of media, customers and online influencers. This content needs to not only stand out from the mountains of information being communicated on a daily basis but also be clever enough to keep interest levels high through each news cycle. Because the fact is, unlike my comfortable shoes, clever content never really goes out of style. 


If you are a small business (or know someone who is) and are looking for advice and/or assistance in these areas, I'd love to meet you (or would be grateful for the virtual introduction.) In the meantime, please connect with me on social.


Look forward to catching up with you soon!


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