BE KIND TO YOURSELF ..
Today, as I do on most Monday mornings, I led our weekly Support/Networking Group. Attendees include very new clients as well as one going back to 1986 (yes, he has been working.) Each participant has the opportunity to share their challenges, both emotional and analytical, within the environs of a group of folks who all speak the same language, having had many of the same experiences. As I listen and participate ……not like me to sit quietly by ….. two “constants” struck me that I believe we should keep in mind.
First, we all need to remember to be kind to ourselves. People dealing with tough times can find it all too easy to be isolated and therefore lose objectivity or the perspective of others. Acting as our own CEO and Laborer it’s so easy to get down on ourselves, particularly when most of our information comes as a result of asking and answering our own questions. Consider the source!! Yes, to be sure, the world isn’t fair, but from what I hear from people in search of new jobs, we have the ability to be harder on ourselves than the real world will ever be.
My second concern comes from job seekers not having a plan of action. Yes, I hear about goals, hopes, and desires, but too many times these are rendered almost impossible to reach due to a faulty or nonexistent plan or action. A plan of action is not unlike a budget. It needs to be realistic and reachable. It should have checkpoints and time for reflection and corrections using the most current information. Making informed decisions, not assumptive ones, is the key here.
So be kind to yourself. Take yourself and your special gifts seriously!! Develop a realistic plan of action and have some fun along the way.
