Change The Pattern For Your Work And Life

I had a surreal moment the other day.  Driving locally.

The windows were down halfway. My attempt to cool the car before the AC kicked in.  I was driving at a constant speed when I noticed the parachute and seed from a dandelion hovering in the passenger side of my car.

What I didn’t realize was that this passenger was stuck.

Not in the seat but in the car.  Due to the wind created by the windows being down.

A perfect storm allowed that piece of nature to make three full rotations around me before departing the car. I say surreal because it felt like everything moved in slow motion during the brief moments as the dandelion made its rounds.

As I slowed for a stop light and disrupted the physics, it finally was released out and back on its original path.

I always like to share those little life experiences and share them in a new context.  Because I think we can all relate better with an introduction.

So here’s what I take from this:

Just like that funny dandelion, it is easy to stuck in a pattern in which we can’t escape.  Or we don’t even realize we are in a situation that requires escaping.  For example:

Stuck In Job Search

After kicking off your first strategy to finding a job, you’ve stopped reinventing.  You are no longer adding new connections.  No longer telling your story and sharing your job search objectives with the same passion.  You now resign yourself to attending the same events, meeting the same people and using the same tools as before.

You don’t see that you are stuck because you remain highly active.  Lots of networking events, coffee meetings and e-mail exchanges.  All potentially good activities if completed with purpose and constant re-direction.

Stuck In A Career

One that you never really planned for yourself.  It’s just that one day in your past someone hired you to do something.  And you said “OK”.  And then someone liked your work there and hired you to do something similar at their company.  Many years later, you remember this goal you once had to be someone else.  To work in another field.  And to allow a particular passion of yours to come up for air.  Perhaps to teach or give back to the world in a more direct way.

Your ability to recognize truly being stuck is constrained by the fact that stuck isn’t always “static”.  Moving around, moving up and moving on are forms of “stuck”.  Forms that are hidden by positive feedback, money and accomplishments.

Stuck In Life

A living situation that brings you down, a relationship transition that has no end, or a limiting belief that hangs on and dissipates your energy.  These all hold you back from living a life that you can truly embrace for yourself.

So what I am suggesting you consider today or over the weekend is whether you are stuck.  If not stuck, perhaps stuck in idle.  At a critical time in your life.

A time when pressing the brakes and changing your environment might release something.  Something that could dramatically improve your job search, career or life.

And consider the inter-relationship between the three areas above.  A plan for all and a successful strategy for each can be created and executed.  Starting first with a quick press of the brakes.

I suggested another way to kick this off many months ago.  One that may not seem right for you.  But you might try it anyway. Job search by candlelight was written with the thoughtful job seeker in mind but could apply to your need to quiet the world around you for a few hours.  To let some of your original life or career plans resurface.

Thanks to Joan Ramstedt, one of our approved career experts, for reminding me today of the value in finding some quiet time.

And if you are looking for an example of a hard press on the brakes, check back here on Monday morning for a personal announcement.  A big one.

Photo Credit

More From TimsStrategy

• On The Job Hunt? What’s Your Angle?
• 5 Ways To Build A Stable Career and Life Platform
• Smart Tips For Job Search, Career And Life

TimsStrategy Recommends

• Where Is The Line Between Your Work and Life?  (Career Rocketeer)
• Networking for the Socially Inept, Introverted and Reluctant  (Career Rocketeer)

Ask TimsStrategy To Recommend Your Posts

what	where
job title, keywords or company	city, state or zip jobs by