Strategy: Forever A Moving Element

So much has changed for so many people over the last six months, that it sometimes seems as if the “good ‘ole days” are nothing but a distant memory, perhaps a dream.  But, you and I most certainly haven’t been dreaming as fog-like as things seem at the moment.

I am encouraged to find quite a number of people who are not letting circumstances get the best of them and are moving forward with their lives. Some are sailing in unchartered waters, having lost a beloved job that they held for many years, perhaps their only position since completing college or high school.

This must be scary times for them as much has changed when it comes to job searching. You might have been a pro at work when it comes to the internet and your personal computer skills, but understanding the whole social connectivity side of it through sites such as LinkedIn and Facebook can be daunting — where to start? What to post? Who really wants to help you v. take advantage of your misfortune?

Job Seekers Group, Not For Me

Quite a few years ago I attended a job seekers group to learn what they were all about and to find, perhaps, a connection that could lead to a job. That was to be my one and only visit as I was overwhelmed by the sheer grief of most of the members. I understood that people were suffering, but I also realized that if I were to return, I might get swept up in the prevailing emotion.

I took sanity and common sense by the horns and never looked back, trusting that the group’s facilitator was the best person to help everyone out.

A Personal Setback & A Change In Strategy

My personal journey recently hit some snags when a favored client halved my work load. Like so many businesses, their sales have dropped making it difficult justifying what I do for them. Thankfully, my work was reduced — not eliminated — with the promise by them to restore the lost work when things improved.

That loss quickly set me into motion, but only after I allowed myself to lick my wounds and reconsider where I was at.  Though I lost some income, I did gain some free time which allowed me to make two important updates to a pair of sites I own, changes which I had put off because of a lack of time.

Making Known My Availability

I also sent out some feelers to other companies in hopes that they have needs not currently being met. One advantage of what I do is that when a company lays off communications staff, they sometimes find that they got carried away with things and no longer have someone on hand to provide the work needed.

This means that I am available for projects and can help see them through whatever challenges they are facing. This strategy can also be good for the person seeking full time work because when the economy does improve, freelancers are sometimes asked to fill available positions.

To Reach Your Goals, Change Your Strategy

When we develop a strategy for the direction we want to move in life, business, or what have you, our plans must be adjusted as often as our circumstances change. Like a moving target our goals can be reached if we remember to move the one important element, our strategy, which brings us to where we want to go.

No doubt our strategies will change often as the year continues to unfold, revealing this hazard or that opportunity that has been set before us.