New Beginnings/New Year
The first step of the Faremouth Method™—Do a Self-Inventory—and the last step—Be A Hunter—are my two favorite steps of this method. In some ways, they remind me of Janus, the two-headed god of transitions for which the month of January was named. Janus looks back and looks forward, essentially describing what we might be deliberating upon coming up on a new year. The new year has long been associated with a time of making resolutions through the examination of where we have been, fallen off our path, and how we want to improve our situations in the coming new year. While in past years most people might have thought this to be the perfect time for a reset, losing weight, new exercise regime, new relationships, releasing old patterns, etc., the most common denominator for 2021 is that we want to find a new goal, new work, and a new source of income.
As the year 2020 comes to an end, we may be looking back and doing a “self-inventory” to “hunt” for a better experience of living overall, going forward.
Philosophers throughout the ages have said that life is lived in-between the pauses, and every ending is just another beginning. We breathe in and breathe out. The beginning of a new year is the best time to breathe new life into our lives, our projects, and our careers as a guidepost for looking forward and creating something new and better.
The opportune time to analyze what we truly want for ourselves is when something ends, a chapter concludes, a door is closed, or a fragrant smelling candle is snuffed out. In 2020, we have all experienced many types of endings of life as we have known it. The time between now and the new year may be our pause or space to think about how we can plan or investigate a method, that will help us to move forward. As many mindfulness gurus suggest, Eckhart Tolle being one of my favorites, there is something to be said about “The Power of Now.”
The power is really within us to create our own new beginning, to reinvent ourselves into a new happier, version. So much of that experience must first start in our mind and in our thoughts. We must create that vision. Support along our journey to get to our new destination is a welcomed and necessary part of the process. In my new book, Revolutionary Reinvention, coming out this month, I have designed an in-depth method to help you get to your own better career destination whether you have a job or need a new one. It is an opportunity to have a much-needed discussion with ourselves to determine what it is we are looking for and what is the best pathway to get there. We may have found that in the past we have tried one thing or another and hoped that something would last and stick. Now, we have the power to choose what is best for us through goals and determination.
I remember a person I highly respected from many years ago telling me, “you can be inner-directed or outer-directed.” You can let outside events determine your situation, or you can determine your situation by making up your mind to move past it.” That reminds me of what happened to me just yesterday.
I had a full day planned and ready to go when the tire light came on in my car. The tires were only a couple of months old and all four had been replaced at the same time. The best plan of action was to drive to the nearest location to put air in the tire and then drive to the dealer which was about 8-10 miles away where it was under warranty. When I arrived at the place to get air in the tire, there were three people in front of me. I took a deep breath, waited patiently until it was my turn. The attendant graciously added more air than I needed to make sure I could get to my destination safely. I arrived at the dealer where they looked at my account and happily informed me the tire would be replaced for free. They were very busy, and I waited almost two hours for the replacement, but I had brought my work with me and had plenty to do while waiting. Afterwards, I was able to get a car wash which made my car sparkling clean and could go on to complete the duties on my list for that day.
Maybe in a similar way, with all of us having our own metaphorical “flat tires” this year, we need to consider that “inner-directed attitude” to get where we want to go in 2021 to reinvent our life goals and allow all of us to get to a less bumpy ride going forward. Sometimes we must make detours from our intentions but let’s not ignore what we must do during those interruptions to get back on track. In our careers, perhaps that detour is about taking jobs with a different spin that can help us to achieve our goals.
Let’s take an example of a candidate who recently came to me, and by using a few steps outlined in Revolutionary Reinvention, he was able to get to his destination, even with some stops along the way.
I had known this candidate in the past by placing him twice in his career. He was extremely bright, degreed from a very good school, always went the extra mile, and had a varied skill set in the pipeline service industry. He was connected to many professional organizations and associations and frequently networked throughout his career, making acquaintances with people in related industries. He had a solid reputation as a person who “got things done” and could contribute greatly to the bottom line. His many references from previous supervisors demonstrated, in a quantitative way, how he had always surpassed his goals and was the type of a salesperson that people trusted and wanted to buy from. After doing a self-inventory of his skill set, what his transferable skills would be, he decided to have his résumé re-done by a professional to illustrate skills that could be utilized in various industries. He made a list of networking associates who might be valuable contacts going forward. His personal situation was that his wife had a job in a stable company, kids in various sports activities in high school, and elderly parents with some declining health issues. With all those factors figured into the equation, he decided he was better suited for a job that did not require relocation and heavy travel, even if the salary considerations would be less than desirable. His decision was to hunt for opportunities that would best fit his current situation.
He interviewed for three opportunities that were totally different in scope. He decided his best options were thoroughly examined, based on a self-inventory, and his revised hunt occurred because of careful evaluation of his present criteria.
While everyone’s path is different and his techniques and applications worked well for him, we are all on our own personal journey with different goals. By understanding ourselves better we can create a more detailed plan for achieving what we want in 2021 and beyond. It is through that deeper delving that we can devise our own pathway to achievement.
COVID-19 has taught us that relationships may play a bigger part in our decisions about job rather than material or monetary considerations. Our commitments and responsibilities in our relationships and family are a major component in our decisions about our careers and how to turn all those facets into a win-win for everyone.
Just like the God Janus, examine your own self-inventory of the past and your hunt going forward to determine how you can make your 2021 a year of positive efforts. If you need a guide to help you move forward, investigate the steps in Revolutionary Reinvention as your supportive arm in our journey into the new year.
Mary Ann Faremouth has been a regular contributor to the USA Daily Post since April of 2020.
