Not being defined by short-term or temporary roles and positions

Faking it until you make it is something that almost everyone must do on their road to success. However, learning how to keep a positive state of mind through it all can be tough.  Here is our best advice to help you navigate the career bumps and turns on the path from “here” to “where you want to be.”  

1.   You are greater than the role you play: You have the power to change your “role” by changing how other people see you.  Find ways to highlight your previous experience (even in another field) and knowledge.  You may be new to graphic design, but you might have extensive experience in drawing and art history. 

2.   Your work does not equal your worth: When making career transitions, you may find that you are overqualified (and often underpaid) for the first few roles. Remind yourself that you are worth so much more than your current title/position and that this is NOT  permanent.  

3.   You have infinite potential: The biggest thing keeping you from your dreams is you NOT believing that it’s possible.  You have to believe in your potential, “fake it till you make it,” and never forget you have infinite potential.  

4.   Look past those who do not treat you with the professionalism and respect you deserve: We all have had to work with mean girls or guys that are jerks.  Remember, negative people have a purpose – to teach you – what NOT to do to others.

5.   Your title is what they call you at work – it is not who you are in life:  A title is a very subjective thing. Whether they call you a banker, vet tech, teacher, or even convict – NEVER let others’ labels define you.

6.   You are better than your worst past mistake:  In theory, you should live life with few or no regrets.  However, we all have made mistakes and done things that we would certainly do differently. Remember your past does NOT dictate your life in the future.

7.   You are not going to do what you currently do forever: Nothing lasts forever unless you want them to.  The great thing about life, career, business, and more is you make a choice (give it all that you’ve got), and when that choice no longer works out – you make another choice.

You are more than the assistant manager, development officer, recently unemployed “person.”  You are not just the roles you live or the work you currently do. This week remind yourself of one of these “maxims” – creative goals/ideas.  

Getting Over Being Fired or Experiencing a Huge Career Loss or Setback

Sometimes life and career simply don’t work out as we had hoped. Regardless of our desire or effort, there are times in life (that, for some reason) we don’t get the job or new opportunity.  This week we are sharing our best advice for dealing with real-life career problems and setbacks. Our hope is that at least one (1) tip will be a new, simple idea to create a big breakthrough. A breakthrough that will help you dust yourself off, think big, dream bigger, and believe in yourself along the way.

Tip #1 You can’t plan for tomorrow until you stop thinking about yesterday. 

Although you can’t re-write history, you can become a new person with a new goal.  Sometimes the thing you were born to do changes.  And your mindset needs to change with it.  Former athletes can become extraordinary coaches when they focus on their love for the game.

Tip #2 You can’t put your tears behind you until you’ve wept them.

There may be ‘no crying in baseball,’ but there is always lots of crying and disappointment in life and career. Give yourself permission to be disappointed and upset for a week or two.  Then, wipe your tears and disappointment away and move on one day at a time.

Tip # 3 You can choose to be stuck and bitter or free and happy.

Bitterness happens when you ignore or try to avoid feeling pain and disappointment. Refocus your frustration by asking what did I learn?  What will I do differently next time? And, what is the “upside” of things NOT working out ask planned? Remember, optimism creates opportunities.

Tip # 4 You don’t have to turn your back on what was happy about your past.

The best way to move on to a bigger and brighter work opportunity is to embrace the good parts of what was taken away.  Knowing exactly what you like about your former position or career will help you recognize it when you see it in a new position.

Tip # 5 You have to grieve what didn’t happen in order to create what can.

Grieving is a personal process that each person goes through in their own time and in their own way. Equally, it’s an essential step to reflect on what ‘was’ in order to create what can be. If you don’t grieve, you can’t unlock your ability to move forward in time and create a brighter future.

Tip #6 You can be angry at your current life, or you can use that energy to create your future.

You may not like your current job or life, for that matter, but getting upset with your present situation is kind of like biting the hand that feeds you. The truth is, your current job or work situation may not be glamorous, but it helps pay your bills and sustain your lifestyle. Focus your energy not on what can’t change but on networking with those in your field and exploring new ways to find new opportunities.

Tip #7 You can change your present circumstances slowly, piece by piece, until you get things turned around. 

Change often happens slowly over time and not all at once. The best thing that you can do is to embrace a ‘slow and steady wins the race’ mentality and work like crazy towards the career and life you deserve. Watch out for jumping ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire.’  Sometimes a career or personal rebound leads us to attract something that is worse than what we just experienced.

