Renaissance Personalities (RP) – those multi-passionate “scanners” who want it all – can take being stuck to a whole new level.
I’m sure you’ve had times in your life when you felt stuck, not knowing what you wanted to do next, and unable to choose from what feels like millions of options that all look great to you.
Lately, I’ve been noticing how overanalyzing things tend to make matters much worse for my RP “scanner” clients.
I was reminded the other week by a possible client that spending months going back and forth, mulling over these decisions, is not helping.
When I work with clients one-on-one during intensive VIP days, we go in deep together to reap amazing results.
Clarity happens for them, which we follow up by getting into action. Implementing a project, going after a new job takes time.
However, you don’t need months to reach decisions about which direction to go in. Or, what project to take on. Or, what venture to pursue. Not if you’ve already given this some serious thought, did some research, and ended up… stuck.
Here’s the thing: taking action will alter your perspective, which is what you need if you can’t come up with a new insight by thinking about it for weeks – or months. No new information will come to you by just fretting over things.
Taking action will shift this for you. Things may happen that you hadn’t even considered.
As long as you’re not taking action, it’s easy to fall back into that space of stuckness. When you have a new experience, you discover things, and as a result, your ideas change, or you’ll get new ideas. Here are my top three tips for getting unstuck:
1. Realize that the decision you’re trying to make is not one that you will be stuck with for the rest of your life.
Decisions can be reversed, course-corrected on the fly, and turned into something slightly different to make it just right.
When you get that you’re not selecting a career, or a business, for life, at the exclusion of everything else that interests you, will give you breathing space and will relax you enough to actually move forward with an option.
2. Test-drive one of the options you’re considering, whether it’s a new job, new career, or new business.
You shouldn’t jump in with your eyes closed after quitting your job.
Decide to take 30 or 60 days to stick your toes in the water; offer a simple version of what you’d be focusing your business on to some people, shadow someone in the field you want to go into, or volunteer in the area you need experience in if you want to move in this new direction.
3. Pull a Dr. Phill on yourself by looking at what you’ve done so far and asking yourself “How’s that been working for me?”
Obviously, we know the answer (it hasn’t been working), but you need to see this clearly and repeatedly.
Often, clients think they need to do more internet research. Some research is very wise. Too much research, locked into your room, can kill your dreams. You’ll always be able to find proof that what you want to do is not possible, doomed for failure, and simply just a bad idea.
Get out from behind your desk, mingle with people, talk about it, ask for advice, tap into your connections’ network, and commit to three simple steps you can take within the next 30 days to move one of your interests/goals forward.
What can you do differently these coming 30 days that would take you from being stuck to being in action?
Comment on the blog to let me know your action points or if you’ve discovered other ways that helped you to get unstuck!
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Bigstock
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
Bigstock
Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
Bigstock
In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
Bigstock
You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
- How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
- The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
- How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
- The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
- And, a lot more hacks for job search success!
Let us show you the secrets to getting a new, better-paying job you actually love. Sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp today.
Are you ready to land the job of your dreams (and leave the job of your nightmares)?
Read moreShow less