We’ve been trying to tackle the subject of landing your dream job by preparing your arsenal with the necessary ammo to be an active soldier in the war for talent. Sometimes, you have to wait a while before you get drafted or called in for duty. This state is commonly known as unemployment!
In today’s post, I will help realize how a state of unemployment is a blessing in disguise. Yes, you heard me right, a blessing! Let’s lay down the facts … when was the last time you had all the time in the world to do anything you ever wanted? As soon as you finished high school, you probably joined university, and that went on for another 4 years to say the least … not once, did you have the opportunity to just step back and look at your life from a new perspective? You were always busy … well now you have all the free time on your hand to do whatever you want.
Remember that backpacking trip across Europe you’ve always wanted to take? Or those cooking lessons your friend told you about? You can finally join your friend in their revitalizing morning runs! How about that book you’ve started one too many times, but never had the time to finish it? Didn’t you always want to learn Italian? There’s so much you can do now that you have time … so stop wasting it wondering when that phone is going to ring. You’re ready to be called in at any given time, but don’t hold your breath waiting … use it to learn, train, and develop!
Here are 3 tips on how to make the best of your unemployment:
1- Develop a Schedule: even with 24 hours, the day might seem awfully short if we don’t organize our time. Not keeping a schedule makes you open to continuous distractions that will occupy your time with nonsense. I’m not asking you to become obsessed with keeping a schedule, but try grouping your day plans in chunks of time. For example, you can decide that you will spend 8 hours sleeping, 4 hours on self development, 2 hours of family time, 2 hours of fitness, 4 hours with friends … guess what, you still have 4 hours to spare! So trust me when I tell you, 24 hours is a whole lot of time, it just depends what you do with it.
2- Make a Commitment: regardless of how you decide to spend divide your time, commit to it. Discipline is key! If you decide you will be spending 4 hours a day developing yourself, be it through reading, classes, mentorship … make sure you stick to it. Remember, the trick here is forming new habits; they need to become part of your routine.
3- Make it Public: the best advice I can give you is make your commitments public. It becomes very similar to a promise you make to the world and have to keep or justify yourself for not keeping.
Make the best of your unemployment; it’s an opportunity to make what you were good at even better. Stop wasting time waiting … and Like I always say, “You Shy, You Die!”
This article was first posted in the closing issue #105 of YOUnique newsletter on September 19, 2013 as part of my monthly column dedicated to help graduates stand out from the crowd and take control of their career legacy.