Christie Mims says the bleary hangover of the festive season often blunts the desire to make a new start with the New Year but now is the time to ensure it doesn’t happen.
Did you wake up with a career hangover on 2 January?
Full of carbs and an extra glass of ‘something’ you blearily open your eyes to another New Year at the same job.
Sure, you made a resolution to get a new job this year, but in the cold light of day you are already faltering.
The holiday fun is over and in the meantime you are left wondering — what are you going to do now?
This is why these January days can be the worst.
The sun may be shining, and you may be still on holiday, but you have no idea how to actually get what you want this year.
In other words, a job that actually makes you feel good in the morning.
Don’t panic. I am here to help.
So pour yourself a bracing cup of coffee (or hair of the dog, we aren’t particular), and get ready to make some career magic.
Step 1: Give yourself a break and get out your calendar.
Look, you’ve most likely taken some time off, potentially travelled or hosted some family, and you are tired.
Maybe it was crazy Aunt Sally’s constant chatter, or your mother-in-law’s terrible mattress, but give yourself a break for not having everything ready to go this week.
Focus on getting through the next few days and grab your calendar.
It’s time to plan for the plan!
Changing jobs and careers takes time.
It also takes energy, and so you need to make sure you have both available as you tackle this task so you don’t set yourself up for failure.
The smallest possible step to get started (I’m a fan of small steps) is to set aside some time to think about your career when it doesn’t feel like your eyes are bleeding.
Open up your calendar and set aside an hour to think about your next steps.
Pick a time that isn’t aspirational — instead make sure it’s something that you can actually do.
Don’t shoehorn it into a bunch of other activities either.
Make sure you set aside a time that will give you some space and focus so you can bring the best version of yourself to this task.
Step 2: Write down all the positives.
Part of what keeps most of us stuck is that we focus on all the reasons not to do something.
We are afraid of change; we worry about benefits; we wonder about paying our mortgage or rent.
No wonder it’s hard to make progress.
If your frame of mind is: “This is hard and it doesn’t feel good” it’s hard to stay motivated.
Instead, think about your work and all the positives that are headed your way.
I know it’s hard to be definite, since you may not know exactly what’s next for you or your career, but take a stab at it anyway.
Write down every single thing that is positive about where you are headed next.
Small things like a better commute or working from home, to large things like making an impact on your job or getting to help change lives.
When things get hard, pull out this list to keep you motivated. When you feel good, you take action.
Step 3: Drink some more water.
Hey, you can’t make progress if you aren’t hydrated, right?
Step 4: Get a process together.
Most of us fail because building a plan and executing a plan at the same time is exhausting.
We get confused, lost, or just stalled out, so progress immediately ends.
Instead of worrying about immediately making progress, in that hour you’ve already set aside make sure to devote it to building your actual plan for finding a new job or a new career.
If you are a project-managery kind of person, then you might really enjoy throwing together a spreadsheet of your next steps.
Just remember to keep each step small and specific.
So if you are job searching your plan of action could look something like this.
Update resume; reach out to three old colleagues to let them know I’m looking; schedule coffee with my boss to talk about other options at work.
Update LinkedIn headline and overview; update LinkedIn main profile and endorsements; make a list of helpful friends and family; have coffee with two people from that list.
If you are thinking of changing careers completely (or want help with finding your passion) your order of operations could look like this.
Google books and coaching on passion — choose three to look at closely. Pick one.
Set aside time to follow book or program — an hour a week in my calendar.
Do program exactly as outlined, one hour per week.
Step 5: Be real with yourself.
If you have a past history with not making the kind of career progress you want (and you’ve been going it alone or off the cuff making it up as you go), then be real with yourself and get some help and support.
Think through how you best learn new skills and ideas and then find the kind of support that reflects how you best learn.
You are going to have to invest time and effort, and maybe even a little cash.
Like with anything in life, what you get out of something is in direct proportion to what you put into it, so be prepared to roll up your sleeves a little bit.
*Christie Mims is Chief Executive of the Revolutionary Club engaged in career coaching for smart people who won’t settle for anything less than career happiness. She can be contacted at therevolutionaryclub.com.
This article first appeared on the Revolutionary Club website.
