Sometimes the universe conspires to force me to think about my world in a different way. I love when that happens. Two things happened this week to start me thinking.
First, Paul landed a great job last week!! The job of a lifetime. The job he has wanted for years. The job his previous employer could not provide. He will be great at it. I am so excited for him!
Paul lost his job last October. So that means his job search took about 4 months from termination to new job, an amazing accomplishment under any circumstances but particularly admirable during this difficult job environment.
It got me thinking. How was Paul able to find an executive level position in four months while other folks need much more time for positions that should be more readily available? Is Paul special? Is there something special about the way Paul handled his job search? Perhaps both are true. It is worth exploring for a moment.
Next, I read an interesting article on a flight yesterday, “Luck and Desire” by Nathaniel Reade in Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine, about Rob Summers, a fellow with a unique attitude and, perhaps as a result, a unique outcome to a paralyzing accident. He credits his amazing recovery from a spine injury to positively organizing his life and dreams with the help of a self improvement classic, “It Works”, by RHJ.
RHJ says it is not true that some people are luckier than otherss. It is just that some people unleash the power of their subconscious mind to achieve their dreams.
It made me wonder whether Paul is luckier than other job seekers? I think there is more than luck. Paul is incredibly well organized. He sets big goals for himself, in his case to be a General Manager and run a business. Then he figured out how to leverage all his energy, contacts, relationships, and smarts to get the job of his dreams.
He did not allow himself to feel sorry about his job loss. He never waivered in his dream. He worked at his search constantly with a passion and focus I seldom see from others. He talked to everyone he knew and asked for referrals to people who could help. Most people he talked to responded to his optimisim and persistence. He landed the job while others still struggle.
How can you unleash your inner passion and reinvigerate your search? Here are some thoughts I picked up from the article and working closely with Paul:
- Write down your dreams – this way you make them real
- Test them out a little. Roll them around on your tongue a bit to make sure this is really want you want. Fine tune them until your dreams fit you well.
- “It Works” advises saying these goals to yourself 3 times a day to drill them into your head. Maybe that will help keep the goals in the front of your mind at all times.
- Figure out what tasks will get you to your goal. Go into detail. Think it through so you don’t wander around without a plan.
- Focus completely on those tasks to the exclusion of anything else. No vacations. This is not the time to clean the closet or paint the porch.
- Leverage your contacts and resources so you put more energy on your efforts.
Paul said he found it useful to talk with me periodically to stay on track and keep his spirits up. I think he is being characteristically modest. He dreamed it then made it happen by hard work and focus. You can do it too.
If you need some help with focus and tasks needed to achieve your goals, or you just want to talk for a few minutes, drop me a note. We can help.
If you like this blog, check out these other related blogs:
“What not to bring to an interview”
The Interview Doctor can help! Call us at 800-914-7349 or Katherine@InterviewDoc.com or Dan@InterviewDoc.com
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