If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know that one of my goals is to spread real-world knowledge that won't necessarily be taught in school. I have a running series, (Not So) Basic Journalism Skills, that addresses single topics at a time like writing for deadlines, finding focus, and time management. Today, I'd like to talk about something a little less skill-oriented and focus on some harsh realities of the journalism industry and how to deal with them and not lose your sanity.

Criticism
Unfortunately in this line of work, more often than not the criticism will outweigh praise, especially when it comes to viewers/readers. One of the first steps in dealing is coming to terms with the fact that as a journalist you will always be in the cross hairs. Once you've accepted that, the next step is more acceptance. Repeat after me -- you will never make all of your viewers/readers happy. Something I've discovered over the course of 8 years is that if you're doing the job right, you're going to make some people angry. But remember this: it's not your job to make people happy.

So how do you cope with criticism? Regardless of where it's coming from - a viewer, a coworker, your boss - try not to take it personally. I know first-hand how difficult that can be especially when it feels like you're being attacked through your work, but trust me when I say it's vital to your mental health. Someone saying they didn't like your work or the way you did something is not the same as them saying you're stupid or that your work is stupid.

Instead of feeling wounded, I try to take criticism as an opportunity to grow, become better at my craft, or simply try something new. It doesn't always work because, hey I'm human! But taking something that was possibly meant in a negative way and turning it into something positive is so much better for the soul than wallowing in your pride.

Working Holidays
Go ahead and resign yourself to it now. You will work holidays. Yes, Christmas, too, if your station does shows that day. I have worked on literally every holiday or holiday-eve, especially when I first started. Now that I've been with my station for longer than most everyone else in the newsroom, I get to pick and choose which ones I work a little more (except in my case daycare ties my hands sometimes). That doesn't mean I still don't get stuck working a day I'd rather take off - I'm looking at you July 4th...but I know there's really no use being angry and/or resentful about it.

Luckily for me, my family is close, so just because I have to work on a holiday doesn't necessarily mean I miss out on everything. I know for many people just starting out that's not the case; some of you will wind up really far from home. The biggest piece of advice I can give you is this - connect with your coworkers.

My first year was spent producing the morning show, so holidays weren't that big a deal. We either didn't have a show or because of my weird schedule, festivities weren't really impacted. The first holiday I truly worked was the 4th of July. I was producing the 6:00 and 10:00 at the time. There were five of us in the building, not counting the production team. I had some sparklers in my desk - probably from a reporter doing a fireworks safety story - so my anchor, sports guy, and I went up to the roof of our building (eight stories) and had a little celebration of our own. We also were able to watch multiple fireworks shows from around the county at once thanks to our high advantage.

Spending holidays, especially big ones, away from your family will be tough, even if your family lives only an hour away like mine. I, personally, trade Thanksgiving for Christmas because Thanksgiving is the more important holiday for my family. I also usually trade Memorial Day for Labor Day because my dad and brother's birthdays fall on either side of that holiday weekend. So here's what I would recommend for you - decide early on which holidays mean the most to you and get your requests in early! After all, not everyone can be off at the same time. The news must go on!

You can't help everyone.
You can point people in the direction of help; you can do stories on people who need help; you can even choose to donate, volunteer, or give back in some other way outside of work; but if all of your efforts come up short, you can't beat yourself up over it. Our job is to inform, and if we do that in just the right way maybe, just maybe, we can affect some change. But we can't hold ourselves responsible for people who choose not to act on the information we provide them.

I have some good news for you, though. People are watching/reading/listening to the stories we tell, and while we may not be making great strides when it comes to political policies, we do make a difference when it comes to every day life. Don't believe me? Check out this story in which my station managed to change a man's life in less than 24 hours by simply sharing his story.

As has been the case for the last few years, the end of the year was rough for me, for a number of reasons both personal and work-related. Outside of that, though, 2017 was a good year. Topping my list for highlights include buying a house, sticking to my resolution of reading more, and changing my outlook when it comes to how I see my body (something I'm still working on daily). But enough about last year. Let's talk about the goals I hope to smash in 2018.

1. Exercise More
I've written a few times about loving my body again. A big part of that is revamping my wardrobe so that it better fits my post-baby body. Another part of that is getting back into shape...without joining a gym. One thing I hate is hearing someone say that anybody can make time to go to the gym. Those people obviously don't work a full-time job, have a small child, and have a husband who works shift work. So my next "big" purchase will be an elliptical to put upstairs in our office/playroom.

2. Cook Dinner at Home 2-3 Times a Week
We eat out or order in a lot. And it has nothing to do with disliking to cook. It's just convenient. After working all day and not seeing Alexis, cooking is just one more thing taking away from our time together. But now that she's older, she likes to help me in the kitchen, so cooking has become a joint activity.

3. Be More Present
I'll be the first to admit - my phone is a distraction. Part of it is that my work email is on my home screen so every time I do anything, I see the little number of unread messages...and I get a lot. I can't stand seeing it, to be honest, so checking it is almost compulsive. Not to mention all the push notifications I get from Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Snapchat. I can't not clear them out. Seeing them all up in my notifications bar drives me nuts. The solution to this is simple, though. Leave my phone in the bedroom or in my bag. That way I'm truly participating in life instead of it happening around me. And if I miss a photo opportunity, so what? Just because it's not on social media doesn't mean it didn't happen.

What are your goals for this year?

At the beginning of 2017, I set a goal to read at least one book a month. To hold myself accountable, I included in that resolution the requirement of writing a review for every book I read. Other than a couple of times where I was unable to finish an entire book in one month, I was able to meet my goal. In total, I read 11 new books last year. I also reread two entire series, seven books total.

The last book I read in 2017 was the first book in a trilogy. To be honest, I read Ink Mage hoping it would be similar to another series I really enjoyed, the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. The themes were close but really there was no comparison. I thought the storyline was interesting but felt rushed and claustrophobic. The characters were all pretty flat, too, and I had a hard time connecting with the heroine. In short, it had all the makings of a great book but the story lacked breathing room.  That said, I did start reading the second book but haven't yet made up my mind to finish it.

On another note, I need some reading suggestions for this year. Leave me your recommendations in the comments!