New beginnings
Three members of my family are about to embark on new beginnings. My niece just moved into her first non-college apartment and is starting her first professional job for an international engineering firm. Similarly, our third child will graduate tomorrow with a master's in accounting and information systems from Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!), move to DC, and start as an auditor with Deloitte in late summer. Finally, my husband will be starting a job with a local community bank and for the first time, will have a 15-minute commute. Are new beginnings just one-off situations or can you take one new beginning and trigger other opportunities, adventures, or changes? Definitely!
If you are starting a new position, is there a way that you want to show up for that new job differently than your last? Perhaps you are getting promoted and have some new leadership ideas that you want to try. Maybe, there was something you did not experience with a past supervisor that left a void. Now is the time to take the experience and use it as part of your leadership toolbox. Some examples might include writing thank-you notes to front-line staff for a job well done or remembering your direct reports with a card on their birthday. It might be starting a mentoring program for the group that you are now leading. It can be big or little but don’t be afraid to put into practice what you have been dreaming about!
A new job may also be an opportunity to start afresh with your communication, assertiveness, and relationship skills, to name a few. Everyone can improve in what is sometimes called “soft skills” and by doing so, be more effective in achieving their personal and team goals. Well-developed soft skills allow you to persuade peers and others who you don’t directly influence to get on board with a project. They also allow you to remain cool and focused during a crisis while still considering the feelings of those who are working through the crisis with you. There are many tools available to identify and develop an action plan for improvement in these areas. I can personally attest to EQ-I 2.0 which I have used. Now is the time to invest in your improvement to achieve amazing results in your new position!
Finally, it may be that a new beginning might just spur you on in other areas of your life. It is a time to reassess your routines and maybe change things up to allow you to be a more well-rounded and satisfied person. How can you use the time gained from a shorter commute or no commute to enrich your life? Maybe with the new job, you can break the cycle of long work hours allowing you to begin volunteering at a local organization or maybe join a golf league. What have you been wanting to do but haven’t? Now is the time to do it!
Your new beginning might be moving to a new town, starting a new relationship, or getting your first dog. Whatever it is, don’t stop there. Let that one new beginning be the ripple in the middle of the pond.
Do you want someone to think through these new beginnings with you? I am available! Schedule a 45-minute free discovery session via my website.