Today’s show focuses on two recent local media trips. One to Carlsbad, California and another to Ventura County, California. My travel academy members and I focused on home town media visits as our August challenge. I helped the members with a step by step plan to research a home town media trip and how to reach out to PR and CVB reps to help them plan a free trip. Today’s show is about my two local media trips. I worked with Shae Geary from (W)right On Communications for the Carlsbad Trip.
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Procrastination & How to Stay on Track
Have you ever sat down to work on your travel blog or a particular blog post and somehow let hours pass without doing anything constructive?
I have two questions for you and three quick solutions:
If you are at your desk with a block of time ….
- What do you find yourself doing when you should be working on a blog post or web updates or something else for your travel writing or blogging career?
- How do you shift your psyche to get motivated to do what you should be doing?
I’d love to hear your thoughts. When I can’t focus on what is on my to do list, it’s usually social media that grabs my attention. Especially the different Facebook social ladders. They can be extremely helpful, when used strategically, but can also waste hours if you are not working on them with a goal or purpose. I also find email to take me off track when I am not focused. I try to limit email to 10-15 minutes and then close it. If not, I can find myself researching some new social media tool or wordpress widget or SEO tip. All of these could be great items to implement, but do they actually get implemented or do you just do the research and never get back to the implementation?
As for the shift in psyche, for me getting up and walking away from my desk for five minutes to clear my head works. What also works for me is getting pushed up against a deadline!
I thought I’d share three quick ways to stay on track when you are in work mode.
- Close Facebook and any other apps or programs your computer that ding. Basically, closing anything that will distract me from my task. The facebook ding is way to enticing for me. It has to be off for me to focus.
- Check and then close email. Again, it’s just another distraction for me. If I am waiting to hear back about a media trip or a podcast interview, I am too tempted to pop over check. If it’s closed I can refrain from the pull of the email!
- Keep a post-it pad or piece of paper next to you. Every time I think of a brilliant idea or something I need to follow up on or something I have to get done today, I write it down. This way I won’t forget and don’t feel the necessity to do it in that moment. This is a huge help for me – because my brain is always trying to pull me in a million directions.
Love to hear your solutions to procrastination! Leave a comment below and let me know your tools for dealing with procrastination.
Carlsbad
I’ve worked with Shae a few times and I interviewed her on episode 11 where she shared how to pitch a PR rep. (W)right On Communications works with several San Diego County hotel and resort properties as well as lodges in Yosemite and Sequoia National Park. In fact, if you head to Episode 11 there is a full list of their travel and tourism clients.
Ventura County
I was invited to Farm Day by Ann Flower of Ann Flower PR. I’ve know Ann for a few years and I also interviewed her on Episode 6 of this podcast. She works with high end luxury hotels, as well as several visitors bureaus and the Los Angeles and San Diego Travel & Adventure Shows.
More Coming Soon! (Hopefully today!)
Episode Resources
Travel Writers Academy
Shae Geary
(W)right On Communications
Episode 11 with Shae Geary
Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach
Cape Rey Carlsbad
Nozomi Sushi
Villa Del Palmar
My Villa Del Palmar Gluten Free Article
Chandlers
Pannikin
Carlsbad Lagoon
Ventura County Farm Day
California Oil Museum
Glen Tavern Inn
Ann Flower
Episode 6 with Ann Flower
Chivas Goat Farm
Limoneira Ranch
Duda Farm
Gill’s Onions
Houweling’s Tomatoes
Connect with Break Into Travel Writing
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Tweetables:
Close Facebook to stay productive. [Click To Tweet]
How to Plan a Hometown Media Trip. [Click To Tweet]
Do you offer a snack, or a full meal? [Click To Tweet]
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