How find your breakthrough when it feels impossible

How find your breakthrough when it feels impossibleHow find your breakthrough when it feels impossibleMaybe you find yourself in a rut that doesnt show any sign of ending anytime soon. Maybe its been this way for quite a long time. Helpless. Hopeless. Discouraged and without direction for what to do next. It can get easy to start wishing for some miracle to come. When things arent going our way, the worst thing we can do is lose hope. The worst thing we can do is give up.The most common trait of the worlds most successful people is perseverance - the wherewithal to keep going for a cause they believe in. Across entrepreneurs, artists, soldiers, singers, athletes and businesswomen and men, the ability to never give up, continue pressing forward and doing so with belief and hope is the most powerful way to live a free life on your terms.So many of us find ourselves at different points in our lives in a mental paralysis. We freeze-up. We dont know what to do or why it seems bad things continue to happen to us. This leads to inaction, indecision and worst of all, a blanketing fear that keeps us stuck in neutral. Ive found in my own life after Ive overcome failure and adversity, that its truly better to take small steps backward than it is to stay stuck right where you are.This mental paralysis is fueled by emotions like fear and worry, though anxiety and doubt also play their part. It becomes easy to start pointing the proverbial finger at ourselves, which further pushes us into doubting our purpose in life. I talk a lot about values and purpose for a reason. Because when everything around us seems to be negative and going wrong, we need a foundation to turn back to for hope, confidence and direction.When you set your mind on living a life you can truly be proud of, as well as setting achievable goals, youre on the pathway to success. When the ruts of life come and misery seems unavoidable, youre able to remind yourself of the good times and the promise of the fut ure thats to come.I share the story today that some of you may already know, of a hero whose heart, perseverance and grit are unmatched in history. The story of this mans life is one of remarkable perseverance that carried him from near-death experiences to remarkable breakthroughs that shaped his destiny. If you dont know about Louis Zamperini, youre in for quite the journey.The story of Louis ZamperiniPerseverance is bedrngnis a long race it is many short races one after the other. - Walter ElliotLeft for dead. Starving. Dehydrated. A long, long way from home. Even from dry land. Welcome to the life of Louis Zamperini in the summer of 1943. Laura Hillenbrands brilliant book, Unbroken, is the true story of this American Olympic and World War II hero.The book describes the remarkable courage and perseverance he showed throughout his life.Zamperini was born into a family of Italian immigrants in Olean, New York, in 1917. The family later relocated to Torrance, California, just south of Los Angeles. From a very young age, Zamperini had to fight for everything he had. He and his brother were the targets of bullies, largely because they did not speak English. He grew up angry and defensive, getting in fights in his neighborhood and vigorously defending himself.He also grew up in a very competitive athletic environment which gave him the outlet he needed to shine. He became a track star and later ran in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. He appeared destined to become a world champion someday. Instead, he chose to serve his country.Following the crash of his bomber plane over the Pacific Ocean in May of 1943, Zamperini had to fight to stay alive. Literally. Zamperini fended off death at every turn. He was nearly eaten by sharks. He fought back with his bare hands and preserved his life, as well as the lives of his fellow soldiers. He caught fish with makeshift equipment, gaining the necessary sustenance just to stay alive.Emergency actions and by any means necessary sur vival tactics became an every-minute way of life for Zamperini. He was a fighter. He refused to give up or give in to anything. His fight would continue for over two years.He was stranded at sea for 47 days on a raft and survived. Then, he became a prisoner of war in several Japanese camps until the end of the war in achter monat des jahres of 1945. He survived and won his freedom.Louis Zamperini survived unfathomable conditions and barbaric torture during his days as a POW. He refused to give in to defeat. He had been a competitor and fighter his entire life. He had dreams of continuing his track career following the war. He wanted to build a life filled with competitive pursuits and exciting business ventures.Starvation and dehydration somehow evaded him. He survived life on the raft. He suffered dehumanization, humiliation, and mental and physical torture in the prisoner camps. Despite all this, Zamperini would not give up or surrender his will to anyone or anything.The mans will power was indestructible. Combined with his belief that he would survive, Zamperini showed the remarkable power of the human spirit. Even in the midst of unimaginable horrors, he was able to persevere and make it out of the war alive.Keep goingThe path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it. - Kalpana ChawlaFor some, maybe this is an extreme example. But we use extremes as the baseline to help us define what is and isnt possible. Surviving mental, physical and emotional horrors? Zamperini proved that no conditions were too harsh. When the power of our human spirit is operating at its peak, we can take on any challenge.Maybe youve found yourself needing to change careers. Maybe youre just trying to survive the loss of a family member or loved one. Ive found myself in both predicaments recently. At times it can feel like our world is caving in. Yet theres always a light at the end of the tu nnel.Youre surely familiar with the concept of reinventing yourself. Id encourage you to reinvent your thinking. Reinvent the way you respond emotionally to the stimuli, actions and events in your life. You can always choose to be positive. You always have the power of faith and the mental and emotional capacity to hope that your situation will get better.When you believe that it will - it will. The universe has an amazing way of letting us know were on the right track when we steel our mind to stay positive and keep going. Faith alone will not get you there. You have to want it and not let any outside circumstances deter you. Let adversity and defeat become your best friend.You truly grow the most out of the toughest times. Youre best prepared to emerge from these challenging moments when you refuse to compromise with lifes roadblocks. If youre willing to power forward, change course where needed and find comfort in the uncertain, you will live a life that offers you great abundan ce and happiness, perhaps beyond your wildest dreams.Find your wayJoin my newsletterand check out my book,The Value of You. This will give you inspiration to start planning for success on your journey.Thisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.

