New Beginnings

So a new year is upon us. For many, its a time of resolutions and new beginnings. To be honest, I
don't make a new year's resolution. I haven't made them in years. I find the idea of making a pledge to do something that I really have no commitment to doing and then feeling less than enough when I don't do it, pointless. But I do like the idea of taking a step back and reflecting upon inward-looking questions like: How am I doing? What does the best version of me look like?  What do I struggle with?

Instead of a resolution, each year I pick a word out of a bag of words. I then reflect upon and look for ways to work on what the word represents throughout the year. My word for 2018 is EXPLORATION. There are so many interesting possibilities with this word.  I do hope one of them is going somewhere new and fun!   🙂

So in the spirit of new beginnings, now is a great time to take a step back and consider how the job search and/or re-entry process is going.  Ask yourself questions like:

• Am I happy with my progress?
• Am I doing everything I can/should be doing to get that job I want?
• How's my attitude? Is the glass half full or half empty?
• How committed am I to doing this?

Have the courage to do a truly honest assessment. It's time for a new approach if you are not happy with your progress. Don't be afraid to do a reset. You can't expect a different result if you are not willing to change your approach. As scary as it may seem, maybe you are looking for the wrong job.   Kim Wilson's post, The Dreaded Question... What do you really want to do?,  offers some thoughts on this topic. Take a health check on your mood. Attitude is such an important piece of this puzzle. The energy you send out affects not only your mood, but your decision making and even others' opinion of you. Reflection and assessing where you are may be really hard and uncomfortable but in the end you will see it was the right thing to do. 

If you haven't done so, reach out to other women also looking to return to the paid workforce. Getting a fresh perspective is always helpful. Not only can they identify with your situation but they can be great sounding boards. Perhaps, even providing inspiration for a new way of approaching your job search, tackling something new at work or managing the many demands on your time and energy.

Whether you make resolutions or not, take some time this month to explore what you are looking to achieve this year and what's the something new you would like to accomplish. And remember, feel free to ask questions or leave a comment here at We've Got This, we are always happy to answer.