So I have learnt to associate the intense emotional feeling one gets after the end of a relationship, a job loss and even in the intervals during our lives as temporary i.e. THIS TOO SHALL PASS! For example, going from sixth form/college into university and not getting into your first choice or applying for a new job and not getting any interviews after countless applications. You can’t help but feel unmotivated and down after a while. And this is okay, you are allowed to feel hurt and lack motivation but, what’s NOT OKAY is to remain in this state for a long time for many reasons.

If you find that it’s difficult to move forward, this is when you get up, SIGN YOUR OWN PERMISSION SLIP and start over again.

Let me show you how with some tips. Remember to not resent the wait and be patient.

  1. Develop a plan to seek happiness - this also goes for a relationship or job. For example, if you are looking for a new job whilst you are in your current work, start polishing your CV and applying for external positions even if you think you are "not good enough" or that you won't get the role. In the meantime, you can also ask for further opportunities to progress within your current place of work. Your active approach in wanting to further develop yourself will shift your thought process whilst you wait for the results to come in based on the work you have done. Either way, you have nothing to lose but everything to gain in terms of your professional and personal development which will in turn, keep you happy.
  2. Let go off limiting beliefs - these are traps that can block you from moving forward. For instance your ego and identity can come in the way of the change you want because you are worried about what others will think of you. This makes it hard to leave a certain position and because of that, you stay. You stay because of the what if's and the I might not get paid enough so let me just stay here. I mean this is a fair point but I believe it gets to a point where your needs exceed that of a job title and/or the pay. You also have to somehow learn to detach yourself from a role, a title and a workplace and make it a point to  sometimes take the leap of faith. You'll never know or understand what could come out of an opportunity you allowed your fear to get in the way of. Allow yourself to accept your current state and the past & focus on creating something new FOR YOU and not for anyone else's thoughts.
  3. Start with the end goal in mind - think about what you need for that role or your goal and write down the steps you need to take to get there. Say for instance, you want to apply for a Business and language course, ask yourself what do I need and what can I do to progress before my course start date? You'll find that there are many resources from apps to free digital academies and even better, YOUTUBE videos. With the end goal in mind, the proactive steps you take makes the process much more rewarding and fulfilling because you are working on something. P.S. I always find it helpful making a to-do list and ticking it off the steps to take until I reach my end goal. I cannot lie, this is definitely one of my greatest pleasures - ticking off a to do list!

As an extra tip, I’d say if you can use the “been there, done that attitude”, then go for it. Starting over in this case, won’t be as difficult to do as you have either failed or "been there, done that". So what's one more eeh? Get ready to convince yourself to go back and redo it all over again. What can keep your mind at rest is the experience you would gain from learning again when you go back to start. It's important for you to remember that failure is also a part of growth and just because it doesn’t happen straight away doesn't mean it won’t so keep at your own unique journey and don’t say no to learning something new. Enjoy the process - in my opinion, this is going to make you a better candidate in all aspects of your journey (professional or not), don’t you think?

And yes, yes, yes, I know this isn't as simple as switching your tops for the best fit on a night out BUT, I can’t emphasise enough how adjusting your thought process helps in making this process bearable.

My coping mechanism can be yours too - remember, THIS TOO SHALL PASS!

To finish this off, here’s a poem I wrote for you to accompany this post. I’m excited for your new beginnings and I sincerely hope it’s fruitful and you get the much deserved joy it brings with it.

Thank you for reading.

Love & Light
Amida