A recent post from author Tim Ferriss got me thinking about being “in the zone”. In his post, Tim says it’s important for each individual to find the time period during the day where they are the most creative and productive. Like Tim, my “zone” is in the late night/early morning, somewhere from 12-4am. At first glance, the fact that I kick it into high gear when the rest of the world is sleeping might seem unfortunate, but I’m starting to realize that it’s not so bad. I can get a lot of stuff (blogging, stats, new design, etc.) done with little to no distractions. I just had to get comfortable to really hit my stride.
And all of this, naturally, got me thinking about marketing (it’s a gift and a curse). The thing about marketing, and I’m not the first to say this, is that you can get by being just okay. Pump a lot of money into ads, put together some same-old press releases, coin a decent slogan, and sales will probably increase. And you’ll get by.
But to really succeed, you have to focus on hitting your stride.
Hitting your stride as a marketer means getting yourself to a place (mentally, physically, existentially?) that will enable you to create something special. If all your best work comes out of brainstorming sessions, then why aren’t you focusing on brainstorming? If lightning always strikes after a cup of tea, you better bring extra to the office. If all your best writing happens after sitting down with a beer (Blue Moon, if you’re buying) then don’t be afraid to grab one and get focused.
Figuring out what makes you capable of great things is the hard part. After that, just enjoy the ride.
How do you hit your stride?
My name is Matt J McDonald and I'm a New Marketing Strategist based in Charleston, SC.
