When you feel like all else has failed, and you are not sure which if any choices are available to you it’s easy to loose your job footing. The balance between what you want and what you have seems treacherous and you think about all of the ways you can and will fail at your job. Everyone fails. It’s the way of the world and yes, there are always lessons to learn no matter how unlikely and painful the process seems. You are not always going to fail. You will find your footing even if you think like you’ll be hobbling all the way to your next job offer.

Yes when you least expect it, yes when the stars align, yes when mercury is not in retrograde and yes when you’ve got nothing else to loose. These are the times that test your resolve and really see what you are made of. It’s like the Universe is working overtime in any way possible to make the choices or work situations you are dealing with any more stressful but some days you are just not sure if there is a higher power working against you? When you feel like it’s impossible and the offers are just not coming fast enough or not coming in at all that’s when you’ve got to power through like no other force inside you as if nothing can ever hold you back. That does not mean you have to wait for a reply from the thousands of resumes you’ve sent out or check your email and texts to see if anyone is listening. This is when sitting around waiting for the phone to ring is not your best option.

Finding your footing means balancing against what feels most uncomfortable for you even when that means taking a job that might not thrill you or sticking to a job that has no where to go. Pushing through what’s painful builds resolve and tests your ability to really get clear and focused on what it is you really and truly want. Some people have it easy and know from the time they were born what they will be when they grow up. Most of us however, have no clue and have either fallen into it by accident, luck or impeccable timing.

Just because you are where you are does not mean that you will forever be stuck in the quicksand of your miserable job. Finding your way out of the sinking sand means you are willing to do whatever it takes to pull yourself up and out of your dire situation. Some people propel themselves into greatness under extreme circumstances when life leaves them no other choice. Others, cling to the success of those around them hoping that someone will eventually throw them a safety rope to climb out of their sinking hole. Whatever your situation knowing that you are the only one who can balance your work situation one foot and one step at a time even if you are not great at the balancing act means you will find your footing and land on both feet.

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In a world filled with smart phones, tablets, watches and eye gear all able to transport you into a different situation and distract you from your goals, how do you even attempt to get focused? When it comes to your job, or trying to do it anyway, digital distractions are not the promise of an easier, smarter and technology savvy tomorrow. Your technology may actually be contributing to your inability to do or find the work you want.

When we become so reliant on texting, email and any form of messaging we lose a little in the art of communication every day. It’s not that our thumbs are any less important than our tongue, but when we lose the method by which we show up for a job interview or even for work, we lose a part of who we are in the process. Being able to look someone in the eye, engage in a conversation and listen all play an important part in how successfully you are able to get your message across even if that means you are pitching a new sales plan or going for a job interview.

You are what you type and you are what you say. If you are not allowed enough situational opportunities to communicate effectively, like everything else you don’t use you will undoubtedly lose. Putting down the iPad to converse, using the phone instead of email or messaging are ways to help you remain engaged when you would like nothing better to do than to hide behind the digital toys imagining a world where you can multi-task your way to success. Finding the right ways to communicate does not mean you have to give up on technology all together.

Understanding that it takes focus and your attention to stay engaged means you are consciously aware of when you are relying too much on your gadgets and less on your innate communication skills. Try going for one day with out texting or emailing. Could you do it? What if you were to go back to the old fashioned way of actually picking up a phone and making a call without relying on the “LOL” abbreviations to say how you really feel?

When it comes to your work you may have fallen into what seems like socially acceptable means to communicate with your co-workers or even with your future boss. Knowing how to form a sentence, speak intelligently and to deliver a message using your thoughts and words is not a lost art, it is the only way to articulate what you truly want and to make a good impression on someone you may want a job from someday. The next time you are tempted to text or email instead of calling someone even if it’s to follow up on an interview, try picking up the phone and at least leave a message. See how that alien practice makes you feel and what result you get if you actually do connect with someone live. Leave the digital distractions behind you and remember how to have a real conversation with an actual person and not a hologram-it’s actually fun.

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We may all imagine that it’s nice to be somewhere else or to be someone else even if it’s for a little while. It seemed to work for “Cinderella” when she pretends to be the princess she eventually becomes. There is nothing wrong in living and acting in a state of denial as long as you don’t live well above your means as you follow your delusion. Fantasy or fiction, sometimes pretending a life you really want even working in a job you often dream of is the way to get you a little closer to living out your dream for real.

You may heard of the expression, “fake it until you make it” but there may actually be some truth to that when it comes to figuring out how to get what you want from your career. It’s not like you have to play dress up and go into the office disguised as your boss or someone you want to emulate in order to get ahead. But there may be some truth to acting as if you got that promotion, landed that hot assignment or just generally are where you want to be in your career. You may think living in your fantasy world will only distract you from obtaining your real job goals. But faking it until you make it may be the little incentive you need in order to keep you focused and alert to new and exciting opportunities.

We all want to work for a winner. Acting like a winner is one way to garner the support and encouragement of others even if deep down inside you don’t feel you deserve it. It’s okay to have self-doubt from time to time but allowing those feelings to keep you from your goals and the job you truly want is what may halt your career dead in its tracks. When you motivate yourself by believing in what you want and that nothing or no one will stand in the way you are on the road to success whether you like it or not. Living in a world that is abundant with opportunities gives you encouragement and enthusiasm even if you are still trying to figure it all out.

