Reinventing Yourself In Times of Crisis

Reinventing Yourself In Times of Crisis

 

We can’t always say that life is great because sometimes we are surprised by unexpected events that blow us out of our comfort zones. And with this, most often, we are left thinking about how can we manage our lives like we used to. For some, it may mean the end of the world for them, and so they panic to the point of having a nervous breakdown. But, that should not be how we look at these disruptions in our lives. As we know, nothing in this world is perfect. And to just let all these disruptions control over our lives is absolutely not the way how to handle things.

 

True enough, the pandemic has caused us a lot of uncertainties and had us unprepared psychologically and financially. And the situation is truly threatening, thus we are prompt to behave conservatively. Being a business owner or an employee, reinventing your career may be just too difficult. However, we can just not do anything. There is a pressing need to ensure basic survival, therefore, we must do something than to just be scared and worried.

 

1. Embrace the situation. We do not always have control over situations. Just like how the virus started, every one of us was caught by surprise. So, now that it may be impossible to get back to how things have been (at least, for now) we need to learn to move on and to find ways on how we can get past the “dormant life” that we had while we were in quarantine. Indeed, many individuals have lost their jobs because of the pandemic, but should that inhibit them from living? There are more reasons to live, thus, we need to learn how to let go of the pain that the pandemic has caused us and to move forward by finding another possible source of income.

 

Entrepreneurs may be the last individuals to give up because of their passion and because of the investment that they have made. A few more sacrifices may be needed in order to restore the business that has been affected by the pandemic. This is a perfect example wherein the saying, “never put all your eggs in one basket”. If you have the means to invest in something, never focus all your resources into a single investment. It is always important that you create and maintain an emergency fund. Crisis strikes unexpectedly. And you need to have enough funds that you can immediately have access to.

 

 

2. Develop yourself. You may have certain skills that are helpful to your current career. However, when disruptions occur and prohibit you from pursuing what you used to do, there may be a need for you to divert into other areas so that you are not left in the dark. Again, the world did not crash on you. There may be just a need to do something else to be able to adapt to the current situation. A career change is necessary. It may be a bit messy at first, but if you put your heart in it, it will not be as difficult as you think.

 

Imagine yourself in different “you’s” and futures. Embrace the process the explore as many as you can.

 

 

3. Never allow your brain cells to be stagnant. Always make it a habit to want to learn more. Stepping out of college doesn’t mean you also need to stop learning. Educate yourself by developing new skills, cultivating knowledge, building relationships, and gathering resources until you are equipped enough to explore a new career. Questions which may help you find your new career path:
4. Who am I?
5. Who do I want to become?
6. Where can I best contribute?

When you finally find answers for these, you will be able to learn the difference between fantasy and reality that leads you to do what you really should be doing. Again, your passion has a great effect on which road to choose.

 

4. Reconnect with your “dormant” network. You meet a lot of people because of your previous career. And the reason why you get too close to some of them because you have the same skills and knowledge and that you think the same. Those that you barely talk are the ones you don’t find that you have something in common, but you still bother to keep their cards anyway. Guess what? Those business cards should no longer be sitting at the back of your table drawer getting all caught up with dust and spider webs. It is time that you build better relationships with them because this allows you to learn new things from them, which eventually may be helpful with a current project you are doing or to a planned career change. However, these “dormant” connections may not be as motivated to help you, even if they can be the source of new knowledge and information. Thus, more often, the stronger connections are still likely the people that are relied on because the relationship is built on trust, commitment, and obligation. But in certain studies, it was found out that the advice received from these dormant connections was more valuable compared to those from their active connections.

 

5. Learn to speak up. You may be spending too much time contemplating on so many things. And what you need is a validation if what your thoughts are feasible enough to get you re-started. More often than not, those who simply elude people from knowing one’s thoughts are likely to create a huge mistake. The mind is so powerful. It can trick you depending on your mood. That is why it is better to talk to someone and tell what you think and feel so that you can receive good advice about your dilemma. You need someone that can clarify your thinking and propel you forward. With the current situation we have, it is unlikely that your trusted person could be sitting beside you listening to what you want to share. Technology has gifted us with the mobile phone and online platforms that we can use. Trust me! You will feel so much better having to pour out your heart to someone.

If you truly feel that you need that change to be able to adapt to the “new normal”, there is no better day than today, but you don’t need to go alone. I know that some of you may relate to this article. I am just glad that I can be an instrument to inspire you and to get you going on your road to success amidst the pandemic.

 

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For questions and more information, you may contact Armando “Butz” Bartolome

by email:  [email protected]

FB Page: Butz Bartolome

website: https://www.butzbartolome.com