Pity City

I once had a manager who told clients "You can visit Pity City, but you can't live there!" Great advise for job transitioners. It's really easy to get into the pity mode and spread bad karma to everyone else. Here are two exercises to keep you out of Pity City:

Take an afternoon and go somewhere quiet. Write down all the things you don't want to do i.e. boring work, working with stupid people, etc. Write as many items as you can think of in 30 minutes. Once you've completed this exercise look at each entry carefully and prioritize your top 10. This will help you see what you really don't want in your next position. This exercise will also help you eliminate feelings around those things you don't want in your career. Once you're written down the gripes, you feel lighter.

Now take 30 minutes and write down all the things you want in your next job. Think about every possible situation and person who make the job perfect. Notice how you feel while you're completing this exercise. Writing about position situations and the way you want your workplace to be give your more energy and you become more positive.

Pity City drags you down. The less time you spent there the better.