I’m not suggesting you lie on your resume or fabricate how much money you make in order to impress your friends and co-workers. But believing that you can accomplish large scale projects, stretching yourself beyond even your wildest imagination will help you gain the respect and moreover the confidence you need in order to finally push through to getting the job or promotion you really want. It’s very hard to go after what you want when you live under the stress and strain of your everyday life and the pressures of working in a job you hate. Pretending to love what you have while you search for what you want opens you up to new opportunities and develops you in ways that you may have never imagined. So next time some one tells you denial is a river in Egypt, ask them when the next boat takes off and hop on for the ride of your life.

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We have all felt shackled to our job at one point or another whether we were physically handcuffed to a desk or just compelled to answer those texts or emails from the boss at 2am. No matter how you define your “Fifty Shades Of Grey,” being bound to your job like a hostage negotiating your way out of captivity is not the way you should embrace your career aspirations under any circumstances.

There are times in everyone’s career where you have felt the tight ropes of bondage take hold no matter how much you say you love what you are doing and you are “satisfied.” You could be suffering from “job abuse” the way some may experience “battered wife syndrome” and you may not know how to get out from under your own captivity. Your job is not meant to be a prison sentence but for some the abuse you may experience has become as common as the same route you take to work. Just because you feel bound to a job that crushes you does not mean you can’t get out at anytime. You may not feel like there are choices and options available to you but no amount of bondage is worth the sacrifice of a paycheck.

Job bondage may come in many forms from the boss who has no boundaries and expects you to be his or her shrink, confidante, house keeper, baby-sitter, pet walker and general go-to person from the person who decides to have an all staff meeting just as you are sitting down for Sunday dinner with the family. You may feel like you have no options but to comply but setting clear boundaries when it’s imposing on your personal time should not only be a priority but a requirement of your working conditions.

You may think well that might work for some but not for me since I’m in a leadership role and must answer to a higher power. Well if you don’t lead by example, even your bosses won’t know where to draw the line! You can easily become your own prison guard if even you don’t know when to say, “No!” Knowing when enough is enough should not force you to quit your job but instead to set clear and direct expectations when it comes to what you are willing to do or not do when it comes to your working relationships.

We all want to please and when we work for someone who is in a higher position of power we feel like there are no other options but to do as one is told. You may not have the luxury of a self-directed work schedule or self-employment but when it comes to setting reasonable expectations you are the master of your own destiny no matter how many bosses you have. Not being taken advantage of even in your work environment does not mean you lack work ethic or integrity, it just means you have your own best interests at heart and know when someone is crossing the line in expecting you to work against the odds. So the next time your boss makes an unreasonable request or assumption, take a breath, smile and politely decline. There is nothing like the feeling of escape from job bondage and being able to hold your head up high and to regain your personal life freedom.

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However you define success one thing is for certain, successful people don’t work hard they work smart.  Just because you power through the day with more work than 10 people can handle, should not be the definition of how successful you think you are.  Keeping the big picture in sight means you don’t allow yourself to become distracted by the small stuff.  Yes, successful people rarely focus on the details and minutia, instead successful people keep their sights focused on the end game and not the play by play.  It may seem hard to know what success may look like when you are so caught up in the day to day, but it’s not just important it’s critical to achieving what you ultimately want.

If you define success by how much you can accomplish in a given day, week or year then you are still focusing on the short-term goal.  As much as it is important to recognize your accomplishments along the way, true success is not achieved unless you can keep your focus towards your long-term goals. So, are you successful?  Do you find yourself caught up in the da-to-day or are you a visionary thinking far into the future?

If you still find you can’t seem to get out of your own way when it comes to thinking big, here are a few things to remember that might help you sort through the small stuff:

1.    Throw Away The To-Do List:  Keeping track of the small stuff is important but not if it keeps you stuck checking off items from your to-do list and losing sight of the big picture.  Focus on your one goal, your top objective and your main reason for getting what you want. Losing sight of this can be the make it or break it when it comes to actually achieving your goals despite the distractions.

2.   Stay Focused: It’s hard to keep calm and move on but try you must if success is your end game. Distractions are going to occur it’s inevitable. Keeping your objectives in your line of sight on a regular basis may not be easy when the phone is ringing, you are getting text messages, and the kids are calling for you. Surrounding yourself with people who are motivated to help you succeed and keep you balanced is essential for you to navigate the day-to-day madness and stay on the road towards success.

3.   Keeping it Real:  Having lofty goals helps you push threw even the hardest of times to get to what you want.  Keeping your goals, action plans and objectives in focus is important but keeping them real and tangible is equally as crucial.  Checking in with trusted sources, keeping your facts straight and recognizing your challenges and opportunities even if they change, helps you understand where you are at all times and makes you able to anticipate a change in strategy if necessary to ensure you are successful.

Determining your success is not an all or nothing proposition.  You can measure your success in small steps but remembering to keep your main goals in line with your daily actions is part of your ability to make sure you achieve what you truly want from your career.

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

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