Career transition is a difficult thing to go through. It tests your self-esteem, your courage, your faith, your self-discipline, and sometimes your endurance. The job has ended. There’s no work to get up for, no place you must drive to, no desk or workstation awaiting your arrival. What do you do?
Well, now it’s up to you to create that reason to get out of bed. It’s up to you to create a new workspace and a new work routine. Fact is, you do have a job! It may be the toughest job you’ll ever have. Your job is to find a new job. The best thing you can do is to treat your search for new employment like a job. Set regular hours, determine where your new “office” will be, and get to work.
Motivation is the most important thing. When you work for someone else, you have a company and a boss to report to. Like it or not, having a job to do every day provides forced motivation. Your job requires you to do things you like and some things you don’t like. All jobs are like that. You do them all because there are incentives if you do and disincentives if you don’t. The biggest incentive to do your job is the paycheck you receive on a regular basis. Disincentives include performance write-ups, punitive assignments, and admonitions from the boss, just to name a few. So, you are “forced” to find the motivation to get the job done.
But wait . . . now those “motivators” are gone! There’s no paycheck and no one to boss you – except you! That’s where the self-discipline enters the picture. Where will you find the motivation now?
Motivation is an internal drive, regardless of your circumstances. You have to find a reason or reasons to drive you – those reasons are always, completely self-imposed. One thing’s for sure; you will need to develop a new source of income. While you aren’t being paid-as-you-go during your transition, you must realize that your efforts today will lead to new income in the future. Go deeper if you must; you have bills to pay, a lifestyle to sustain, perhaps a family to support. You will also need to feel productive, boost your self-confidence, and feel good about yourself as an active contributor. Are those enough reasons to find your motivation?
Here’s why it’s so important that you do. No matter where you are in life, or what you do, staying motivated fuels your behavior and your behavior will determine both the timing and the limits of your success. If you remember nothing else from this blog, REMEMBER THE SENTENCE YOU JUST READ.
So, are you motivated to find your next job? Saying “YES” marks an important benchmark. It declares that, from here on out, the time it takes and the type of job you pursue and ultimately get, will be in direct proportion to the effort you put in.
That’s a powerful declaration and a profound self-awareness on your part. Whether you work with a support group or a career coach, your success depends on you. Make it happen.
Bob Barry is a Career Strategist and Personal Success Coach.
Photo Credit: Stuart Miles | FreeDigitalPhotos.net
