Seven things to think about when it comes to what to do while you wait . . .

Happy New Year!

Whether you are starting 2016 unemployed, underemployed or simply pondering something better, each of us can use some enhanced patience and perseverance. Change, especially the kind related to our careers, doesn’t happen overnight. Here are some inspiring stories of people who creatively maximized their ‘wait time.’ It might just be the thing you need to turn lemons into lemonade and develop or discover your next opportunity.

Kat Cole, President and COO of Cinnabon Working towards to success with a strong work ethic What she did to pay the bills:

Kat began her career as a Hooters waitress in Jacksonville, FL. During her first year of waitressing, she learned every aspect of the restaurant biz.

Her creative grind/hustle:

Kat’s managers rewarded her enthusiasm and strong work ethic by sending her to a training program at headquarters. She dropped out of college to travel the world training employees and became a Vice President by age 26. Seven years later Kat left Hooters to become COO of Cinnabon in 2011. (Kat eventually returned to complete her education and receive her MBA in 2010 from Georgia State).

Jennifer Hudson, Award Winning Singer/Actor You don’t have to finish first to make it big – just be open and take risks What she did to pay the bills:

After working at Burger King in her late teens, Jennifer spent time working far from home. Jennifer worked as a singer aboard Disney Cruise Lines before landing a spot on the third season of American Idol.

Her creative grind/hustle:

Jennifer made it to the top 7 (contestants) before she was voted off the show. She continued to pursue her dream of being a singer/actress and took on the role of Effie White in Dreamgirls (2006), which won her an Oscar and Golden Globe. Two years later, she was awarded a Grammy for her debut album released in 2008. Jennifer remains one of the most successful former American Idols, to date.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Actor and Former Professional Wrestler Ignore the experts’ advice What he did to pay the bills:

After an injury caused his football career to fumble, Dwayne turned to the family business (wrestling) as his plan B.

His creative grind/hustle:

After becoming “Rocky” the wrestler ignored the advice, and even demands, of those in charge to be the “good guy.” Instead he created his self-confident alter ego and ‘The Rock’ – an A-list superstar wrestler, actor and producer was born.

George Lopez, Comedian and Actor Pay your dues and keep laughing all the way to the bank What he did to pay the bills:

Before pursuing a comedy career, George worked an entry-level job manufacturing airplane parts. Years later he landed his first stand-up gig at a Las Vegas casino.

His creative grind/hustle:

George spent 20 years as a virtually “unknown” comic in the standup circuit before being asked to host a morning radio show in LA, which opened up his path to stardom.

J.K. Rowling Bestselling Author The unstoppable power of real talent and creativity What she did to pay the bills:

J.K. was a divorced, single mother who she says, “was as poor as possible without being homeless” when she began writing the famously popular Harry Potter series on a train napkin.

Her creative grind/hustle:

Her first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was rejected by 12 publishers. Lucky 13 came about because of a publishing exec’s eight-year-old daughter who read one chapter of the book and begged for more. Today the Harry Potter brand is worth $15 billion and Rowling’s books have been translated into 70 languages.

Sheryl Crow, Musician/Singer Even when you get a break – you may have to wait for an even “bigger” one What she did to pay the bills:

After graduating from college, Sheryl worked as a school music teacher – freeing her up to perform on nights and weekends. Later, she was given the opportunity to write commercial jingles for McDonalds and Toyota and even sing background vocals for Michael Jackson’s 80’s Bad World Tour.

Her creative grind/hustle:

In 1992, her original debut album was dubbed “unfit” for release by label execs. She was forced to go back to the drawing board and one year later became a household name when “All I Wanna Do” became a surprise hit.

Colonel Sanders, Entrepreneur, Kentucky Fried Chicken/Franchise Creator Forget age and even money, persistence is the secret recipe for success What he did to pay the bills:

At 65 years old, Harland Sanders was broke, owned a small house and a beat up car, and had just received his first social security check of $99.

