If job loss has left you feeling defeated, rest assured your dreams can be fulfilled! Here are four solid ways my friend taught me to rebuild my life dream.
Rebuilding Your Life Dream
A dear friend once shared with me that while goal-setting is profitable, dream-building is fulfilling our divine purpose in life. So when was the last time you dreamed about your future? As a job seeker, you may be struggling with a loss of identity, feeling as if your life is over and wondering how you will find purpose again. Dreams are often shattered, mocked, and may seem gone forever. Though job loss can be devastating, it can also give you the opportunity to dream again...to rebuild the dreams you once had.
Here are four solid ways my friend taught me to rebuild my life dream:
- Realize where you are. As challenging as it is, you must take ownership of your current circumstances. Regardless of the reason for your job loss, it is important for you to move beyond the denial, anger, and depression of job loss to accept the fact that you are here…and now it is time to look ahead. It is important to be honest with yourself about this stage in your life, and though you cannot see your next step, you can find solace in knowing that you are here for a reason. Find an opportunity every day to bloom where you are planted. Who can you help? Who can you meet? Where can you go? You can make a difference right where you are.
- Decide where you want to be. This is where your dream-building begins. Now is your opportunity to answer these three questions: Who am I? Where am I going? How do I get there? Begin writing down all of the dreams you have ever had for your future. Which ones have you pushed aside or ignored? Perhaps this is your opportunity to pursue one of those dreams. Have you been working in an industry that interests and excites you? If not, it may be time to transfer your skillsets to a new industry! If you could do anything, and money was not an object, what would it be? Your answer could be the next career step you need to take.
- Look to others. The next step is to look to the wisdom and advice of those in your support system. You need mentors to guide you, friends to hold you accountable, and family members to support you. It is important for you to ask for help at this point in your life, as humbling and challenging as this can be. However, you will be pleasantly surprised at the help your support system provides for you. The feedback of those who care about you most can give you the outside perspective you need at this time. Remember: you cannot navigate the job search process alone. To understand the importance of looking to others, refer to my blog on Building and Strengthening Relationships in the Job Search.
- Take action! Think of today as the first day of the rest of your life. Today is your opportunity to put into action your dreams and the advice of your support system! Start every day with three action steps, and complete the hardest one first. This guarantees you will complete the other two steps. If you start your day without a plan, your day is already unproductive. You cannot wait for a job to come to you, and you must not expect others to complete the steps of your job search for you. Inaction leads nowhere. Action always leads to new activity – and can create a better, brighter future for you and those you love!
It is time to “launch into the deep,” to aim for goals you never thought possible, to fulfill the dreams you have always had. You can rebuild your life dream one day at a time! Your possibilities are endless.
