Money doesn't buy happiness. But complaining about being broke doesn't pay the rent or make you any happier either. In my newest book, The Bounce Back Book, I give many resiliency psychology techniques to help folks thrive in the face of adversity. Below are some free tips from my book -- as well as some new tips -- all of which will help to further ensure that you remain as RECESSION-PROOF as possible during these challenging times.
1. The whole of world history is cyclical: Boom, overconfidence, complacency, mini-collapse, recovery, then upward to boom again (or so we always hope). What goes for the Rise and Fall of Civilizations can also go for the rise and fall of YOU and Your Career -- if you're not careful. And so if you want to protect yourself from A Rise and Fall In Your Career, you must make sure that you avoid becoming overly-confident and overly-complacent. Become known in your industry as the "150% person" - the person who always goes above and beyond.
2. Don't think about yourself as having a specific job. Think about yourself as someone who solves the needs and fears of today's customers. Recognize: If you have skillsets which solve needs and fears, you will make money. Keep asking yourself: How does your presence, talent, time, and energy contribute to your company's growth? Recognize: Extra money comes to those who know how to solve problems for a profit. The bigger the problems you solve, the bigger the money you earn. The higher your "remarkable-ility" the higher your marketability!
3. Subscribe to Craigslist job listing feeds. Use searches which match positions you're interested in -- which will not only give you leads for jobs, but simultaneously help you keep up to date on which skills you need to amp up on -- and which jobs are in an upward versus downward trend.
4. Use compelling language so you stand out in a hoi polloi. (Note: Hoi polloi means "crowd" -- but hoi polloi is far more compelling language!) Brain researchers say that the way neurolinguistic programming of human memory works - if you use unusual language, you have more of a chance of being listened to while you're speaking -- and remembered after you've spoken. In other words, too many employees talk about "needing to optimize the personal brand identity yadda yadda yawn!" Start to pepper up your office-speak, and that pesky hoi polloi will have nothing on you!
5. Don't let fear become inter-fear and thereby stop you from doing your best work, because you're to too anxious to be smart, innovative and productive. To help you cut back on fear, cut back on your media exposure. Limit how much you take in -- especially right before bedtime. Studies show people sleep better when they have less news intake late at night. Also, keep in mind that the media knows "Fear sells!" Nothing increases viewers and readers like a good disaster story. So don't buy everything the media is selling and telling.
6. Stop asking depressing questions. You will only get depressing answers. For example, it does no good to ask yourself: "Why didn't I...? What if...? Why me?" Would you accept some of the mean questions you ask yourself if they came from an outside source? Doubtful! So you have to "stop 'em and swap 'em" for questions that bounce you upward: What can I do to move forward? How can I grow from this challenge? What's within my control to change?
Karen Salmansohn is the best selling author of many books - her newest being "The Bounce Back Book" - with a red rubber cover on the outside, and inside resiliency psychology techniques to help you thrive in the face of adversity, setbacks and losses. For more info, click here.
ARE YOU RECESSION-PROOF is an ongoing series of articles. Keep a look out next week for more resliency psychology and business tips to help you thrive in today's challenging times.
Follow Karen Salmansohn on Twitter: www.twitter.com/notsalmon
Should I drive a big SUV or an economical smaller car?
Should I pay down my mortgage or play the stock market (or worse yet, play at the casino)?
Should I get a skill, or go to college, or get a job for a quick buck?
Should I have a baby as a teenager, or wait until I'm a little older, wiser, and better off?
That's why it drives me crazy when folks say "the hoi polloi." It's like saying "the les [whatever]" . Two "the's."
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/10/12/a-nickle-for-bread-but-no-one-has-a-nickle/