I don't believe in the phrase: "going back to square one" at all. Nope, not one bit. •••
How can you ever go back to the beginning the same as when you were *actually* at the beginning? Unless you have Hermione's time-turner. ⏱ But even then I'm not convinced. (I'll admit it, the 3rd HP book always gets me in a time-travel muddle ... anyone else orrrr just me?🙋🏼) •••
You're never the same. Sure it can *feel* like you're "back @ square one" if you're comparing yourself to the old you or to others around you. •••
Even if your title has changed, your salary has dropped & you have new stuff to learn, your career & life trajectory are NOT "back @ square one". •••
Because wherever you've come from has shaped you. Whatever you were doing before has mounded you. You have dealt with things that will *only help* you as you move onto new things. •••
Life isn't a straight line, so there isn't even a square one on the graph to go back to. 💁🏼Whatever decisions you make create new situations, new problems. If you painfully exclaim: "GAHHH I'm back @ square 1!" Every time something new happens, you'd never get anything done, ever. And we all know that's not like you.
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Because things change all the time. As much as you like to cling onto familiarity, habits and certainties, things change.all.the.frickin.time. •••
I always remind my clients of this, especially those who are switching up their jobs. It's NOT going back to square 1! It just isn't. •••
That being said I *do* know how hard it is to write an application to meet a completely NEW job description you've never applied to before. •••
I get it. That's why I offer a specific service for people who are changing lanes, switching it up. If that's you & you need help with your application, email me your CV with the subject: "changing lanes", and I can help you successfully take the first step in making a career change. I got you! Email is above 👆🏻if you just need reminding you're not back @ square one, I'm here for that too. ❤️
•••
#mindset #mindsetiseverything #personaldevelopment #goals #career #careergoals #jobs #jobsearch #careerchange #careergirldaily #cv #resumewriter #resumedesign #growth #growthmindset
I took this photo last night before going out with some friends. I was a little bit nervous since a) it was the first of many goodbyes to come, b) we hadn't seen them in so long & c) they only speak Chinese, so it'd be a test of if/how much I've progressed in the language. 🤔Buttttt of course the night was amazing, jam packed full of weird & delicious food. 😋It got me thinking of all the things I'm grateful for & learned while living here in Guiyang, China. Because it's definitely not been an easy going couple of years here, but there are *always* important takeaways, here are my five, what are yours? Comment below. 👇🏻
✨✨✨---
1️⃣Living in my first (&2nd) apartment together with Jeff & navigating our first year of marriage in a crazy place.
2️⃣Learning a new language & being immersed in a whole different culture.
3️⃣Struggling to understand said culture but learning how to be myself within it.
4️⃣ Meeting wonderful people from all over the world & making some *truly* special friends.
5️⃣Seeing so many beautiful places in this massive country as well as exploring countries nearby. ---
#grateful #listoffive #goodbyes #china #guiyang #reflection #insight #thankful #explore #travel #wanderlust #growthmindset #growth #personaldevelopment #mindsetiseverything
You might not know this about me, but I’ve been to known to worry about how people view me. Trying to control how you are perceived is a part of being a recovering-perfectionist.
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Here in China, reputation, 面子 (mian zi; meaning face), is a hugeeeeeee deal. Often decisions are made based on how it will look to other people, rather than whether it's actually productive.
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Because I’ve been faced with this challenge, (pun intended 😉), I’ve learnt how this plays out on an individual level.
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Recently I’ve felt lonely in this endeavor to put ego in check. It seems every time I gain a win, the universe (okay … the culture here in Guiyang), levels up. It can feel as if I'm going crazy!
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Let me give you an example. My work place recently decided to *not* allow teachers to give feedback directly to the parents. They’re worried it “looks bad” if the TA’s don’t translate our meaning correctly. 🔹
But isn’t it *more important* the parents know their kid’s progress & how to improve, rather than the TA “losing face”, from an incorrect translation? Isn’t the TA more likely to improve their English when allowed to make mistakes & learn?
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When I realized how detrimental it was to try to manage other’s reactions to what we say & do, I found giving priority to ego & reputation *only* gets in the way.
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I don’t want to live a stifled life, never allowed to make a single mistake. I don’t want to dilute myself & my ideas. Saying yes to everything, but never agreeing with anything.
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So I decided to ask myself this question: “Am I keeping the main thing, the main thing?” This helped me to figure out if I was getting distracted making decisions based on what other people may or may not think.
🔹 ➡ Are you focusing on what’s important & keeping your values in alignment? Or are you letting the niggling anxiety of how people might react, stop you from doing something different?
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Because all you’re *really* in control of is your own emotionality. It’s not your job to manage people’s responses to what you’re doing. You can’t control what people will think of you anyway. And really, it's a waste of your energy worrying about it.
