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Bounce Back Stronger: Constructive Ways to Recover After Job Loss

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There’s no way of getting around it: losing a job can be a jarring experience. It doesn’t matter whether you were laid off from budget cuts, forced into “retirement” due to a company merger (like I was), or simply fired. It all hurts the same. It’s not just the loss of income, but it’s also a blow to your confidence and self-worth. On top of all that, you may feel like the clock is ticking on your finances and you need to find another job pronto–all while feeling like you’ve had your legs kicked out from under you.

I get it. But let’s put this in perspective. You’re not the first person to lose a job, and you certainly won’t be the last. In fact, there’s no guarantee that this won’t happen to you again at some point in the future. It happens. The key to bouncing back after this is the choices you make now. So let’s talk a bit about how to process your current situation so you can recover and start looking at the next chapter of your career.

Dealing with the Emotional Impact

I’m going to make a suggestion here that may seem counterintuitive, especially if you’re feeling financial pressure–but it’s a necessary first step to regaining your confidence:

Before you launch into a new job search, give yourself a minute to heal.

Trust me on this. You’re dealing with some negative feelings, and you’ve got to deal with these feelings before you throw yourself back into the job hunt. Why? Because if you’re feeling low and doubting yourself, it’s going to make finding a new job harder. It can mess with your motivation, cloud your decisions, and even trip you up in interviews.

I’m simplifying this a little for the sake of brevity, but I see recovering from job loss as a two-step process:

STEP ONE: Let yourself grieve.

Job loss is just that: a LOSS. It’s not as profound as the loss of a loved one, say, but it’s a loss just the same. It’s natural to grieve a loss–in fact, it’s essential. So allow yourself to grieve. Let yourself feel all those emotions, then start working through them. Journal, talk it through with friends and family, or even see a therapist, if necessary. There aren’t any rules here–whatever works for you and helps you process the grief.

STEP TWO: Realign your perspective.

Remember, losing your job doesn’t mean you’ve failed or that you’re not good enough. You’re still the same talented, capable person you were before. These things happen; it’s not always a reflection of your abilities or value as an employee. If mistakes were made, don’t beat yourself up over them–just learn from them. Begin to reflect on your skills, your talents, and your positive qualities. If necessary, get in front of the mirror and start speaking positive things to yourself. (Yes, out loud.) Remember who you are and what you can bring to the table. It may seem forced at first, but with a little time, these exercises will help you regain your confidence so you can get back out there.

Practical Steps towards Recovery

Once you’ve had time to process emotionally, it’s time to get practical. Here are some steps to help you regain control of your career destiny:

  • Review your finances: Assess your financial situation and create a budget. This can help alleviate some stress and give you a clear picture of how long you can comfortably look for a job.
  • Update your resume: Make sure your resume is up-to-date and reflects all your skills and experiences. Consider hiring a professional resume writer if you’re unsure about how to present your credentials effectively.
  • Reach out to your network: Reach out to your contacts — friends, former colleagues, mentors. Let them know you’re looking for new opportunities. Don’t forget about networking events and online platforms like LinkedIn.
  • Upskill: Use this time to learn new skills or improve existing ones. There are many free or low-cost online courses available in almost every field.
  • Practice self-care: Exercise regularly, eat healthy, find a mindfulness practice you’re comfortable with, and ensure you’re getting enough sleep. This will not only help manage stress but also ensure you’re at your best when opportunities come along.

Staying Motivated in Your Job Search

Job hunting can sometimes be a long and, at times, discouraging process. Here are some tips to stay motivated:

  • Set daily or weekly goals. This could be as simple as applying to a certain number of jobs per day or spending a set amount of time on your job search.
  • Celebrate small wins. Got a call back? Landed an interview? Celebrate these small victories. They’re signs of progress!
  • Stay positive. Keep reinforcing those positive messages to yourself. Remember, rejection is a part of the process, not a reflection of your worth.

Losing a job can be tough, but it’s not the end of your career. With the right approach and mindset, you can turn this setback into an opportunity for growth. As always, I’m here to help you take the next steps toward the job or career you’re dreaming of. To schedule a free, no-obligation consultation, just click here to access my calendar.

