Sir Robinson advises that your answer will help you determine your element, a happy place where you tend to lose track of time. 
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A lady I admire, Faith James, asks you to think about what gets you out of bed on a cold rainy Saturday morning.

​Warning! You may not be able to find your major element or passion that easily. Your aim at this point is to find a goal and explore it. Think about it!

Stop!

Check in!

How do you feel about these smaller tasks?
Do you look forward to accomplishing them?
Are they manageable?

Your responses to these questions are crucial. They will determine whether you will weather the grind and the failures that come before success.

What are you waiting for?

There’s no time like the present to get ahead.

​Design. Launch. Weather!!!

If you write it down, you can make it happen - S. Jonekos

It seems that the one of the golden rules to realizing your dream is to write it down.

Yes! Ideally on a piece of paper that you can post somewhere in your house; bedroom, kitchen, living room or any other room you hang out. Using your phone to store your dream also works. However, you have to find a way to envision this dream on a regular basis such as, by receiving daily reminders. A reminder phrase that one of my clients used that may come in handy for you, ‘How is that dream going?’

​Which phrase would you use?

How does this work?

Experts say that there is a certain power that connects writing down dreams to achieving them. Researchers found that you are more likely to achieve your goals if you write them down and have them visible to you. Scientists build on this and expand it further by talking about certain neurological effects that lead you to realizing your dream. 

Fulfilling your dream education or career goals require writing them down. You see your goals somewhere (wherever you decide to plant them) and you will be challenged to work on them. You start thinking what will it take for you to attain this far reaching dream.

​You need an execution plan!!

In the career development field, we call it a Career Action Plan, CAP.

CAP includes the steps or actions that you take to make your dream a reality.

Once you envision the big picture, you create baby steps that you are comfortable to follow. The steps can be consecutive, sequential or as one of my clients preferred to name them ‘My Chronological Steps’, such as, steps 1, 2, 3...They can also be parallel or concurrent which means that two or three steps can be happening at the same time. An example would be combining one research step to comprise google search, networking, and informational interviews.

​How you design your CAP is up to you.

If you dream big, you have to incorporate some actions that may seem difficult. This entails getting out of your comfort zone. The good news is that by designing your own CAP, you get to decide how much to stretch your comfort zone. This may mean that fulfilling your dream will take a little bit longer.

Know your limits, but definitely don’t be scared to take a chance on what initially seems difficult and to leave your fears behind. However, remember that if you push yourself too much out of your comfort zone, you may be tempted to quit.

​Find a balance.

Another important tip that may not be obvious when you hear about other your friends’ successes is: Be prepared to fail.

​Disappointments and setbacks must be a given. Allow yourself an OOPS moment (check out blog post for more detail), take a deep breath and get back to your CAP. This is part of growth development; you come out stronger, ready to achieve your current CAP and eager to take on future CAPs.

Those feelings of success and accomplishment are waiting for you!

What does your dream look like?

​What will you write down? What will you do?

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.
A. Einstein

A Strange New World (P. Kane) is here and yes it goes beyond the pandemic: 

• 4th industrial revolution – 2015
• Pandemic woes – 2019
• The Great Resignation – 2021
• Age of Uncertainty - 2022 

 
The 4th industrial revolution put many in a mad panic worried that their jobs will be taken over by the robots. These anxious thoughts remain for many.
 
The pandemic of 2019 quickly changed your life in 2020. Who knew? 

• Schools closed; grade-12 students missed out on the whole grad experience
• Universities locked down; students did not know whether to stay on campus or rush home
• Economies shattered; employees sent home for good
• Hospitals challenged; frontline workers stretched to the limit

The pandemic is clearly not over and the pandemic effects of social distancing and wearing a mask are unmistakably visible everywhere you go. 
​
The Great Resignation started in the summer of 2021 and it is still ongoing. Many who did not choose to resign are challenging it, calling it the great termination. Regardless of what you decide to call it, it is being seen by many as an opportunity for a mindset shift, causing them to question their own desires and priorities. 

​UNCERTAINTY is the word going through everyone’s mind today. I find myself using the phrase ‘wait and see’ a lot more often than I used to in the past.

Yet, despite of all the above, you find yourself looking for a job. 
​
What can you do? In the words of the famous Einstein...You just have to “keep moving”.

​In this age of uncertainty self-care is very important. Whatever transitional situation you are in, your focus should be on your mental health. These are tough times and you must strive to remain positive.
​ 
If you are not sure how to stay motivated, read my blog, “Stressed? Go on! Start with the first big inhale”. Readers tell me it helps.

​Moving forward is the most common and paramount advice. As long as you are moving, no matter how slow, you will not fall into the “I am feeling stuck” mode. Think of it as staying productively busy!
​ 
This mental state of being constructively engaged in your job search will help you reach your goal of finding a job.

Here are some suggestions for you to reflect on and be productively active in search of employment:

• What would your ideal job look like?
• What does your ideal employer do for a living?
• Which company’s mission matches your calling?
• How do you define your future role?
• Where do you find yourself so productively occupied that time seems to fly?
• When you look at your resume, do you like what you see?

These questions are meant to increase your personal awareness.
 
Can you think of other questions that are relevant to your particular situation?

​Write them down and explore the answers.

​Your responses clarify the type of job you are seeking. They lead you to customize your resume and produce creative cover letters that describe who you truly are. They provide the key to your interview preparation.
 
More importantly, they build self-awareness so that you can move confidently knowing who you are and what you are pursuing.
 
NOW is the time to move. Do not wait too long! Your opportunity is waiting for you. 

​All you have to do is reach out and grab it promptly.