How to Get (Almost) Everything You Want

I met Sherri, who had been laid off from her job.

“I could use your help branding myself,” she said.

“What kind of job are you looking for?” I asked her.

“I guess a Financial Analyst job,” she said. “I should be able to get a Financial Analyst job pretty easily.”

“Is that the kind of job you had when you got laid off?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “I was a Senior Financial Analyst. I was about to be promoted, too.”

“Okay, great,” I said. “Why do you want to look for Financial Analyst jobs now?”

“Because I’m out of work,” Sarah said. “Beggars can’t be choosers.”

Sarah’s outlook is common. She had the idea that when you get laid off, you can’t expect to get a job like the one you just lost. And forget completely about moving up!

Sarah had the same idea a lot of people have – that somehow by getting laid off she had slipped down in her career path.

That’s not true.

Sarah is just as qualified as she ever was, but like a lot of people (or almost anyone when they lose a lot of their power through a layoff) forgot her qualifications.

She forgot that she has no need to take a step back in her career just because her company decided to reduce its payroll expenses.

I reminded Sarah that she was every bit as capable and marketable as she had been the day before the layoffs came.

Getting laid off is unfortunately common today, and it has nothing to do with you.

Even when employers say their reductions in force are performance-related, it’s not true.

Every one of the people they laid off would still have their job now if the organization hadn’t decided to cut costs. They were not on the verge of being terminated for performance reasons!

Layoffs have nothing to do with performance.

Sarah Got Her Power Back

Sarah got the message. “I was so discouraged about getting laid off that I felt like damaged goods,” she said.

She went after Senior Financial Analyst jobs and Portfolio Manager jobs and got a new job that she liked more than the one she had lost.

What did Sarah do to get the job she wanted?

She changed her resume somewhat, but more importantly she shifted her outlook.

She gave herself the time and space to Get Altitude? on her career and her life.

She remembered her amazing career history and all the people she had helped.

She remembered that she doesn’t need every hiring manager in the world to like her, approve of her background or appreciate the way she thinks.

She only needed one hiring manager to resonate at her frequency – and she had the right to be choosy about who that one hiring manager would be!

We Can All Get Altitude?

We all have the opportunity to do what Sarah did and to get more of what we want and deserve.

We all have the opportunity to shift our mindset.

Sarah Got Altitude? as a job candidate.

She reflected on her career history and accomplishments. She ?remembered that she’s an incredible contributor and has no need to lower her expectations just because she got laid off.

You can shift your mindset as an employee, too.

You can take charge of your career and look at your job as one assignment in your brilliant career.

Then you can ask yourself, “What do I want to learn, accomplish and accumulate in this assignment?”

Every so often, it’s a great idea to Get Altitude? and think about what you want from your life and career – over the short and long term.

You are amazing and have no reason to settle, now or ever.

Reflection Brings Clarity

When you reflect on what you want, you may realize that it’s time to advocate for yourself at work and set boundaries.

It may be scary to speak your truth at work but when you do, you’ll shift the energy in a good way.

We only get stronger by stepping through fear, over and over again.

Maybe when you reflect on what you want, you’ll see that your job is no longer the best place to invest your time and talents.

Or maybe you’ll decide that your job is fantastic but that you need to start your own side business, too – a company of your own to launch now and grow over time.

The exploration starts with the question, “What do I want?”

You can get almost everything you want. You can design the life and career you deserve and step into them, little by little or all at once.

Giving yourself permission to identify and ask for what you want is the first step.

How to Get Altitude?

This weekend, get out your journal or any notebook you like to write in. Choose a comfortable pen to write with.

Pick a cozy spot for reflection in your home or somewhere else, and give yourself half an hour.

Now ask yourself, “What do I want?”

Write about the question and your thoughts.

Don’t censor yourself.

Write about the life you envision for yourself.

Don’t put a timeline on it or start making plans – the first step is to allow your vision to take shape.

That’s a monumental step!

Altitude Changes Your Perspective

From a high altitude, obstacles that look huge on the ground become very small. Goals that seem lofty and impractical from ground level start to feel possible, then likely and eventually inevitable, at altitude!

It starts with the vision you allow yourself to create.

Maybe you want to change careers. Get a clear picture in your head of what that new career path would look like and feel like. Write about it. How would your life improve if you had a better job?

Maybe you want to start your own business. Write about what your business will give you that you don’t get from your life today. What will it be like to have 100% control over your business, and make all the important decisions?

Envision the future you want.

That’s the first step in getting (almost) everything you could ask for!

If you could use a guide to territory in your job search or career exploration, check out my Career Coach Directory!

If you’d like to brainstorm with me about becoming a coach or consultant, reach me here!

Human Workplace Sponsor

Welcome to Human Workplace Sponsor Guayaki, makers of delicious Guayaki Yerba Mate!

Guayakí Yerba Mate

(Including my favorite flavor, Enlighten Mint.)

Here’s the link to find Guayaki products in your area.