How to Follow Up Throughout Your Job Search - Resumonk Blog

How to Follow Up Throughout Your Job Search - Resumonk BlogHow to Follow Up Throughout Your Job Search Youve spent a lot of effort job hunting. Youve sent out your resumes, and prepared for the interviews after that. And yet, all you get in return are crickets. Makes you want to pull your hair out, doesnt it?Unfortunately, if job hunting is a full-time job, waiting is part of the duties and responsibilities. If you want to follow up on your job application without appearing rude, annoying or desperate, heres what you need to keep in mind.How to Stay on Top of Your Job SearchFirst, a few general pointers for conducting an efficient and thorough follow-up on your job search.Check the job ad for anything along the lines of Dont call us, well call you or Please do leid follow up. If employers tell you not to do something, dont do it. Nothing irks them more than applicants who think theyre above following simple instructions.Give them a reasonable amount of time to respond. Thisll be expl ained in more detail later, but suffice to say that following up an hour after an interview isnt a good idea.Assume the recruiter doesnt remember you. Theyprocess hundreds of applications a day, and even if youre a standout candidate, its totenstill likely theyll forget to give you feedback for one reason or another. A few other tips Show enthusiasm. Write something like Im really excited to join ABC Company, which is why Im following up on the status of my application. You dont have to flatter them. Just show youre taking the position seriously.Add value. Give them a reason to smack their heads and say Oh snap I shouldve replied to this applicant sooner after reading your follow-up email. For example, if youre bold enough, you can outline ideas that can help solve their existing problems once youre on board. But if you want to play it safe, just let them know youre available to help move the hiring process forward.Write a good subject line. Recruiters are busy people, so they want to know what your emails all about as soon as it shows up in their inbox.Be straight to the point yet polite. Tell them what you want within the first two paragraphs, but take care not to sound too harsh. If in doubt, read your email aloud and ask yourself how youd feel as a recipient of that email.Remember to say thank you. Again, recruiters are busy people, and theyre appreciative of anyone who realizes the amount of effort they have to put into their jobs.Scenario 1 After You ApplyIts been weeks since you sent out your resume, and you havent received a single phone call. You want to follow up, but youre worried your follow-up message will get lost in the void too. So how do you handle that? First, research the companys average response time to applications. If it takes a month or so to reply, thats how long you should wait. If youre not sure, wait at least two weeks before you send your follow-up email.If they dont respond to your first follow-up email, wait two more weeks before sending another one. And if you still dontget a reply, its safe to assume theyre not interested and you should concentrate your energies on another job. If you applied online via a system such as Taleo, send your email to the person in HR whos most likely to process your application. Otherwise, look for the generic recruitment address like emailprotected or emailprotected. Use a subject line such as Re Application for (insert position here).Heres a sample follow-up email you could send Hello,I applied for the position of Blogger at Chotto Corporation on22ndMay, 2017. Im really excited to join the company, so Im reaching out to you to follow up on my application.Id love to learn more details about the position if youre still searching for a candidate. Ive been blogging for a decade, which has taught me how to adapt my style according to the requirements of each project. Here is the link to my portfolio example.comIf you like, I can write a test post so you can get a feel for my writ ing and decide whether its a fit for your company. Thank you for your time, and I hope to hear from you soon.Regards, (your name)Scenario 2 After Your Initial vorstellungsgesprchYouve seen all the signs an employer loves you. Every time you do so little as open your mouth, the interviewer cant help but crinkle their eyes. Youre confident youve nailed the job and the company will be reaching for the phone to schedule a second/final interview with you. And yet, you hear nothing. What gives? Take a deep breath and Stay calm. Its possible that Replying to (Your Name) got buried under your interviewers to-do list.Wait a day or two after the date they said theyd call you back. If they didnt specify a date during the interview, or you forgot to ask, give it a week or so.Write a subject line such as Thanks for the interview last week and send the followingHello Mr. Calderon,Thank you for interviewing me for the Blogger position. You had said Id be notified about my status by 2ndJune, so I w anted to drop a note and see if you needed anything further from me. Id be happy to provide anything to help you move the hiring process forward. Thank you again, (your name) Scenario 3 After Your Next/Final InterviewYouve already come this far. And youve impressed your interviewers with your charm, wit and competence. Youve even sent post-interview thank you notes. Still, the waiting times giving you the heebie-jeebies.Luckily, these tips can help you ease your anxietiesAgain, stay calm. Any desperation you feel might bleed into your follow-up email if youre not careful. Take a deep breath before you do anything.Wait at least two days after the interviewers Call You Back date. If youre not sure about the date, give it a week.Write a subject line such as, Pleasure to Learn More About (Company Name)Hello Ms. Acosta,Hope you are well. I enjoyed learning more about the company, as well as the Blogger role. Im really excited about the possibility of joining Chotto and helping you achiev e the goals we talked about during the (nth) interview. Im happy to provideany more information you may need, as you make your decision. Thanks so much for your time, and I hope to hear from you soon.Regards, (your name)Lets face it Waiting is the most excruciating part of job hunting. Theres a strong temptation to wallow in all the reasons why theyre not calling you back yet. But if you want your waiting time to be productive, your application to get results and your potenzial employer to know youre dead-serious about landing a position in their company, following up is your best option. In the meantime, happy job hunting, and give us a nudge in the comments if you have any thoughts about this post.p.s. Resumonk helps you create a beautiful rsum cover letter in minutes. Stand out from the crowd and multiply yourchances of landing your dream job. Check it out now.

