Several years ago, my family went through a difficult experience followed by a long period of recovery that was high-stress and low-joy. I literally plodded through the day thinking ‘wake, eat, work, eat, sleep, wake, eat, work, eat, sleep, and so on.’ It was so difficult that I don’t remember much of the time period because I was in pure survival mode. Even now years later, people will ask me if I remember something during that time, and I’ll have to answer honestly that I don’t have any memory of what they remember. My daily mantra written on pages of my planner was ‘keep head above water to prevent drowning.’ As I started my decluttering phase, I found my planner from the first year of that experience, and I did something that surprises me now. I tore out every page and ran it through the shredder. I didn’t even want to look at anything that reminded me of the things that I already couldn’t remember. Needless to say, a career transition feels like a mild speed bump compared to that experience.
I have also already experienced a major job transition about seven years ago. I was ready to do something different, and it took me two years to prepare myself for it. It was complicated at the time, but it makes my current experience feel like a walk in the park. During my class, I had to take a break from looking for jobs, completing applications, and sending out resumes because my class became all-consuming for a few weeks. My checking account is nudging me regularly to remind me of the changing numbers, but I’m not panicking this time.
Just as I started my class, I put in an application for a job that is still open so I’m still waiting to see if I’ll get an interview, and I was asked recently to submit a resume for another job. Those are both positives in my perspective. I had to go back to pull up some old resumes to get dates from previous jobs, and I found resumes I submitted during my last job search. It gave me a little boost to remember how many places I applied before I found the right fit. I took a deep breath and thought, ‘Okay, I’ve been here before, and it’s worked out. It will work out this time, too.’
I also remember working at a public library during the last recession in 2008, and I remember watching people come into the library to use the computers to look for work. Patience and perseverance were key for a lot of them, and those qualities are important to me now. I know there will come a time when I put a resume in with the right place, the phone will ring, I’ll get an interview, and I’ll be starting a new job. I don’t feel like I’m drowning, and I don’t feel like a failure. I learned long ago that negative talk in my head develops into negative emotions and actions so I’m giving myself regular pep talks.
If you’re having a ‘keep head above water to prevent drowning’ phase, that’s okay. If you are finding yourself exactly where I am, first, remember that you are not alone. I’m right here with you. I know how you feel, and we’re going to be fine. Put some distance between yourself and negative people for a while. Take a break from stressful media. What you need is encouragement, positivity, patience, perseverance, and a plan. Don’t sit still. Take the time to learn some new things. There are tons of online (free and paid) resources. Start with YouTube and progress from there. Tackle some projects you’ve been putting off. Catch up with people you haven’t seen in a while. Dedicate some time to those who matter most to you.
Sure, take a moment for a bit of a pity party, but don’t stay there. Get up and get moving. It doesn’t matter in which direction as long as you’re moving in what feels like a positive direction.
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Inspirational verses for the day:
“Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, we know that we have what we have asked Him for.” 1 John 5:14-15 (HCSB)
All Things Subject to Change 