Survival Tip #14: Get a life outside of Advertising.
If you want to survive Advertising you need ONE thing in your life that has absolutely nothing to do with advertising. It will help to keep you sane and get you out of the office at a reasonable hour once in a while.
Get some friends that don’t work in the industry and don’t care about the industry. This will stop you from obsessively talking and thinking about your job, as your new friends will force you to think about the broader world around you. Having these new none-advertising friends will also help you develop conversations that do not start with the words, “did you see that new campaign by <insert brand>?“
Get a hobby. And no your advertising blog does not count. Take up knitting, spelunking, salsa dancing, chess playing, painting, stalking, creating puzzle paintings, really it can be anything.
Spend some time with your family. Whether it’s your wife, kids, sister, brother, mom, dad, aging spinster aunt, go and spend some time with these people. They probably miss you or would if you weren’t suck a dick and called them once in a while.
Tags: Survival Tips for Working in Advertising, work-life balance
July 15, 2008 at 11:12 am
“suck a dick and called them once in a while.”
ohh jane. tisk tisk.
July 15, 2008 at 12:44 pm
The blog doesn’t count! Damn.
I totally agree with you Jane. It’s so easy to let advertising take over your entire life.
As I’ve often said, “this job would be a snap if it was ALL I did.”
adhac
July 15, 2008 at 3:04 pm
My hobby is killing off ad people. Crap, that has something to do with advertising! Guess I have to focus back on Bell call centre people again…
July 15, 2008 at 8:40 pm
@ james fees – I’m actually talking about myself. I really need to call the family more often. So yea … I’m a dick.
@ adhack – I know, it is very very sad. I am not sure what to do either.
@luvmyadjob – that’s the spirit!
July 16, 2008 at 4:56 pm
That family comment cut me deep…
July 22, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I know so many people who break this cardinal rule. They can’t simply leave work at work and constantly talk about work, or the dick client, or that new campaign etc.
As for the family detail, when it’s REALLY counted I’ve never been absent but too many times “it doesn’t count” and I miss out on your normal average day which are anything but average.
As for me, I surf, am working on the book and read and watch anything that interests me. It’s funny, a non advertising friend wants me to swing by his house to watch an Ad Flick and I’m resisting beautifully.