November 25, 2008

Losing your job does not mean you lose your ability to create, think and thrive.

Yes, the public sentiment is swarmed with emotions like anger, resentment, fear, disappointment but most of all betrayal

Probably the biggest mental roadblock we are all faced with is that historically large layoffs ocurred, it was isolated…meaning company A may not be doing well, but you could look to companies B, C and even D for what most often amounted to an even better job than the one you had.

Today’s situation is VERY different, because there is a domino effect – there are very, very few places to go and lots of real smart talented people out there fighting for those few job opportunites.

That is precisely why you need to think about your next move and use this time as a great opportunity to do that.

Here are some steps you can take to land on top while the economy is hitting the bottom.

How you can Rebound

1. If you get a pink slip, avoid doing anything drastic right off the bat – wait a few days or even weeks so you can gain some perspective on what just happened and how things are unfolding around you.

8. Write down the single, largest reason why you absolutely cannot purse that career. And once you have it written down, I want you to commit your time and energy to solving it.

If you get stuck and need help, respond to this post and I may be able to coach you through it.

doug

That is what I am hearing from my clients in the financial industry. These guys are the top performers in the financial world. They have stood the test of time and are positioned to continue to do so. So what makes them so special?

Well, simply put…they just think differently than most people. For example, the reason they have been able to survive over the decades of ups and downs is because they remain objective and detached from what is going on around them.

Of course they feel the current economic impact – we all do. But they don’t get wrapped up in worrying about it. Instead they stare into it, like looking into a crystal ball, and patiently wait for what the world economy is telling them to do.

They make decisions with one goal in mind, to be the best they can possible be.

These guys are smart. Real smart and they know one thing for sure and that is in the end, that they don’t know much of anything. Sounds like a confusing statement to make but all it really means is they stay humble and even keeled. When things are going well, they are never too happy and when things look the most hopeless, they are never too sad.

What I think is great about coaching these guys is that they bring a brilliant and simple perspective into focus – and most importantly, a perspective that we all can implement in our lives, not matter where you live, what you do or how much you earn for a living.

Here are some of the lessons I want to share with you….

1) Have a purpose
Know what you want to do and most importantly WHY you want to do it

2) Always have a plan
Better to have a bad plan than not to have any plan

3) Never take it personal
Setbacks happen from time to time. Accept them and remember to never, ever take it personal.

4) Be Resilient
When Babe Ruth was asked, “What do you think about when you strike out?” He responded, “I think about hitting homeruns.”

5) It’s ok to be afraid
Feeling afraid is normal and natural. We all feel fear when faced with situations filled with uncertainty. All that matters is that when you feel afraid that you do not act afraid or fail to make good decisions because you are afraid.

drdoug

I attended an event last night at the Museum of Natural History in New York. A friend of mine, Gregg Fisher, who is an independent financial advisor hosted the event. The focus was on the market, the economy and how our emotions are impacting our thinking about investments. Right up my ally. The guest speaker was Professor Richard Thaler – who is legendary in the field of behavioral finance and considered to be one of the original founders.

Anyway, Gregg asked an interesting question to the 200 plus people there….the question was “How many of you think that the economy is great?”

2 people raised their hands.

He then asked, “How many of you think the economy is bad?”

Over 200 people raised their hands.

What I found so interesting about this is that people…the vast majority of people focus on what is wrong. Maybe it is because that is all they hear or read about and it just overwhelms them.

But you know what is really cool about that….it shows how we can be influenced by information. It also shows how we allow ourselves to be influenced and then eventually think and behave according to that influence.

I wonder what would happen if we chose to think the opposite. Or surround ourselves with the opposite. Instead of negativity, what if we surrounded ourselves with optimism, hope, inspiration and yes, even the possibility of change.

So I sat there last night, holding my wife’s hand and reflecting on the what if’s of life.

What if we viewed the current economic environment as an opportunity rather than a crises. What if the media ran headlines that shouted “Historic Economic Opportunity!”

Hmmm…would we view our current reality different? Would 200 people have raised their hands when asked if the economy was “great” (because they were viewing the current economy as a great opportunity) and only 2 people when asked if the economy was “bad?”

What if, you chose to think about the current world and your economic reality or if you are unemployed as the following:

1) a phenomenal opportunity to invest in your career by going back to school or attending training courses

4) a remarkable chance to follow your passion and start a new career for yourself – maybe as a writer or a chef (like my brother-in-law chose to do) or a party planner or a teacher or whatever your heart has always been wanting to do but you just could not find the time have the courage to do it….what if NOW could be that opportunity?

Or, what if you just viewed today’s reality as a great opportunity to change….I wonder what might happen?

Creating positive change.
That is what I think we have the opportunity to do. Create positive change not just for ourselves but for all of us.

drdoug

Day 1.
so here is what i was thinking….we all need some perspective during these times. maybe some guidance, maybe some advice, maybe just a voice of reason to help guide us through the painful events we are living and witnessing. job cuts, income being slashed, bills piling up, costs rising across the board in all aspects of our lives.

i know you are busy and wrapped up in your problems or concerns and probably even a little scared about what the future will hold. i think we all are to some degree and that really is ok and to a large extent necessary because that means we are human.

we all have dreams we want to achieve and families we want to support or at the very least, we are all searching for something. maybe something better than what we currently have in front of us or something better than what we had in the past.

i want to let you know that whether you feel like it or not, the fact is you are going to be ok - you always have been and always will be. you just need to trust yourself a little bit. i will be talking lots more about this as we get to know each other so don’t worry.

all is well. and in many ways, things are better than they ever have been. i know it does not feel like that or even look like that on the surface. but it is. we just need to change what you are focusing on and how you are interpreting it.

so i have decided to start a blog. maybe this will hit your radar of reading material and maybe it wont. i guess time will tell - but i am not sure that really matters because it is a blog about improvement and change and hope and inspiration and awareness and fear and gratitude and well, it really is just about being a human-being and how to improve yourself.

this blog is for you, your friends, your family, and mine as well. it is for all of us

freedom of choice. that is what i love most about being a human being…we have freedom of choice - and it does not matter where you live or where you are or what you do…the one thing each and every person has is the freedom to choose to think whatever it is they want to think.

my goal is simple: to be your guide to positive change. maybe change in how you think or how you feel or what you think and what you feel. i dont believe in telling you what you need to think or do or feel, i want you to make that choice. again, i am just your guide in this journey.

just like you, i have dreams i want to achieve and goals i want to accomplish and this blog is going to help me to do that because at my core, i am a teacher, an educator and a helper. i would say it is self-less but it really is not because i get a great deal of pleasure from helping people create positive change in their lives. in the end, i really think this blog is going to be about helping each other.

to do this, i plan on shedding some light on what i think about current events and as a teacher and guide, i will offer strategies for you to consider as you work your way through creating positive change in your life.

that is the end of my first post. i will be back tomorrow. the world will determine the direction we go from here - but no matter which way the wind blows…our true course throughout the blog will always be towards creating positive change in our lives.

bye for now.
drdoug