Persistence, Patience and Planning

There is something to be learned from every experience. Sometimes you learn what to do next time. Sometimes you learn what not to do. Sometimes you learn that you have more options than you thought you had. Sometimes you just gain a better understanding of the world and how people operate within it. I'm trying to take something positive away from every experience whether it is good, bad or indifferent. It may just be a mental note not to buy groceries at 4:00 on a Saturday. It may be much more significant, like giving a child your full attention when s/he talks to you. Whatever you can learn to improve the quality of life is worth learning!

In my classroom over the last few years I posted a sign on the wall:
"People who do not learn from their mistakes are destined to repeat them."
Sure enough, I'm still learning from each new experience. One can only hope I'm learning from my mistakes too!

Persistence
Sometimes you just have to persist even though the obstacles look daunting! The leaves in our yard are a case in point. It seemed like a delightful idea to purchase a house on an acre and a half of property with spacious lawns and many mature trees. At least, until Fall arrived! As you can guess, the result was fairly predictable. This is where planning comes in. (see below)















For the job-hunter, persistence is essential. You may send out a hundred job applications; each one is just one. Each one is one drop of water to fill the bucket. Each one is just another leaf in the pile. With persistence, the leaves are all dealt with. Over time, the bucket gets full.

Planning
Before you make the next major life decision like moving, buying property, changing careers, etc., it's worth spending some serious time mapping out the ramifications and predictable consequences. To keep things honest, try to cover all the realistic likelihoods and possibilities. It may seem like extra or unnecessary effort, but will give you a much more balanced decision. When you're done, go over the plan with someone whose opinion you trust, who will give you an honest, balanced opinion with pros and cons. Another person's perspective is always valuable, and you may hear some new thoughts, ideas and considerations.

Words of advice from someone who has lived the experience: Don't move to a new location with no job lined up and no network of contacts if you still intend to work. You need to have a job lined up or a good network of contacts in place to be successful. Recent statistics indicate that 80% of jobs are never advertised, but simply obtained through your network of contacts.

Patience
It's easy to get sucked into the vortex of commercialism, wanting each new thing that comes along. It's easy to fall for the "instant gratification" of the modern age and miss the good things in life that take a slower approach. Some things are worth waiting for. Some things take time to mature, and can't be rushed.

In the case of the job-hunter, patience is a necessary quality if you are specialized or restricted to one geographical area. Patience is necessary because of uncertain economic times. Patience is necessary because everything takes longer than it should!

Is that all? No, but that's all for this instalment. Stay tuned for more observations from the Quest for a New Life!