His creative grind/hustle:

Sanders used the only thing he did have – an idea. He traveled throughout the south trying to convince restaurant owners to use his popular chicken recipe in return for a small percentage of the sales. He received 1009 rejections before finding the 1010th person to help fund his dream. The Colonel proves that it doesn’t matter how many “no’s” we receive, as long as we get the one and only “yes” that counts.

Everyone needs time to nurture and cultivate their dream. This week, read these and other inspirational stories of people who found innovative ways to make the most of their talents and time waiting for something better. Remember your “big break” is out there if you are persistent, and have perseverance and patience to uncover it.

Seven Simple Steps When It Comes to Setting Realistic Goals.

The things we think and say to ourselves have the greatest power to extend (or limit) our individual goals and expectations. When it comes to goal setting, what matters is positive thinking and that a goal is attainable and realistic from your perspective. Here are some great guidelines to help ensure that your professional goals are strategic and supported by realistic tactics that will help you achieve success.

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1. Assess how each goal fits into your overall career/life plan: Before setting a goal, you should first be clear about your overall professional plan. Simply knowing that you want to work for yourself in two years can be huge in helping you determine if an idea is “goal worthy.” Spend time and effort on goals that are stepping-stones to the place you ultimately want to be.

2. Change your thoughts: The most difficult part of my job as a career counselor is helping others to change how they think -and what they believe- about themselves. I often meet clients when they have just been or are about to be laid off; or when they are so depressed about their current situation that it actually prevents and limits their future possibilities. One of the first things I ask of new clients is to identify three habits that they need to “break” in order to erase negative energy and create more positive thinking. For some people it’s not sharing their plans for change (at least right away) with pessimistic, naysayer friends and family members. For others, it’s making a conscious choice to avoid making “rushed” decisions out of desperation and fear.

3. Be practical about how long change may take: You have to be realistic about not only what you want to do, but also about how long it will take for you to do it. This includes small things like the time it actually takes to write a new cover letter and update your resume, to the response time of potential employers who will review them. Remember, it probably took you years to get to this “place” that you don’t want to be anymore; and therefore it will most likely take several weeks if not months to get you out of it.

4. Maximize your marketable skills: One of the biggest mistakes people make in career transition is refusing to do the easiest and most practical thing that enables them to pays the bills and save money for their new career path or venture. You may say, “I hate (fill-in-the-blank) and I don’t want to ever do it again.” However, if you have spent the last five years helping your family launch three new restaurants – managing every detail from the scouting the locations to hiring staff to planning promotional efforts- then that’s what you should keep doing while you flush out your plan to pursue your dream job. It really doesn’t matter that restaurant consulting is not what you went to school for or what you want to do long-term. Use the most marketable experience you have (as an employee or consultant) for next six months to a year, to get both the money and flexibility to create a smoother transition into what you really want to do.

5. Have a darn good back up plan: Change is never smooth and it often involves two steps forward and one step back. For every goal you create, you should also develop a back-up plan simultaneously. Having your “Plan B” already in place will keep you on track and one step ahead when, not if, things don’t go as planned. Be specific. For example, know exactly what you need to start doing four weeks before unemployment runs out and you haven’t found another job; or have the specific dates of when companies will start accepting seasonal or holiday staff applications in order to fill the hole in left in your pocket by your part-time job.

6. Don’t let history repeat itself: We all are creatures of habit and tend to approach and do things the same way, even when trying to create change. In order to prevent making the same mistakes, take time to identify and examine the big things in your personal or professional life that did not go as planned. Don’t think of it as a failure, rather some huge life lessons you’d prefer not to repeat again. Then develop a 7-point plan that addresses what you could have done differently and ways to prevent you from doing the same or similar things.

7. Find an accountability partner: Setting a major goal is one thing, meeting every milestone that will lead you to accomplish that goal is another. Develop a detailed list of the key milestones for every goal, including target deadlines for each milestone. Give a copy to a friend and ask that they call or email you a week before each deadline to request a written status update. Sometimes simply knowing that you have to report another person gives you the extra motivation to push a little bit harder and get things done.

This week, examine three things that you “say” to yourself and make those thoughts more positive. Once armed with an enhanced level of positive thinking, try one of these seven suggestions to create a new professional goal that you can successfully accomplish.