This is a cool article written by a fellow alumnus of Northwestern University. I just thoutht I'd pass it along to you, since many of us are experiencing the down economy!
Carol Ross (McC83, 87) is a career coach and serial entrepreneur who started her first business in the wake of the dotcom bust. She was the breadwinner for a family of four after being laid off from a job with a six-figure salary and became an engineer-turned-coach-turned-entrepreneur. Ross believes that periodic reinvention is at the heart of successful careers, and since her reinvention, she has helped clients navigate negative company cultures, bad managers, downsizing, glass ceilings, and political minefields to come out with their integrity intact and find satisfying and meaningful work. She is certified by The Coaches Training Institute and credentialed by the International Coach Federation.
In this article, Carol shows how to use your time productively in a down economy, so that you come out on the other side with more - more energy, more tools, and more opportunities.
11 Great Things To Do In A Down Economy
by Carol Ross (McC83, 87)
There is a time for everything. When business is slow, budgets are tight, and anxiety is high, what is it the
perfect time for? Read on to find out.
1. Make new connections. Invite someone interesting to coffee. Find a networking event that resonates with you. Create your own gathering. Get on Twitter.
2. Strengthen old connections. Make a list of the people you enjoy. Send a note. Plan a date. Say a kind word.
3. Improve yourself. Learn a new craft or language, using free resources on the Internet or your local library. Subscribe to blogs on topics of interest. Develop mastery in an area you already know something about. Work on fitness.
4. Take stock of what you have. Know what you have in terms of tangible and intangible assets - material goods, relationships, financial assets, skills, talents, experiences.
5. Develop a practice of gratitude. Check out gratefulness.org for a few ideas on how to do this.
6. Quiet your mind. Learn how to meditate or relax so that you can live in the present, not the future or the past. All we have is now. Recommended book: Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.
7. Streamline your lifestyle. What would happen if you fulfilled only your needs instead of your wants? Intentionally focus on the essential few rather than the distracting many and see what happens.
8. Clear out clutter. Fix broken fences. File stacks of papers. Let go of old stories that no longer serve you.
9. Implement a wild idea. Do it, just to see what happens.
10. Feed your imagination. Draw with pastels/crayons/markers. Create a collage. Read some off-the-wall blogs. Rent a movie that you consider unconventional.
11. Look for the opportunity in the current situation, instead of what is lacking. Even in a down economy, there are things that people are willing to invest in if it will eliminate pain, reduce fear, or increase their comfort level. Individuals who thrive in hard times are people who make the most of what they have, develop the best physical, mental and emotional states to create from, and unleash their imagination and passion. These are the ones for which opportunity comes knocking, independent of economic conditions.
Copyright © 2009 by Carol Ross and Associates, LLC. If you enjoyed this article, check out Carol's blog.
Ross known as The Whole Brain Coach. She is former Bell Labs engineer, she helps intelligent, analytical professionals use their creativity and intuition to shape the next chapter of life. In her newest venture, A Bigger Voice, she works with frustrated social entrepreneurs to transform an idea into a sustainable, scalable movement. Find her playing on Twitter (@carolross), YouTube (abiggervoice1), and LinkedIn.
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