How to Find Your Next Step

So What? Now What?

All of us are trying to keep line of sight on our day-to-day lives and longer term goals. There is no shortage of data, resources, and opinions on how you should be managing your life. We also know that people are more successful when they set goals for themselves.

It is one thing to set goals and another to achieve them. Often we fall short. Consider New Year's Resolutions for a moment. A study from 2019 (before the world went wonky) indicated that January 19th was the day that most resolutions were abandoned. 19 days and people are off the wagon. Sweet. Awesome. Great.

Let’s pause for a moment and focus on what happens when we miss a target. We can feel a variety of emotions (anger, embarrassment, sadness etc.) It stinks to fail. We get that. Yet often we get trapped in the shitty feelings and struggle with what is next. Here is where we want you to embrace the suck and then adapt the? perspective of “So What? Now What?

Let us consider a few examples from the work landscape:?

• Passed over for another applicant from your most recent job interview? So What? Now What??
• Let go from your job? So What? Now What??
• Given a crap assignment at work? So What? Now What??
• Company forcing return to office instead of flexible arrangements? So What? Now What??

The key here is to accept what happened and then take a step forward. All of the above examples can shake your confidence, add more stress, and leave you wondering what to do next. Don’t sugar coat the hurt or numb those feelings. Instead, take the time to sit with discomfort or disappointment. Take a day or two to wallow in misery. Binge TikTok cat videos. Then decide you will take a step forward mentally.?

Some decisions are out of our control. Instead of getting frustrated or focused on what you cannot control, we challenge you to focus on what you can control. We can control our reaction to situations, challenges, and disappointments. We can grab a piece of paper and start writing down all of the possible options we have. This is the key to the “Now What” mindset.?

You always have a choice. It may not be your favorite option, but you always have a choice in your journey. Recognize that something has occurred (good, bad, or ugly) and then figure out what that next step is towards answering the “now what”??

Depending on your response in the “now what” category, it may push you in a different direction than what you planned or reinforce that you want to stay the current course.? You may have never expected to lose your job but it happened. Now you have the opportunity to decide “Now What? Do you stay in the same career field? Take a part time role while you figure out what you want? Reach out to your network to let them know you are looking for a new opportunity? Here is where you regain control by mapping out options.?

We encourage you to embrace this mindset over the next few weeks. This is what drives us at the Resume Rescue to guide our clients through their career journeys.? Most of our clients have a “So What? Now What? story that is bringing them to us. We can help you answer the “Now What” and take a step forward in your journey.? Drop us a line and let us help you.?