Finding yourself without a job and in a job search can be fun, exciting and full of adventure. It can also be filled with fear, questions and be a very unproductive time.
Our jobs, families, and communities go at a frantic pace. Western culture, especially in the U.S., seems to call out, in a very loud voice, that success means doing more, being busy, and dashing here and there with not “enough” time. Days are full, 8 -10 hours of work, a commute, and taking family members to this and that.
Often the impact of being the family member without a job is additional new expectations and tasks. Tasks like carpool, shopping, picking up the dry cleaning, and walking the dog. Then there is the “fix-it” list and the forgotten jobs like cleaning the basement that hasn’t been cleared in years. No one item is bad, nor an unrealistic expectation if the same is expected of you when you are working.
However, if this is a shift due to your unemployment, use caution and quickly set up a job search schedule. Your schedule should include the average number of hours you intend on working once employed and one that follows you own internal rhythms. For example, if you are a morning person, do critical thinking tasks in the morning hours so that you are able to fully step into your power.
Then, add your new tasks and activities into your search schedule at a time when you are not searching for work. Don’t allow non-employment tasks to rule your schedule — just as these things would not be done on your employers’s time when you are working in your new job.
If, after looking at your skills, the labor market and your bank account, you assess you will be okay if your job search takes about a year, you may have just set a goal in your mind that you need a job in a year.
Telling yourself you have a year to find your next position and then taking action to make that happen is great. However, if you decide can can do any number of things in lieu of putting all your time, effort and energy into your current job — finding a new job — I will bet you lunch that you just extended the time you will be out of work.
It’s healthy to add fun, relaxing new projects into your life — even if the project is simply relaxing. I do caution you that if you allow these things to take the place of meaningful work, your days will be filed with tasks and activities that leave little or no room for a new job.
Add valuable career-focused actions and practices to your day to accelerate your search. Here is a practice I created for myself and my clients after reading Deepak Chopra’s book Seven Spiritual Laws of Success:
- Daily, set aside time for quiet meditation or reflection.
- Start with 3 – 5 minutes of sitting still, taking in a deep breath and listening to the sounds in the room.
- Pause, write down what you heard and felt. Then write down what you are grateful for from the prior day and in your job search.
- Set down you pen, take 3 deep breaths.
- Pause, expand your awareness, and be open to possibilities, new ideas, and flashes of insight.
- Be still for as long as you wish, then set an intention for the day, take 3 deep breaths.
Suggestion: add a few minutes to your practice until you can meditate at least 10 minutes a day.
Don’t sweat the process. It is okay for your mind to wander. Don’t worry if you find it difficult to relax when starting out. Ten full minutes is a long time at first. Work up to it and if you don’t get to 10 minutes, that it is okay, too. There is magic and benefits found in even a few minutes. Try it and do what works for you.
According to a study conducted by the Kyoto Convention Bureau, those who meditated at least 10 minutes prior to a meeting were better at focusing, listening, retaining information and completing projects [Source: Deepak Chopra post, EliteDaily.com]. My clients who have never done meditation are always amazed at the results. Clients often share that after beginning this practice they were able to complete a nagging project or were able to the connect with someone new thanks to an idea that came to them in quiet reflection.
Do you have a reflection or meditation practice? Post a comment and share what works for you.
Do you have a question about your search? Look to the right and sign up for next Q & A session, join the session and ask your question.