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New Year, New Career (Part 2: Taking a Personal Inventory for Career Success)

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If you’re like most people, once you’ve made the decision to embark on a whole new career, the first emotion you feel may be one of excitement and hope…followed quickly by a sense of terror. What have I done? you ask yourself. What am I doing?

Sound familiar?

Relax. (I know…easier said than done.) This is probably going to be stressful, but the emotions you’re feeling are completely natural. Making a major career change is certainly daunting. The best way to get past this feeling is to start making a plan. And that begins with what I call taking a personal inventory. With this process, you’re going to do some internal work to discover your “personal assets”–exploring your skills, your passions, and your motivations so that you can reimagine how these assets can fit into a new career. (Note: this step is primarily for people who have left their current job or are planning to do so, but they don’t really know what they want to do next. If you already have a good idea about your next career and why you’re making the change, this blog will be informative, but not essential. You’ve already done this work.)

Ready? Here we go…

List Your Strengths

The first thing to do with a personal inventory is to compile a list your strengths. Here are a few questions to ask yourself and get you thinking:

  • What are your known talents?
  • What are your acquired skills?
  • What do you consider your personality strengths?
  • What successes at your previous jobs are you most proud of?
  • How do you uniquely solve problems or come up with creative solutions?

Think about what makes you unique and stand out from other working professionals. Consider any experiences or skills you have that could be valuable in the workplace. For example, if you’re seeking a leadership role, list any experiences you’ve had in the past that demonstrate your ability to lead teams. If you don’t have much experience in the area yet, think about soft skills like communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking that could be beneficial in any role.

At this point, don’t downplay anything. Every skill and talent matters! Writing down a thorough list of your strengths will help to create the basis for finding a new career.

List Your Passions

While the previous step focuses on what you can do, this next step focuses on what you want to do. Among the talents and skills you listed in the previous step, do any stand out as something you love to do more than the others?

Your passions are just as important as your strengths when taking an inventory of yourself, and possibly even more so. What drives and motivates you? What topics do you find interesting? List anything that comes to mind—even if it seems far-fetched at first—as these can highlight potential industries or roles that may be right for you. You may even find unexpected connections between passions and potential career paths once everything is laid out on paper.

Find Your “Why”

This one is going to take some work, and it may not come overnight…but it’s well worth the effort. With this step, you’re going to review your passions and strengths and try to narrow things down even further to find your core motivation–the thing that gets you up in the morning, so to speak.

Your “why.”

I’ve talked about this before, but it especially bears repeating in the context of finding a new career path. Most people know what they do, but they don’t know why they do it. Finding your “why” is key to identifying a career path that you love, one that you’re going to stick with–one that feels more like a life calling than a job. For this step, I recommend re-reading this blog post, as well as working your way through Simon Sinek’s books Start with Why and Find Your Why. Doing this work should start pointing you in the direction of a career path that is more aligned with your “why.” (For many people, it also shows them why they weren’t happy in their previous career.)

View Your Personal Assets in a New Light

Once you have listed your talents and passions, and once you’ve at least begun the process of finding your “why,” it’s time to take a fresh look at these personal assets. Ask yourself why these qualities matter to you, both personally and professionally. Why do they make sense within the context of a certain industry or job function? This is where things get really interesting–because you’ll likely begin to see options for how these abilities and motivations can fit into a new and different career that you perhaps never even thought of. (I often use myself as a personal example here: when I made my career change, I discovered that the passions and skills that fueled my decades-long career in human resources would serve me even better in my current role as a career coach!)

Believe it or not, once you get through these steps, you’ll already be well on your way to discovering a new career for yourself. In the upcoming blog posts in this series, we’ll go through some more practical steps for setting yourself up for your new career. In the meantime, this process can be challenging, and it’s typically much easier when you have someone to help guide you through the steps. If you’d like to explore the option of getting some career coaching, that’s what I’m here for. Just click here to access my calendar and set up a free 30-minute initial consultation.

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New Year, New Career (Part 1: Navigating a Major Career Change)

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As we enter a brand-new year, many of us naturally take stock of where we are in our career path. If you’re between jobs but you love what you do, finding the job you want is really just about finding the right opening and positioning yourself as the best person for that job. But what if you are looking for something completely different?

What if your New Year’s goal was “Launch a whole new career?”

