When you know it’s time to move on from your current job how prepared are you? Are you ready for the changes you know are inevitable whether leaving your job is your choice or that of your company? It does not matter whether you are dying to leave or are being forced out by a layoff, new boss, reorganization, or job performance, consciously uncoupling from your position means that you are mentally, physically and emotionally prepared to make the break no matter what the circumstance.

Just like the end of any relationship, knowing what your options are and processing your emotions means you are taking the necessary steps to move forward in a new and exciting direction. There are a few things you need to consider before you make the break however in order to make sure you are honoring not only yourself but also the process of making the change itself.

In order to consciously uncouple from your job here are a few things to consider:

1. Analyze It: Making a list of what you are leaving both good and bad will help you sort out the facts of the situation and help you put the move into perspective. Taking an inventory of your successes, accomplishments, likes, dislikes and areas you wish you had worked on is an important part of the analysis. This is not suppose to be an exercise in humility as much as it is a way to put your job in perspective and learn from your successes as well as your mistakes.
2. It’s Not Personal: Honoring your emotions during a process of change is not always an easy task. Wondering where you went wrong or what you could have done different does not serve to help you power through the feelings you may have during your job change. Keeping your emotions in perspective means you are not pointing blame on anyone including yourself and you are managing to objectively look at yourself without making it personal.
3. Let’s Get Physical: Sometimes the best way to process emotions, pent up frustrations and moving through any level of change it to physically get moving. Even if you normally exercise and are diligent about your daily routine, movement could involve more reflective work like yoga, meditation, deep breathing and stretching. The key is to allow your body to help you heal through the process of change and not to rush your movement to get through it. Allow your body to deliver the messages you need to hear when it comes to learning how to move and to process the much needed change you are experiencing.

Making a change in your job, breaking from an existing relationship and learning the necessary life skills to move forward takes time, attention and a level of self-respect that you cannot muster up over night. Going through the process of change does not mean you have to do so in the dark and blindly accept what is happening to you. You have a choice in how you want to accept what is happening to you and you don’t have to feel powerless in the process. You can and should prepare for the next step in your new job relationship whether the choice to uncouple from your job is yours or not.

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We all know stress is not good for you or anyone else for that matter. But what if you could use it for your benefit? What if stress were your friend? If you could harness the energy that comes from the nervous knot in your stomach, you might be able to use it to your advantage when the competition heats up and you need that extra push towards achieving your goal. It’s not enough to look your best on an interview but being on your toes with a little self-directed stress might just do the trick.  When you are fighting your best battle to compete in this job market, using stress may actually help you push towards your goals a bit faster.

Here are a few tips on how to use stress for success:

• Biting Your Nails is a Good Thing? Worry for the sake of worry really is a waste of your time. Whether you bite your nails, pull your hair or have developed any other weird habits, make sure you use your worry in a productive way. Worry can be used to calculate your next move so when you do find yourself worrying, have an end result that is productive other than stubby finger nails.
• Worry ‘Til Your Hair Falls Out  Worry can be used to your advantage, but when you worry about what you are not doing right in your job search it could be your instincts at work trying to provide you with valuable information. Sometimes worry is a warning sign to help you watch out for danger and signal when you need to change direction when things are not working out for you. Instead of pulling your hair out, make sure the falling strands are a sign that you might need to change career direction and to learn to trust your instincts.  Fight or flight is a real sign that things in your career are not the only things you need to change. Being in touch with yourself and trusting your inner voice to guide you is a good way to keep stress at bay and use it to your advantage.
• Who Needs Sleep Anyway  Babies need sleep, people who are recovering from an illness need sleep, but if you find yourself sleeping through your key interview hours, then something else is wrong. Depression is a very real problem when you worry yourself sick over not finding the right job. When you find yourself sleeping too much or maybe not enough use those waking hours to work out your job plan productively and not about why no one wants to hire you.  Sleep deprivation can play havoc on your job health and your stress level.
• Binge Your Way Towards Your Next Job Eating, drinking and having a good time is everyone’s best friend, but staying up all night raiding the refrigerator is not going to help you look any better in your interview suit the next morning. Count your job leads instead of counting calories when you reach for the bag of chips. Learn to focus your attention on building your interview list instead of building what’s on your plate. Bad habits are a sign you could be avoiding what’s really bothering you and not dealing directly with the problem.  Put the fork down and listen to what your body is trying to tell you and don’t be afraid of the answers you might hear.
• Butterflies Are Everywhere The sound of butterfly’s wings might be soothing but when the flutter is in your stomach, it might feel like you are going to be sick. Following the flight of the butterflies can be fanciful but when you let the flutters distract you from your goal, you are going to need to learn how to fly and fly fast. Know that you are going to have nervous feelings from time to time, but make the most out of this adrenalin rush and use the excess energy to work out a fitness plan not just for your body but for your mind and your job search.

