HOW TO TURN HOLIDAY STRESS INTO SUCCESS

If at the end of every year you find yourself posting on social media about how "this year sucked," it's time to examine the common denominator. For most people the common denominator is work. Toxic and hostile work environments, unappreciated, undervalued, lazy co-workers, stagnant duties and unpleasant managers are just a few of the chief complaints I hear on a regular basis when someone wants to make a change. With family commitments, presents, holiday parties and New Year resolutions on your mind it is easy to sidetrack your immediate future and beyond, but right now is probably the best time to get started. You have been hustling all year and you really want a break - just at the time when the holidays get added on top of all that you normally do. How do you know if you are not just tired but actually burned out?

This is the perfect time of the year to self-reflect on your accomplishments and look towards your future goals. Do you feel like you have not had many accomplishments, or at least as many as you wanted last year? Are your future goals the same as they have been for the past few years?

Sometimes, spending time with friends and family during the holidays allows you to develop a direction that, perhaps you did not see before. The “Big Picture” can become clearer when you have a supportive group helping you to find your way. If you walk back into work after the Christmas break and you look around and you immediately fall back into a depressive state, I believe that it is time to look for greener pastures. Some people will tell you, “The grass isn’t always greener somewhere else.” They are not looking for a new place to work. You are. They are not in your shoes. Only you know what you are going through and only you know where you want to see yourself in one year, five years, or for the rest of your life. Do not rely on opinions from coworkers. Instead be proactive and intuitive.

WHEN DO I GET STARTED?

December is traditionally the slowest month for employers looking for new hires. Just like our own lives, businesses are wrapping up their year as well. Many administrators and managers take some time off and they are not aggressively seeking out employees. This opens the flood gates for January, which has recorded the biggest month for job searches for the last 5 years according to job search websites like Indeed and Monster. So, if job listings and searches peak in January, it might be best to revise your current resume this way you are ready to start applying January 2nd. There will be a lot more competition come January, so your resume really needs to stand out especially when a hiring manager is swarmed with potential candidates.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

For me, personally, when I have been tired or burned out, felt trapped or felt like I didn’t have many options, I look back and realized that I loved what I was doing, but I was either over-committed, unappreciated or in a toxic environment of negative attitudes where passion for my profession was overwhelmed by people that I did not derive joy from working with anymore.

I was trying to be all things to all people, doing the best I possibly could, but never felt like it was enough for my own personal satisfaction.

It was a problem, but a good problem because I knew I had a marketable skill and passion to be the best I could be and excel in my field. I also realized that my profession has many options.

MANAGING YOUR CAREER

Happiness is all about having options. Having options does not necessarily mean you are continuously looking to leave your current job. It means that you should constantly evaluate your situation to see that it's the best it can be and how you can make your situation better. Making it better may mean learning what someone else does and applying it to your current position. It may also involve leaving your current circumstances if necessary.

In managing your career, updating your resume can help your self-esteem if you can show off new and improved skills, professional development, re-certifications, professional memberships, publications, and speaking engagements. The real ego boost comes when the realization of your professional net worth is visible to other employers and they want your skills. You do not have to jump ship immediately. Sometimes, seeing how other people in your profession live, work and deal with different surroundings, helps you to realize that what you actually have is a pretty good situation. This can easily boost your confidence and bring joy to your frayed feelings of being in trapped.

I have had many clients who eventually stay in the same job and I consider that to be as much of a success because they realized they have a good thing going and other companies see they have a great skill set.

Perspective + Options = Happiness.

Do you need perspective on how valuable your skills are to the marketplace?

Do you want to actually learn that there might be something better out there for you?

If you need help getting started with a resume please feel free to PM me, email me at richardfruscione@hotmail.com or check out my Facebook page:

New York Minute Resume

NYMinuteResume for more details or visit my blog at: http://richardfruscione.wixsite.com/newyorkminuteresume