I’m not going to lie: changing careers is not an easy prospect. (If it were, everyone would be changing careers at the drop of a hat.) It requires courage, and a bit of moxie, to make a major life choice to leave one career path for another. But if you are dissatisfied in life and ready for change, it can also be one of the most exciting and rewarding decisions you’ll ever make.

That being said, making a successful career transition requires more than just closing your eyes and leaping of the metaphorical cliff. It takes careful planning and consideration to pull this off well, examining all the angles before diving headfirst into something completely new. We’ll cover the following steps more in detail in upcoming blogs, but just as an overview…if you’re looking to make a radical career change this year, here are some tips on how to do it right. 

Take a Personal Inventory

If you already know what you want to do for a new career and why you want to do it, you can probably skim over this step. But if you are fuzzy about the details or you don’t really know what your next move is going to be, this first step is absolutely critical.

No matter how different you think your new career will be from your old job, there will be at least one common denominator between them: YOU. Your skills, your passion, your point of view–these will all follow you into the next career and inform your choices. That’s why any time you’re considering a career transition, the best place to start is by understanding your current skill set and how it can be applied elsewhere. Take a step back and look at yourself objectively—what marketable skills have you acquired over the years that could help you in another career? What are your strengths? What are your talents? What are you passionate about? What makes you tick? (Reviewing my blog on “What Is Your Why?” may be helpful here.) Almost any new career you launch will involve a reimagining of your current gifts, talents, and passions–you’ll just be using them in a different way. This analysis will give you important insight into which jobs may be best suited for your abilities and interests. 

Make a Plan for Training & Education 

Once you’ve got an idea of what your desired career path is going to be, you may need additional education or training. Research degree programs and certifications, look into online courses, or consider taking classes at your local community college or university. Make sure that whatever program or courses you choose will match up with what employers are looking for in the field that interests you most. If you’re aiming for a specific position, pay attention to the job description—it will give you a good idea as to what classes you need to take or what credentials you need in order to qualify for the job. You’ll also want to investigate whether there are any additional steps you need to take (such as passing exams or getting professionally licensed) before launching into job applications. 

Network and Build Connections 

Networking is essential when making any kind of career shift — even more so when making such a drastic move between industries or job roles. Leverage your existing contacts as well as professional associations related to the industry you want to move into; this could include attending conferences or seminars or getting involved with related groups on LinkedIn or other social media outlets. In addition to providing helpful information about potential opportunities, networking is also important because it helps build relationships, and those connections can prove invaluable down the line.  

As exciting as it may be to consider heading in a whole new direction career-wise, let’s face it: a career shift is a major change, and change can be scary. But the key to navigating this change, as I’ve said over and over to my clients, is to have courage and make a plan. Change is inevitable; fear is optional. Being proactive in your approach to a career change will help you have more control, and therefore less fear. That’s why I always say, “Change happens: take control!”

Whether you’re just looking for a new job or navigating a major career change, if you want some support, someone to help guide you through the process, that’s why I’m here. Start the new year off right with the coaching you need so you can land the job you want. Just click here to access my calendar and set up a free 30-minute initial consultation.

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6 Ways to Know When It’s Time for a Career Change

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We keep talking about the so-called “Great Resignation” taking place in America right now–millions of people leaving their jobs in the wake of the pandemic to look for something more fulfilling. But that doesn’t mean a career change is right for everyone, nor does it mean you should jump on the “Great Resignation” bandwagon just because you’re craving adventure. Life change is serious business, after all.

So how do you know when it’s time to “take the leap” and start seriously thinking about changing jobs or careers? Here are six important telltale signs to look for in your life.

1. You’re Chronically Unhappy at Work (and Maybe Off Work, Too)

At the risk of being Captain Obvious here, your “happiness meter” is a huge barometer as to whether you’re at the right job. Now, realistically, we all have good days and bad days at work…but if all the work days are bad ones, and you’re at the point that you dread getting out of bed on work days, then it’s safe to say you’re unhappy at your job. This can be a source of stress that can even make you cranky off-the-job, too. If you’re becoming increasingly unpleasant during your days off because you’re dreading your next work day, then your job has become an emotional liability in your life, and it may be time to look at something new.

2. You Feel Bored and Unfulfilled at Your Job

If you’re going to spend at least five-sevenths of your week doing something, it should be at least somewhat fulfilling and rewarding. If you’re unmotivated and uninterested in your day-to-day tasks, or if you’re doing your work mindlessly, it’s a strong sign that it might be time to re-think your career. A lack of fulfillment at work can quickly lead to feelings of resentment, so it’s important to take steps to change your situation before those feelings fester.

