Blog Post: Staying Centered During Career Transition

A common struggle during career transition (and life in general) is staying centered amidst the highs and lows of “good” and “bad” news. We swing between glee (“Yes, we’d like to interview you”) and frustration (“No, we aren’t hiring”). We are ecstatic when we get a lead and terrified when we hear the 6:00 news. We feel hopeful as we consider a new career then stuck as we face our bills. We are constantly out of balance on a teeter totter of emotional extremes; up and down, excited and depressed, optimistic and pessimistic.

This reaction to transition does five things. 1) It is exhausting so we lose our motivation and our nerve. 2) Our self-esteem becomes dependent on external circumstances so we feel lost and out of control. 3) We disconnect from the present moment so we miss opportunities. 4) We appear desperate instead of competent so we don’t attract good jobs. 5) We make short term, fear-based decisions that are not in best interest of ourselves or those we serve.   

If you’d like to get off this emotional ride to nowhere consider these daily practices to stay in your power as doors open and close. Do one thing each day to:

Be Useful – Apply your skills. Volunteer. Offer to help someone. Perform a random act of kindness. Take a training class. Make a gift. Learn something new. Take some clothes to good will. Fix something.   
Generate Revenue – Take your quarters to the bank. Call someone in your network. Sell something on Craig’s list. Get a part time job. Create a value proposition. Target your marketing. Make a cold call. Do research. Reduce your expenses. Simplify.  
Focus On What Is – Write down what you are thankful for. Use the mantra, “Maybe so, maybe not.” Notice what the universe is showing you. Celebrate synchronicities. Track your accomplishments. Claim your talents. Identify the needs beneath your feelings.
Commune With Nature –Walk. Sit. Smell a flower. Look at the stars. Lay in the grass. Watch the birds. Garden. Bike. Observe the sun set. Listen to the rain.  

For more ideas, explore these inspiring resources:

www.adyashanti.org

www.eckharttolle.com

“Essentially You@ Work: A Career Transition Guide” at www.brainstormingalamode.com

“Make Money, Not Excuses” at www.JeanChatzky.com

www.margaretwheatley.com

“On the Money” at www.cnbc.com

www.spiritualityandpractice.com

www.suzeorman.com                                                                                                                        

“Three Marriages: Reimagining Work, Self and Relationship” at www.davidwhyte.com