It’s okay to stress out a little as you pursue your career goals, just make sure you get back to center and stop indulging in self-pity and worry for no reason. You won’t get a job offer any quicker if you worry your way to the interview.

Looking for a job?  Find us at www.greenlightjobs.com

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We are all given the opportunity to hit the reset button and start over again as each New Year is upon us. No matter where you are in your life there are people or situations you can probably do without if you are truly being honest with yourself. It’s not that you are being asked to throw out everything in life that no longer works. But it is time however to reflect on what you do want in life and make room for the people and situations that truly make your soul sing!

As a guide to get you moving in the right direction, try focusing on and answering these five (5) questions that may help you define your New Years’ Re-Soulution and bring you closer to finding the happiness you seek:

1. What in my life makes me feel sad? Making a list of the people and situations in your life that are “toxic” and cause you stress and harms your soul is a way to start looking more deeply at your life and sorting out the good from the bad. It might take time to come up with a list as you dig deep and are honest with what is happening in your life. It may mean you have to distance yourself from certain people even family members for a while that no longer make you happy. Seeking joyful people and situations is your number one goal in making a meaningful “re-soul-ution” this year.
2. What in my life makes me feel joyful? Focus on what truly makes you joyous whether that includes being more active in nature, or finding more meaningful work or just being around people that make you laugh. Reflecting on those people and places that truly make your heart sing is a way to remain true to who you are and help you more easily eliminate those situations and people that don’t fit that bill. Your main goal in the New Year is to find those things that make you happy and keep repeating those situations as often as you like.
3. What are some action steps I can take to change my life? Creating a plan helps you to formulate some action steps that can change your life for the better. Look at the list of things that make you happy and for each item listed, add one action item that you can incorporate into your life on a more regular basis. If you like being around a certain individual, find a way to connect with that person that allows more quality time. If you enjoy being in outdoors, find a way to add an activity that includes what you most desire in the New Year.
4. What is a reasonable timeline where I can achieve my goals? Setting a reasonable time line to set your goals is part of building your action list. Put dates, times and build a schedule around all the things on your list that you like or want more of and make sure you stick to your timeline. You are in control of how much time you devote to your happiness so by making time for it each day it allows you to focus on the people and activities that bring you joy.
5. How will I measure my success? If you find yourself laughing more, or are less stressed and are truly enjoying where you are in your life and work than you are living the dream and truly walking the talk. Your success is measured by how many laughs you manage in a day and how many times you experience that nervous anticipation of something or someone fun in your life. If you don’t have butterflies at least once a week you are not doing what you love or being around those you love.

Your happiness is your number one goal this coming year and feeding your soul the nourishment it needs no matter how small will make your re-soul-ution more meaningful and joyous for years to come.

