Dont Stop! Your Transition is Still Moving!
Q. I'm looking for a new job and plan to work with a career consultant next month. Meanwhile, I'm working on the garden and some friends are coming to stay for a week.
A. When you're in serious transition, a week can be a long time. Time sneaks away and you need to see where it's going. And you need to keep moving to maintain momentum and stay motivated.
1. Create a priority list.
Starting a business? Your number one priority involves responding to paying customers. Second priority: Market for new business.
Searching for a job? Your number one priority will be meeting with people who have the power to hire you. Your second priority: networking to meet more people with hiring power.
And if you don't know what to do, your absolute top priority is finding answers from a consultant, coach or mentor.
2. Negotiate with everyone in your life to get support for your priorities.
Charlotte feared the worst when her relatives announced they were coming for ten days.
We considered her options. Say no (and alienate her whole family)? Postpone her goals? Go out of town for the duration? Charlotte needed to get her business going. She needed the money and she was working on deals that had taken months to set up.
She decided to tell her visitors, "I will not be available from one to five in the afternoon." At first she physically left her house for a library, coffee shop or borrowed office. But by the third day everyone was used to her schedule, so she worked from her home office - with the door firmly shut.
Charlotte's story had a happy ending. But when a spouse or other close family member resists, I encourage clients to meet with a family therapist or counselor. Left unresolved, these resentments will linger for years.
3. Anticipate interruptions.
Sometimes you have to stop and deal with a real crisis. But you can begin to ask, "Am I really needed? Can someone else help? Is the problem serious?"
Bill almost caved in to pressure when a local charity called. "You've helped us every year! We need you again!"
I asked Bill, "What if your company had transferred you a thousand miles away? Would the organization survive?"
Bill still felt selfish. But he realized he'd soon be on the receiving end of a charity if he didn't reach his goal. And if he became wildly successful, he could be even more generous with time and money for the next ten years.
Bill did agree to meet with his replacement for a briefing meeting - which lasted all of fifteen minutes. Bill's replacement said, "I don't need you! I've got my own ideas."
Bottom Line: Time moves fast when you're job-hunting, starting a business or getting ready for a major move. You'll be challenged to set aside your goals to help others with their priorities. And it's easy to say, "Another week won't matter."
In my experience, people who reach their destinations quickly have a sense of urgency. They realize a day - not just a week or a month - matters. They allow time for leisure and love. And they believe in the value of their destination and what they must do to get there.
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., helps midlife professionals create career changes in sizes small, medium and huge. Strategize, get unstuck, start a business or start over.
Free Report: Ten secrets of managing a major life change.
Mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com
Contact cathy@cathygoodwin.com or call 505-534-4294
Latest News
Gen Y and Holiday Jobs: Nearly 80% Seeking Employment During ... MarketWatch - Gen Y job seekers anticipate finding employment through their university career centers (22 percent), word-of-mouth (23 percent) and online job boards (21 ... |
Military MBA Sees Bright Spot in Lackluster Employment Market ... MarketWatch - "This is a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster employment market." Discussions with the event's participating career experts reinforced Military MBA's ... MBAs Veer Off Path to Big Finance Jobs |
How to prevent your career collapsing with your company Management-Issues, UK - ... and are in a good position to plan a departure that will benefit their careers," he added. For the study, Semadeni examined the employment situations of ... |
Kelley School Study Finds Early Exit Yields Better Odds of ... Talent Management, CA - ... and are in a good position to plan a departure that will benefit their careers.” For the study, Semadeni examined the employment situations of 1155 ... |
MyPursuit.com Launches Massive Career and College Portal to Help ... PR Web (press release), WA - ... Salaries, Influential Professionals, Leading Organizations, Top Cities for Employment, Career Training as well as other Careers that may interest you. ... |
Rx for health careers event set for November 20 HollandSentinel.com, MI - “In addition to manufacturing, West Michigan is quickly becoming known as a very prominent area for employment in the health care industry,” said Sandi ... |
Job Seekers Unwilling to Relocate Need to Be Aggressive in Current ... MidwestBusiness.com, IL - It’s predicated on the idea that spouses should not sacrifice their own careers nor suffer any loss of income in order to relocate. ... |
CSM Program Offers Path to Restaurant, Hospitality Industries Southern Maryland Online, MD - “For students interested in hospitality careers, the certificate program segues nicely into a college degree,” Fine added. “The program is designed for ... |
Resume tips for parents returning to work HeraldNet, WA - ... my wife is ready to pick up her career in the finance field. I'm helping to create her resume, and we aren't sure how to deal with this employment gap. ... |
Growth sectors part one: health care Newsdurhamregion.com, Canada - There are a lot of jobs in health care that high school graduates and those looking to switch careers might not immediately think of, said Susan Sproul, ... |
Resources
-
Sorry there are no resources available at this time