Don’t be discouraged job searching
Don’t lie, you’ve been here before. Hopefully never again because self harm is bad. Speaking generally, of course the process of looking for a job is discouraging. You put in 50 applications to hear back from one. When you finally schedule an interview, you’re competing against a more qualified candidate; you can’t make a mistake and when you don’t, it still doesn’t matter. When you don’t get the offer, you’re “ghosted”. You had high hopes for that one, and suddenly all the new job listings sound boring.
Discouragement is felt or or not felt based on your reactionary perspective of the situation. The picture painted above is a bit negative. Next time you get rejected, find an immediate distraction. We’re reactionary people that tend to feel differently outside of “the moment” than we do while in it. Watch a quick tutorial or a short film to distract yourself, and become inspired again. Look for and apply to a few new jobs right away. In 20 minutes, the bad news is already old news. Reflect on the things you can improve upon in your next interview. Have faith that you’re one step closer to the perfect fit. It doesn’t matter if you’ve already applied to 1,000 jobs, it only takes one application to change everything, and the job market is changing every day with or without you.
It’s also important to think outside the box when on the hunt. Look for jobs in places you don’t think of right away. Ask your network if they know anyone hiring. Search for people on LinkedIn that have the job you want, and research their path. Be open minded with your applications, you’ll never really know if you like a job until you start it, so don’t rule anything out too early. If you’re interested in additional resources and guidance in your job search or career transition, check out some affordable and impactful services I offer at YourStartIn.com. Don’t be a stranger.
Everyone is creative
Whether you think so or not, you are. Creativity isn’t about making a masterpiece. It’s about perspective; thinking the same thing at different moments and settings to gain a new perspective, one that’s unique and true to you. A key for me is writing down my most exciting ideas and revisiting them on a regular basis. This is the easiest way I make progress on an idea, and remember, without progress all ideas are equal.
Think in silence for 5 minutes. Write down your most interesting thoughts. Tomorrow start thinking about them again, but in a new or different way. Rinse and repeat a few times. By now you’ve probably got an image or feeling in your head that you can try to bring to life through your favorite artistic medium. Whether drawing, painting, photography, writing or something else, you’re ready to create something. Save that piece and try to look back on it with a different perspective every time. Challenge yourself to start more projects or collaborate with others. Find a setting that inspires you and keep yourself in it. Don’t forget that unleashing your creativity requires you give a little effort and get a little uncomfortable.
If you’re struggling to come up with your own good ideas, try to stop paying attention to and thinking about other people’s. We often spend more time dissecting the thoughts and ideas of others than we forget how to come up with our own. Force yourself into situations where you’re starting with a truly blank canvas.
The 20 minute rule
I believe, no matter what your situation, you can dedicate 20 minutes per day towards making progress on something that’s important to you. I also believe everyone should start a business at some point; whether your business goes on to change your life, or, you never have a single customer, you’ll learn vital life lessons you can’t get anywhere else. If you spend 20 minutes a day working on starting a business, in a month, you’ll accomplish more as an entrepreneur than 99% will in their lifetime. That is, until everyone starts following the 20 minute rule.
The point is, in order to be exceptional, you always need to be doing something to gain a competitive advantage. 20 minutes a day is the least you can do, however that alone puts you in a special class. Whether you’re looking for a new job, learning a new skill, growing your network, updating your portfolio, or legit starting / growing a business, you’re consistently making more progress towards whatever your “backup plan” is.
You will shock yourself with what you can do with 20 focused minutes a day. Anytime is good, but I recommend in the morning to start your day right. I also recommend putting a basic plan on paper, topping it off with goals, checking in on them regularly, asking others for feedback, and regularly spending time reflecting on what you’ve done and how you can improve.