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Well there is no getting around the idea of pulling together a plan for the New Year whether you call it a resolution, a wish list or a job makeover. We all need a little motivation sometimes even a big shove to get things moving in the right direction. Procrastination coming out of the holiday haze is to be expected but knowing when it’s time to kick into high gear is your next step if you want to get going on checking off items from your list.

When it comes to figuring out what your job makeover should include, here’s a list of the top things we believe are important considerations when making over any job whether you love it or you hate it:

1. Tweaking Your Hair: Whether you like the way your hair looks or not starting from the top down to get the new you in shape for the new job interview is not a bad idea. Parting your hair a new way, changing the color or going for a drastic cut will help you look at you in a new light and give you the self-confidence to go for something different and more noticeable. Changing your appearance in a positive way helps you feel better about your choices.
2. Changing Your Clothes: A change of jobs is like a change of clothes, it needs to fit right in order for you to feel comfortable. Investing in a good wardrobe even if it’s a new jacket, a pair of shoes or a new dress is a good way to begin the investment in yourself even if you have no intention of accepting a new job offer. Taking pride in your appearance is a good first step in taking pride in what you choose to do for a living.
3. Rewriting Your Resume: You might need to invest in having someone help you to fine tune your resume, but making even minor changes, like changing the font size, or format or including hobbies or new skills you’ve learned will help keep you stay current and ready for when someone does ask to see your credentials.
4. Updating Your Profile: If you are on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Vimeo, or any social networking site that is personal or professional it’s time to take a new look at what you have been posting. Keeping it fresh and professional when you are about to embark on looking for a new job may mean you take down the party photos of you getting trashed at New Years or your wild holiday vacation shots on Instagram. Keeping a consistent, focused and professional image means not just in your persona but in your online profile as well.
5. Contacting Your References: Reconnecting with folks to look for a job is one thing, but what about those forgotten few you list regularly as a reference-when was the last time you reached out to one of them? It’s nice to network but making sure you are connected to the people who worked with you in the past is equally as important. Do they know what you have been up to? What would they say about you now? Keeping your connections current even if you have not worked with someone in awhile is a must if you want a good recommendation.
6. Defining Your Goals: It’s nice to wish for what you want but how many of you actually “ask” for what you want? Being clear on things like work life balance, money, opportunity, commute and office environment BEFORE you accept a job offer will help you from many sleepless nights wondering how you could have been so wrong about making a career change.
7. Being Subtle But Savvy: Telling your closest friends that you are on the job market after several rounds of martinis may have seemed the right thing to do but being quiet and reserved about your job search may be the more savvy approach especially if your friends also happen to be your co-workers. Keeping your cool and adopting a more subtle approach to how you are moving ahead is a smart strategy especially if you are confidentially looking to make a career change.
8. Asking For Help: You may be a very independent person and have no problem making decisions on your own. You may even pride in yourself on your ability to be decisive and smart. However, asking for help every now and again and “putting it out there” to your trusted and confidential network is not a bad strategy when you are thinking about a change and how best to approach any new career opportunities.
9. Being Self-Supportive: Making a career change no matter how subtle is not always easy. You have to be kind not only to the folks you are interviewing with and those that are helping you along the way but you also need to be most kind to yourself. Giving yourself permission to take a break from a rigorous interview schedule does not mean you are a flake or need to give up if you have not landed a job offer in record time. Being your own best ally in your support of change is the best way you can makeover any career even one you love.

You must remember that change no matter how small does not happen over night and for it to really stick you need to maintain a consistent focus on the prize in sight. Your job makeover is most reliant on your ability to change and more importantly to be ready for the change. Timing is everything and forcing yourself when you are not ready mentally or emotionally will not make your progress move any faster.

Your 2015 job makeover is waiting for you to be ready and the changes you will make will be well worth the wait if you stay the course and take one job step at a time.

Looking for a job?  Find us at www.greenlightjobs.com

Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/lisakayeglj

Follow greenlightjobs on Twitter http://twitter.com/greenlightjobs

And, on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/2/abb/50