3. Your Job is Making You Sick…Literally

This one is a bit more serious, but if your job is causing you physical stress and making you sick, it’s definitely time to start looking for a new line of work. Stress can manifest in all sorts of physical ways, from headaches and nausea to stomach issues and difficulty sleeping. If you find that your job is regularly making you physically ill, it’s a sign that your body is telling you it’s time for a change.

4. You’re “Living for the Weekend”

This is a classic American trope, and it affects so many of us that we write songs about it. But that doesn’t mean it’s right or healthy. If you’re spending the majority of your time focused on the two days a week that you don’t have to work, that means five-sevenths of your life is effectively being wasted right now on stuff that doesn’t really matter to you. If you find that you’re only able to enjoy your life outside of work, and that your work week is just a long, slow slog until you can finally enjoy your time off again, it’s a sign that your job isn’t giving you what you need.

5. You’ve Reached the Growth Ceiling at Your Job

This is a common issue, especially in larger corporations. You start at the bottom, you work your way up, and suddenly…you hit a wall. You’re no longer being challenged, you’re not learning anything new, you’re getting overlooked for promotions, or there’s simply nowhere else to go in the company. Now, if you’re happy at your position and you don’t feel the need to move up, that’s fine–nothing wrong with that. But we all need to keep growing in some way. If you feel your career growth is stunted at your current job, it may be time to seek a new one–or perhaps even a new line of work.

6. You Have No Time or Energy to Pursue Your Passions

This might just sound like I’m saying you’re working too many hours per week, but think for a moment about this one. If you have passions that you want to pursue outside of work, but you never feel like you have enough time off to do anything about them…or worse, if you feel so drained at the end of a work week that you have no energy to pursue those passions…then guess what? Your work is NOT aligned with your passion. Remember when we talked about “finding your why?” If you live an unfulfilled life where your job is standing in the way of everything you really want to do, then your why lies somewhere outside of your job. Yes, there are seasons in life when we simply have to do what pays the bills, but for the long term, you need to find a career that brings your what and your why together. Otherwise, you’ll spend your best years looking at a distant dream you can never quite reach–and that’s just plain torture.

Finally, a reality check. There are some people who like to use cliches like “do what you love” and “work shouldn’t feel like work.” But I’m a realist, and the fact is those sayings are only half-truths. I’m doing what I love, but trust me, there are many days when it definitely feels like work. I don’t know of a single profession that doesn’t include certain tasks we’d prefer to avoid (or better yet, delegate). But even when I’m doing a specific thing that feels like drudgery in the day-to-day, I ultimately feel fulfilled by my work because I know I’m pursuing my why. That’s why I say having a bad day once in a while shouldn’t be enough to get you on the take-this-job-and-shove-it bandwagon.

That said, I think in our true selves, we know the difference between when a job gets periodically difficult and when that job is truly draining us. If you relate to any of the five indicators above on a regular basis, you may at least want to begin exploring whether it’s time for a change. And the more of those points you relate to…the more likely it is that your job is actually hindering you from living life to the fullest.

Here’s the good news: There really is more to life than simply “living for the weekend.” There are plenty of career opportunities that will completely align with your passions, and there’s nothing wrong with seeking a job that makes you want to get up in the morning. If you want help finding that career, that’s the stuff that gets ME up in the morning. I’d love to help you find what you’re looking for. Just click here to access my calendar and set up a free 30-minute consultation.

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Finding Your Niche (Part 2)

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In the previous post, we talked about the power of finding a specialty or niche within your particular industry, and how it can serve you whether you’re an entrepreneur starting a new business or a professional seeking to get hired at a firm. Not only does this put you in greater demand as one of a select few people that offer that particular skill, but when you choose a niche in line with your passions, it also gives you the opportunity to do more work that you genuinely care about. I’d like to continue this discussion with a story from my personal experience.

More About My Story

I worked as a human resources executive for decades, and I was good at what I did. When a corporate merger made my job redundant, I found myself in the throes of change—the same as many of my clients are today. I decided I didn’t want to seek another job in human resources—I wanted to put those skills to use in a different way.

