Looking to Get Back on Track
The holiday period which has just past can be a wonderful time of the year for many. It gives one a chance to reconnect with family members not often seen during the year, or receive greetings from friends with whom you don’t frequently correspond. Some either have vacation days to use from their work schedule, or perhaps their company closes down for the last week of the year. Pace becomes slower, at least for a few days, and schedules are often put aside.
However, the balance for this time of reconnection, is the likelihood of being easily distracted. I know that I have found myself looking to reset myself in terms of a schedule that makes sense in terms of meeting client needs, with a desire to pursue learning opportunities to which I have committed myself, to following up on promises I have made to others to keep. I realize I am not the only one that experiences these feelings. And, while for those who have a job with some structure where schedules are dictated by the calendar, the clock, a boss laying out tasks or whatever, the person who runs their own business is pretty much the “chief everything officer” of their life.
One of the biggest challenges I find those who suddenly find themselves either out of a job, finishing up a school semester or even joyfully retiring from work no longer satisfying to them face, is the responsibility of setting their own schedule and structuring their day. I noticed attendance at the job search support groups I facilitate and offer my services down significantly these last few weeks. While in some instances this was because of individuals happily finding jobs, or in other cases perhaps taking on seasonal employment, several others just “wanted a break” from the search itself and being around “those in search who can be so negative.”
I know I am not immune to such feelings as I indicated above. To get me past such moments, some of the things I have looked to do now that the Christmas holiday has passed are some of the following:
a.) Get my focus going again by developing my blog writings and monthly newsletter
b.) Scheduling meetings with clients if they ask to speak or meet with me
c.) Reviewing where I left off with activities involving my clients by checking my notes, and noting where I indicated I would provide supporting documentation for their job search
d.) Attempting to stay on as regular a schedule as possible as I would do in weeks before the holiday. That includes getting up and going to bed as close to usual as possible, reviewing my calendar to determine which items are best done while I am home by my computer versus determining which ones may be more conducive to wait to be done when I am scheduled to be in a remote location.
Slowly but surely I sense myself getting back to the way I usually conduct myself. I must admit that I like what I do in my day to day life. To build structure into a schedule where one does not like what they do, or are not sure what they want to do next can be very difficult. However, if you find that the recent holiday has left you out of sync, realize you are not alone. Take the chance to assess what it is you regularly do, or believe you should be doing, and get moving in the right direction even if it takes doing so one simple step or activity at a time.
