Hurry Up & Wait

Whether you’re just graduating college or years into your career, you’ve probably been told to be patient. That your next opportunity or job is out there, you just have to wait for it. What does it mean to be patient in your career? It can’t be standing still and actually waiting for the next thing. It requires work to get there. Being patient isn’t standing still, it’s an active decision where you spend energy getting ready for something to come.

So how do we be patient?

  1. Set the Direction: As Lewis Carroll said, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Take this time you have to figure out what your next step is that fulfills your goals for your career and the life you’re building. Check out some steps to figuring it out here.
lewis Carroll quote, if you don't know where you're going any road will get you there, inspirational quote
  1. Identify Gaps in Skills & Experience: What skills are you not learning where you are that you might need for what’s next? For example, your next job might require some presentations to board members. You could work on this in a Toastmaster’s Club or with a public speaking coach. You could speak at a university to students interested in a similar career path. It might be a side hustle or a hobby that teaches you a skill or hones one of your strengths. Many times there are ways to move forward but we’ve got tunnel vision and forget to check other options for reaching personal goals in the interim.
  1. Pinpoint What is Making You Anxious: My rule of thumb is to always be working towards something, not running away from something. Is something making you impatient where you are? Is there a way you can alleviate the anxiety in the short term, while you’re working on the next thing? If it’s a tense situation with a co-worker, here’s some ways you can manage it
always be working towards something, never run away, inspirational quote
  1. Distract Yourself: You might feel like you’re standing still at work, but there are ways you’re moving forward in other aspects of your life. Focus on those wins. In 22 Ways to Be More Patient, it states that you have no control over the waiting period, but you do have the option to fill the space with productivity. Fill this time with something that is a good use of your time whether that’s self care or a goal.
  1. Check Your Rearview Mirror: I’m sure you’ve had a time that you felt like you were waiting and the minutes were ticking by as slowly as humanly possible. You got through it before and in hindsight, it wasn’t as bad as it felt while you were in it. In between 2 of my jobs, I was still applying and interviewing. I hadn’t set the next job and spent the three weeks in between stressing about the uncertainty. In hindsight, I could have taken one of those weeks and seen family, traveled or relaxed. A good friend of mine actually told me to make sure to schedule in some relaxing time. I didn’t though because I was so worried. You’ll get through this in between period, you’ve done it before. Make sure you’re balancing the progress to your next step with some self care.
You can do hard things, hindsight is 20/20

Whether you’re in between jobs, waiting for the next position or even changing careers entirely, the space between deciding you need something new and starting that next endeavor can feel like forever. Take that time and fill it with direction, planful growth and relaxation so you’re ready for the next thing when the timing is right.

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