It is the end of January, earnings report season on Wall Street. Major corporations are announcing layoffs. Even with record revenues in some businesses, they are still tightening their belts. We’re facing challenges with interest rates and potential home foreclosures.
So how do you, as a career professional, find solace in the midst of all this churn and chaos? How can you live and work with less security? Putting down an anchor during a storm can help maintain a steadiness and sense of control. Identifying your anchor can be the first step in truly living and working with less security.
Consider this… Jobs are changing and some moving off shore. High tech was “hot” years ago and now it’s healthcare. Lots of change…lot of shifts. Now is the time to explore your interest in an area of growth. Using this chaotic time to develop your knowledge will give you a strong anchor to hold on to.
If you were thinking what it would be like to open a business, or you’re ready to pursue your dream career, then how about embarking on a campaign of exploration and learning. You can’t run until you learn how to walk. Taking this time to learn if you’d really like to be an entrepreneur, writer, or business person will give you a point of focus that helps you “weather” this storm. More importantly, it will also prepare you for better choices should you have to make them. By using this time to explore what you’ve always dreamed of, you instantly create more choice in your life. And the more choice…the more security!
Start today! I dare you to go to the library and pick up a book or magazine on a subject of interest that might be a lucrative one for you. Ask your friends, colleagues, even superiors who is the best in the areas you’re interested in. Write that person a personal note or email and tell them that you’ve heard they are the undisputed expert in their area. Ask if you can have 15 minutes of their time to hear their story. (People love to talk about themselves!) Believe it or not, this technique has proven both powerful and valuable to many entrepreneurs….it works!
Visit a business you’re interested in. See how the operations run, smoothly or not. Go back often to see the good, bad and ugly and then meet with the owner to hear “their” story. You’ll have a more well-rounded perspective – yours, theirs and whether it’s a viable option for your future!
Living and working with less security can be both challenging and exciting. Taking this unique and broader view in how you can use this time to serve you will make it less scary; and provide that “anchor” of confidence and choice that secures your future!
Chris Makell is a career development coach and consultant who works with mid career professionals to achieve quality results with less energy, accomplish goals more effectively and take ultimate control of their careers. If you are ready for greater success and a more fulfilling career, visit Aspire Career Services at www.aspirecareerservices.com to sign up for Aspirations, the free monthly career success journal, access resources, assessments, career tools, and receive 21 Simple Ways to Energize Your Career in 2008 as a free gift!