This week try just one change in how you think about the past in order to create a bigger and brighter future.

Feeling Stressed and Knowing Something’s Gotta Give

We've all been there - stressed and stretched in every direction and daunted by the thought of adding one more thing to our already overflowing plate. Although you may not be sure exactly what needs to be done differently (or how to do it) – you are certain that something has got to change.  Here are seven things to help you beat stress by shifting your perspective and time to support the priorities that really matter.

1.    Develop a calming start to each day:  Before your morning workout, take 10 minutes to sit in silence, meditate, or read something inspirational.  If you start your day stressed, rushed, and filled with anxiety, the rest of your day will most likely be the same. So why not start things on an upbeat note to increase the likelihood that your day will be both productive and positive.

 2.   Delegate life and work to-dos:  Whether it's telling your roommate, spouse, or partner to clean the apartment (for a change) or asking the intern to help with something you’d normally do, ask or require others to step up and take on added responsibility.

3.   Replace boring with interesting: It’s hard to feel stressed out when you are intrigued by something compelling to read, think about, and discuss with others. Taking a few minutes each week to participate in an engaging activity will reduce feelings of monotony and give you more mental and physical energy to accomplish your responsibilities and goals.

 4. Face your weaknesses straight on: Create a plan to address and overcome things that are not your strong suit. Specifically, focus on one thing (we all have one) that always takes you off track or causes you to lose focus. Simply having a plan of action to help you stay motivated when you might otherwise stray off course can help reduce procrastination, writer’s block, or “paralysis by analysis” and thereby make you much more productive.

5.   Find hope: When you feel overwhelmed, you are less likely to see the good of anything. Simply finding one thing every day to be optimistic about can not only change your outlook but also actually make the things you do have seem even better. Never forget that optimism is a major key to success in life, career, and almost any endeavor.

6.   Get out of town:  Taking a short train or bus ride to new surroundings can give you a much-needed boost to recharge and re-boot your batteries and energy. A change of scenery doesn’t cost a lot of time or money but can do wonders when it comes to relieving stress and gaining clarity about what really matters and how to prioritize better the time you do have.

7.   Create a financial action plan:  Money problems are one of the leading causes of stress, and they often take time to get resolved.  However, taking one or two steps towards turning a positive financial page can make you feel less stressed and more in control. Start by re-reading last week’s Living on Purpose Project Post on reducing your expenses and commit to putting just one thing into practice. 

Sometimes we need to de-stress and discover new energy to do the things we both want and have to do. Life will never be stress-free, but the more you can embrace healthy ways to eliminate feelings of boredom, anxiety, and uncertainty, the better you will feel.  And, the better you feel, the more you’re likely to put yourself out there, embrace new challenges, and uncover new opportunities.

Looking for and Finding Inspiration in Unusual Places

Here are seven (7) unconventional words of advice.  Remember that your life and career can change on a dime – in your favor. A thank you note, phone call, or a simple outreach can help create a major positive shift in your work life. Sometimes big change comes from little adjustments we make along the way to success.

1.    At any moment, you can do something small to put a big opportunity into motion down the road.  

2.    Career success comes from cultivating professional and personal relationships. People want to work with people they know and like.

3.    There are rich people, there are wealthy people, and there are people who are rich because of how they have created, navigated, and shared their life experiences. Everyone, including you, can be one, two, or hopefully all three. 

4.    Never underestimate the value of business and social etiquette (if you don’t know it – learn it quickly.) Always remember, please and thank you are words that have tremendous power.

5.    Celebrities and accomplished professionals, in many ways, are not like everyday people. However, every human being needs to hear that others are proud of who they are, as well as what they do. 

6.    Seize every moment to network and learn from people, especially those who you may never see again. I met many people and business associates who have impacted my career.

7.    Always bring your host a gift or small token of your appreciation. I brought Gloria Steinem a book of poetry and even bravely gave her an original work of my own. I also sent Carole Black one darn nice thank you note for inviting me and providing such a great networking opportunity.

Find inspiration to tackle a new venture by first simply reflecting on something you’ve previously done that worked out better than you imagined, then take your first step toward doing this new thing. This week take a moment to reflect on these lessons learned and consider who you could send a “personal note” that might directly or indirectly help you experience something great?