What do you do if your career takes a hit and you need to bounce back with a positive mindset?

Assessing reality is indeed one of the important factor at all situations in life. At low phases it becomes little difficult to look at reality with nutral perspective. Its difficult, yet it can be a point from where we can start a fresh. Reality Assessment throws light on what might haven't worked so that it would be avoided in future. It allows us to take new paths. One need to remember to assess and accept our emotions as well, so even in low phases 1st be aware and accept that it i okay to feel sad, low and its not a sign of weakness. Rather you are being strong enough to understand and assess the reality. What's important is not to be clingy and set ourselves free of that emotion to embrace new beginning with courage #InnatePower

A Note to Gen-Z: This is not only the time to assess your reality - it is your opportunity to CREATE YOUR NEW REALITY! 

 Take this moment as a breath of air and allow yourself to do nothing for a moment - even if it’s only for a day or two. Then, approach your new search with the perspective of “How can my new job fit into the life I want to live?” Not “How can I fit my life around my job?” We are a generation that values mental health, personal expression, and work-life balance more than ever before. Make sure that as you take all the next steps in your career, that you refocus your energy to YOUR health, YOUR needs, YOUR wants. Get clear on those items, and then proceed.

More often than not you will reflect back on this moment and find it to be the best thing that happened to you. Stay with me... The immediate reality is easily viewed as unwanted upheaval to life as you know it. The emotional rollercoaster that follows can drag you down to the depths of your core and shatter your self confidence. You have found yourself at a fork in the road. One direction takes you toward total collapse, the other leads you to unknown opportunity. Choose opportunity! Take advantage of this moment to search within for what fuels your soul and makes you happy. Learn a new skill, further develop existing skills, search for that next career step where your ethos and goals will be aligned and supported. Happiness over salary

Take a multi-pronged approach when faced with career setbacks. Try to assess what might have gone wrong. Don't play the blame game, but analyze what you could have done differently (if anything). Did organizational/team changes (or conflict) contribute to the situation? Having the ability to be objective about what might have happened becomes critical intel to take the appropriate next steps. Career setbacks happen so be kind to yourself. Consult advisors/trusted colleagues to potentially explore how you might need to grow/evolve...which we all need to do. Consider additional training to enhance your skillset. Lastly, consider working with a professional coach to undergo a more thorough evaluation of where you are vs. where you want to be.

The sub-conscious mind doesn’t understand ‘has’ or ‘has not’. It doesn’t register ‘is’ or ‘is not’. If you think “I’m determined not to be unemployed, and not to become broke”, your sub-conscious hears only “Unemployed” and “Broke”. It will now work in the background (self sabotage) to make that real for you. The exact same thought, but re-framed in the positive, will attract the complete opposite outcome. So “I’m determined to stay employed and wealthy” means the same thing, but with this reframe the sub-conscious hears “Employed” and “Wealthy”. It will now work in the background to keep employment and wealth real for you. Re-framing your predominant thoughts around this issue is an excellent way start to turn things around.

When your career faces a setback, it's crucial to shift your perspective from "The Gap" to "The Gain." (See book by Sullivan/Hardy) Instead of dwelling on what's lost or how far you are from your ideal career point, focus on the progress you've made over time. - Acknowledge Your Growth: Reflect on your journey, acknowledging the experience & growth you've acquired. - Assess and Reset: Evaluate what this setback teaches you. Use it as a learning opportunity to reset your goals with a clearer vision. - Lean Into Your Strengths: Focus on your strengths and how they can guide your next steps. - Stay Open: Be open to new paths that may not have been part of your original plan. - Take Action: Start with small, achievable steps to regain momentum.

Be wary of the 'toxic positivity' trap. Whilst a determined and positive mindset can be useful, it can also be detrimental if not used wisely. When you feel yourself becoming overwhelming or drowning in negativity, dig into why you might be feeling this way... Start with going back to what your trying to achieve. In this case, you want to get your career on back on track. Now consider what behaviours you are doing/not doing that are preventing you from achieving this goal. What competing priorities do you have going on at the moment? And what assumptions are you basing your fears on? Do this and you will be better equiped to find a way forward.

If you embrace challenges, learn from failures, and seek feedback, you can develop resilience and adaptability that will help you bounce back from setbacks in your career.

Another opportunity that can come from a temporary job lapse is that you can pursue desired certifications or training that you didn't have time to pursue and complete with high job demands. Another way to leverage the time to increase your skill base and become even more valuable.