As someone who enjoys working with people, I decided to become a certified coach. I attended and graduated from the Georgetown University Leadership and Coaching program, became a member of the International Coaching Federation and set up an independent practice as a life coach.

However, I soon began to feel that I might be even more effective as a life coach if I narrowed my scope a bit. I looked at my own recent experience navigating a major life change, and I realized I cared very deeply about helping others make this kind of transition—so I began to focus my practice on helping people through major change in their lives. (Hence my slogan, “Change happens—take control!”)

But then I noticed something interesting that helped me hone my focus even further: Among the clients who were seeking my services, the vast majority were going through exactly the same type of “change” I went through—the change of a job or career. Either they had been laid off and needed to find a new job, or they felt stale in their job and wanted to find their way into something new.  This is where the human resources part of my former job came in handy—I understood this space better than most! The answer soon became clear: I needed to focus on career coaching—on helping people navigate the difficult transition between jobs or help people shift into a new career.

The result? GiraffesConsulting. This practice is now my niche! To reflect this specialty, I now refer to myself as a life-career coach. I still offer basic life coaching help to those who want or need it, but now anyone who meets me understands right away that I can specifically help them find their way into a new career—and I have found great joy in helping people do just that.

So…how do you find your own niche? I’ll offer some practical guidance in part 3 of this series.

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Retooling Your Skills for a New Career (Part 1)

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Sometimes we choose change; other times, change is thrust upon us. No one understands this truth better than people who have switched careers at some point in their lives. Whether you submit your resignation letter or get handed a pink slip, the idea of staring over in a new career can be just plain scary.

Interestingly enough, the fear factor doesn’t seem to be much different whether we choose to leave a comfortable position at a company, or whether the company terminates our position for some reason. In one case, we have the ability to anticipate the change; in the other, it feels more sudden. But the truth is, both prospects feel equally frightening. This fear can be enhanced even further when we’ve worked in a certain profession long enough that we have started to draw our identity from it. “I’ve been a ______ for my whole life; what do I do now??”

What You Do Is Not Who You Are

If any of this describes you, let’s start with some good news that may start alleviating some of that fear: Your identity does not hinge on your career. What you do is not who you are. You are exactly the same person the first day off the job as you were the last day on it. You have the same qualities, the same characteristics, the same nature that defines you as a person. All that’s changed is your circumstance.

Same Talents, New Setting

Here’s another bit of good news: Your talents and skills haven’t gone away, either. The things that made you good at your job are still very much in play. To discover a new career, you simply need to reimagine those talents in a new setting. This can happen in one of three ways:

  1. You can try to get a similar job with another company; or
  2. You can reimagine your skills for another kind of job; or
  3. You can completely change the setting and find new ways to exploit your talents—perhaps even go into business for yourself.

This is a situation with which I am personally familiar. If you know my story at all, you know that I worked for two decades as a human resources executive before a company merger made my job position redundant. Thankfully, I saw the writing on the wall and started planning for this before it happened; other people aren’t so fortunate to get the same kind of warning. But as I said, it was no less frightening. Perhaps with my experience I could have landed a new HR position at a new company, but another factor was my age. I was already in my 60s when this happened.

My solution? I discovered that becoming a life and career coach enlisted most of the same skills and talents I had used when working in human resources. In fact, my HR experience makes me very good at what I do! I simply had to open my mind and heart and see how my talents could be used in a new setting.

In the next post on this topic, I’ll offer a few more examples of what retooling your skills for a new career might look like, so you can begin to see your options are greater than you might have imagined. As always, I’m available to answer any immediate questions. Give me a call at 646-320-1126.

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Mid-Life Career Changes: Why So Many Are Doing It

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Here’s something to think about: How many careers have you had so far during the course of your life? How many do you think you’ll have before you retire?

If you answered “one,” surprisingly, you’re in the minority. Hard to believe, right?

It’s true. Our version of the American Dream basically suggests that we go to college to major in the one career we’ll have our entire life—but the statistics say that’s actually quite rare. In fact, according to Careers-Advice-Online, the average American is expected to change careers a whopping five to seven times over the course of his/her working years!

If you have been swapping careers every few years and feeling bad about it…don’t. Obviously, you’re normal.