How to stay calm during the first few weeks of your new job

How to stay calm during the first few weeks of your new jobHow to stay calm during the first few weeks of your new jobIts completely normal to feel like youve been thrown into a sink or swim situation during your first few weeks in a new position - especially when its super stressful. Its not just about getting through the first day.Heres how to handle whatever emotions come your way.Make aya you know whats expected of youThis way, youll know how you should be spending your time. Instead of aimlessly wondering what your boss thinks or how they expect you to handle your assignments, you can figure out solutions instead.Dont panic. Get clear on your managers expectations by setting up a one-on-one meeting or briefly dropping by their office.Plan it outErin Greenawald, a content strategist, editor, and freelance writer, provides tips in The Muse for when youre feeling overwhelmed at work. One of them is to take action take time to plan, which could definitely work during your first hec tic weeks at a new job.Even just writing down what needs to get done anddeciding what order youre going to tackle it incan be pretty powerful. Why? It takes all the things flying madly around your head and puts them into an actionable list. It makes you stop having to think about how youre going to do your work, and lets you just think about doing it, she writes.So stop panicking for a minute. Breathe. Then pull out a piece of paper and dump every task you have in your mind onto it. And prioritize them,Greenawaldadds. Then, instead of jumping from task to task, youll know exactly what youre focusing on now and what youll focus on next. Its not wasting time - its making the rest of your time more efficient.Dont assume youll remember it all - take notesRobin Reshwan, a professional development coach, Certified Professional Rsum Writer (CPRW) and founder and president of CS Advising and Collegial Services, provides tips for your anfangsbuchstabe weeks at a new position in U.S. News World Report.A new job has lots of new things to think about and do. Each time your manager, mentor or colleague explains a new process, procedure or request, write down the key components, she suggests. Also, make sure you clarify what is being asked and the timeline for completion. It is also helpful to ask what you should do if something does not go as planned.Get centered with your favorite podcast or musicThis is sure to throw you right back into your element - especially when youre stressed.Listening to music that helps you focus, or the sounds of your favorite podcast at your desk, are great ways to decompress when you feel like theres too much on your plate.But you can also listen as you walk.Giving yourself time to focus on yourself and whats going on around you as you walk through the streets can be really freeing.