I’m of the opinion that we never stop learning, but then again, I really enjoy learning new things all the time, or expanding on my skillset. Doing so not only enhances your chances of finding new work, or finding pleasure in your existing career; but it also boosts self-worth too.

Staying relevant means continually upgrading my skills. I use the setback to identify areas where I can improve and invest time and effort in honing those skills. This not only makes me more marketable but also boosts my confidence.

Network is NetWorth! One needs to develop and maintain good network qt personal and professional front Be authentic and helpful There need not be agendas in every conversation that we might have. But every conversation may lead to some emotional connection that can be nurtured genuinely for mutual benefits in future!

Networking with the right people can definetely have a postive effect on your mindset. Especialy if those people are the ones you look up to and aspire to be more like. When your career takes a bit of a hit, and you’re feeling low - it can be a great mood lifter to be around positive people, and to network with like minded souls, willing to help and advise. Chances are, they’ve been there too at one time or another, and we all like to help people out of those situations we once found ourselves in.

Consider exploring new job options using the positive people in your network who can contribute to finding your next opportunity or provide advice for landing a new job. Think of those who can provide a reference or valuable information for your interview. Tapping into your LinkedIn network is crucial. Most people enjoy helping others in their job search because it is gratifying and they might need assistance themselves in the future. By helping you they are nurturing a connection that they can use in the future. Doing this in an intelligent way, i.e., reminding where/when you met, what the interaction between you was and what your expectations of them are, makes the interaction easy. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Building and maintaining a solid professional network is essential for career growth. I contact mentors, colleagues, and industry contacts for support, advice, and potential opportunities. Networking helps me stay connected to the industry and opens doors that may not have been visible.

As part of getting clear on your new goals, it’s important to take some time to get clear on your values first. Will the big goal be in alignment with your core values? If yes, break it up into smaller goals, and set to work. If no, do some more digging and brainstorming, to tweak the goal until it comes into alignment with your core values. This will along you to ‘go with the flow’ much more easily, instead of trying to swim against the current (when the goal is out of alignment).

Armed with a clear understanding of my goals and strengths, I developed a strategic plan to navigate my way forward. This plan includes short-term and long-term goals, actionable steps, and timelines. Having a roadmap keeps me focused and motivated during challenging times.

Adopter une routine peut nous donner l'impression de reprendre le contrôle sur notre vie et minimiser les imprévus. Même si cette notion ne s'avère que partiellement vraie, se créer une routine positive va nous permettre de (re)booster notre confiance et notre estime. L'objectif premier d'une routine est de l'appliquer tous les jours. Il existe la théorie des 21 jours : il nous faut 21 jours consécutifs pour intégrer une nouvelle pratique dans nos habitudes quotidiennes. Alors en bousculant notre quotidien aujourd'hui, nous verrons les premiers résultats dans moins d'un mois !

Create a self-care menu by brainstorming activities that make you feel good. Then schedule in time each day to do something on the self-care menu. It could be meditating, learning how to cook a new, healthy recipe, or taking up a new hobby to unlock your creative zen. For career-related routines, read a positive leadership quote each day or commit to reading at least one inspiring story or article related to either your current career or explore other careers if you are thinking of changing. You can habit stack - start by committing to do just one small thing consistently. One it has become a habit, stack another habit on that.

A consistent and positive routine is the foundation of success. I prioritize self-care, including exercise, healthy eating, and adequate rest, to ensure I have the energy and resilience to face challenges head-on. Positive habits such as gratitude journaling or meditation help me maintain a balanced perspective and stay grounded.

Take a break. When your career takes a hit, it can be mentally and physically draining so please take a break and think about what you can be working on. Think about what went wrong and how can you do things differently. Take the time to reflect, breathe and then come back with a plan of action.

Rely on your resources. Take a look at your accomplishments, the people that are still keen on working with you and the impact that can be possible with your participation. It’s going to suck, it did for me, I moped but a good friend of mine, a senior reached out to me and told me something I don’t think I will forget. “Who cares? F*k it and move on, you’re still the same person but now with more experience.” “Look at me, a worse way to look at experience is failures, I’m older than you and have more failures that you, or experience. Does it stop me from pushing?” Wise words from a dear friend I’ll always remember. The sun will always shine again after a sunset. Keep on grinding soldier 🫡