When we allow our mind to relax, our thoughts are free to flow.
I had a stimulating discussion last night with Darlene, recently laid off from her employer after 20+ years of progressively more responsible positions with the same employer. She is a strong, successful person. But now she wonders if there is something else out there for her. Is it ok to not follow the path she was on before? She has already been approached by two competitors so she could jump right back in if she wanted. A small voice in the back of her mind is telling her not to jump back in, to take some time to find something different.
It made me think about how to find the perfect job that fits your needs at this moment.
It is ok to not want to jump back into the pool right away. Maybe the first thing to do after leaving your job is not update your resume. Updating your resume means you want to continue doing what you have been doing. Maybe that is not right for you anymore. But how do you know what you want to do next?
Daydream.
Seriously.
Where do your thoughts take you? What do you like to do in your spare time? Are there any common elements?
What activities make you smile and what activities would you scoop dog poop in the yard to avoid (my personal measure!)
I write about my daughter, Marissa, often. I think she is wonderful, naturally, but truth be told she is not always social, not always easy to work with. Employers have told her this before! I’ve told her this before! She finally seems happy in her latest job because she works alone on detailed work on which she is an expert and only needs to talk to people on her own terms. She is thrilled! She finally found the right combination of tasks, people, responsibilities that match her interests and style.
Darlene has always worked with building materials. Her husband is a contractor. They own rental property. So while she was healing in the first few weeks after the layoff, she fixed up an apartment that had been empty for 2 years. It took her 10 days and she finally got the apartment rented. She found an unexpected sense of accomplishment and pride. She also found it easy. So now she is thinking maybe she can craft a career that centers around real estate; maybe commercial real estate. She will let the experience percolate while she daydreams some more about her future. We will see what happens!
Darlene is taking a little time to explore what she wants so she can craft a career that makes her happy, pays the bills, and builds on her skills and interests. Marissa found a position that exploits her natural talents. Sometimes it takes a little time and a little daydreaming to discover the right next step.
Give yourself a little break and figure out for yourself your next best step!
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