Laid Off? Today Is A Brand New Day
A sudden job loss can be very unsettling, and it makes a person
look inside in order to get perspective on their situation.
I was a person that was laid off too a few years back, so I know
what it is like to not have a job to go to.
I feel fortunate, though, that I was building my coaching practice
while working full time. Because of that, I was able to
transition into coaching full time. But still, not seeing the
same faces everyday, having deadlines, and an office to go to, took
some getting used to.
The best thing about that experience is I had the opportunity to
create whatever I wanted with my future. I could coach
full-time. I could go into consulting. I could
freelance. Whichever way I chose, I knew that it was the start of a
new adventure.
For me, the job loss was a blessing; and it can be a blessing for
you. Yes, you will worry about how you will pay the bills, if
you will get another job, and when the new job will come. You
will also have the opportunity to spend more time with your family,
friends, and yourself. You will have time to do all the
things you wished you had time for when you were working. You
can go to the gym, get outside more, and use the time to reevaluate
your life and your career. (Yes, this is a good thing.)
So How Do You Make
Peace With What Just Happened To You And Create A New Future?
I Have 7 Tips For You:
1. Recognize That Losing Your Job Was Not Your
Fault
Yes, there is some relief
knowing that the inevitable has finally happened vs. the waiting to
see if you will go next. But there is still a little part
deep inside you that wonders if it was your fault. Maybe if
you worked harder, then this would not have happened. Maybe
if you worked weekends, evenings, etc, it would have been some else
that was cut. Maybe if you participated in office polices
more, you would still have a job. All these thoughts drain
your energy and take away from the contributions you made when you
were there. Your company was not doing well. They had
to cut costs, and you were one of the people they cut. This
is all there is to it. Period. Stop making it mean
something more.
2. Decide What's Important To You
You probably have put YOU on
hold for years as you have been spending all your time figuring out
how to mold yourself to be someone else. You worried about
what your boss thought of you, what his or her boss thought of you,
and what your co-workers thought of you. You spent many
evenings trying to calm down or figure out what to do with a
co-worker or boss that was driving you crazy. All of this is
gone (if only temporarily) and now you get to decide what is
important to you. What makes you happy? What gets you
excited? These are questions that you can answer because you have
been given the gift of time to do so.
3. Recognize That The Time Off Is A Blessing
Things in life happen for a
reason. There was some purpose for you to stop and reassess how you
have been living your life at this point. Why do you think
this happened now? Were you working too hard? Were you
neglecting yourself? Was your family screaming for you to
spend more time with them? Now is the time to see if your
former lifestyle will fit your future one. Use the time
wisely because an opportunity like this one may never come
again.
4. Decide What You Will Do Next:
Will you stay in the same
career? Will you do something different? Will you start
your own business? Or, will you decide to scale down your
lifestyle so you can stretch out the time before you go back to
work? There is no right or wrong choice, only what calls to
you. Trust your instinct. The answer is inside
you. It is up to you if you will take the time to listen.
5. Put An Action Plan In Place:
Now that you have free time,
how will you make it as productive as it can be? How many
resumes will you send out each week? How many hours each day
will you spend searching for jobs online and in the paper?
How may people will you talk to, and how e-mail's will you send
out? Your job search does not have to consume you, but having
a daily plan, will keep you from sitting in front of the TV saying
"I really should be looking for another job."
6. Get Support:
Enlist the help of a friend,
spouse, coach, colleague, etc. Someone who will listen and
support you through this transitional period in your life.
Looking for a job can be frustrating, time consuming, and
disappointing. Remember that you do not have to do it
alone.
7. Reward Yourself:
Yes, the final reward is
finding a new job, but there are milestones that can be rewarded
along the way. Sent your resume to five employers?
Reward. Went on one job interview this week?
Reward. When you look back, you will know that you are not
the same person you were before this happened. And, you will
smile to yourself because you know that this is a good
thing.
So what do you
say? You only have one life to live so it might as well be
one you love!