Mid-Life Is Prime Time

In spite of all this data, it seems like for many of us, mid-life is “prime time” to make a major career shift. Between the ages of 40 and 60, thousands of us find ourselves doing something completely different than what we were doing before. (I made my latest career shift at age 70!) Ever wonder why this is? Here are some common reasons:

  • We get bored and unfulfilled. No matter how much you love doing something, sometimes you just burn out doing it day after day for years. When we’re no longer happy in what we do, eventually we get so uncomfortable that we have to force a change.
  • We weren’t in the right career to begin with. A lot of us get locked into jobs we hate early on, simply because we didn’t know better. When we hit our 40s and that dreaded “mid-life crisis,” we start realizing the clock is ticking, and if we want to get into something better, we’d better get to it.
  • We get shoved out. It’s an unfortunate part of our culture, but occasionally we are forced into a career change due to business dynamics beyond our control. A merger might make your job position redundant (which is what happened to me after 20 years working in H.R.). Sometimes a young upstart is willing to do your job for less money than the company pays you, and unscrupulous heads at the top find a way to muscle you out. And sometimes the company you work for just runs out of money. It happens.
  • We experience a major life change. A spouse passes away. You get divorced. The kids leave home and you find yourself looking for a fresh sense of purpose.

Whatever the reason, if you’re facing a possible mid-life career change right now—whether it was your idea or not—the important takeaway is that you’re not abnormal. Something isn’t necessarily wrong with you, and the fates aren’t working against you. Change happens to everyone at some time or another; it’s just your time. What you do about it—well, that’s up to you.

The good news is that change doesn’t have to be frightening or overwhelming, and change doesn’t have to be change for the worse. In fact, if you take control of the situation, change could become your greatest gift as you find that new career you were meant for. If I can be of help in helping you through the time of change, it would be my privilege. Give GiraffesConsulting a call at 646-320-1126, and let’s talk about how you can set up a “Plan G” to help you move forward powerfully.

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Why Do We Fear Change?

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If you look around, you can see it in almost all aspects of human existence. We see it in the stock market. In politics. In religion. In almost every corporation and workplace. I’m talking, of course, about the fear of change.

People with new ideas bump up against this fear constantly, being perceived and labeled as pot-stirrers and troublemakers. We don’t like it when people rock the boat or challenge our preconceived notions. We don’t like it when our comfort zones are taken from us. We especially don’t like it when change comes suddenly, like a thief in the night.

Do you happen to know anyone who complains constantly about their life? (I’ve known a few.) What I find most remarkable is so often people like that could make things infinitely better for themselves by making a few simple changes to their behavior or situation. But nope. Instead, they just continue grumbling and griping. They’re miserable, but their misery also happens to be their comfort zone. The pain of their misery does not outweigh their fear of change.

It gets worse. In his book Change or Die: The Three Keys to Change at Work and in Life, author Alan Deutschman cites studies that show that only one in nine people willingly make changes to their lifestyle even when confronted with the prospect of death due to illness or heart attack. Think about that: Despite our alleged survival instincts, nearly 90 percent of us are choosing death over life on a regular basis. Talk about resistance to change!

But…Why?

How did we get this way? How did we as humans become so set in our ways? Why do we fear change?

There are plenty of scientific studies, books and papers written on this subject, but for now, let’s explore just a few common-sense guesses.

We like well-trodden paths.

“Path of least resistance.” “The easy road.” “Low-hanging fruit.” Pick your favorite metaphor—they all mean basically the same thing. We gravitate to things that require the least amount of force. Change naturally involves some type of resistance, something we naturally avoid.

We like predictability.

We like things that run on autopilot because we don’t have to think about them. When something works the same way 100 times, we assume it will continue to work that way for infinity and beyond. When suddenly it doesn’t, life suddenly becomes unpredictable, which sometimes makes us feel helpless or fearful.

We fear failure (and/or success).

In the status quo, we know what to expect, and we know what’s expected of us. A change of situation loads us up with a different set of expectations. How will it look if we fail? Or if we succeed, how will it change the stakes? How will success change what’s expected of us going forward? These are questions we often prefer to leave unanswered.

Change Is Inevitable

For all our fear of change, here’s the paradox of the world in which we live: Change is going to happen. We live in a universe in constant motion, which means everything is always in a state of flux, even when we temporarily feel otherwise. Even we are changing, whether we like it or not. The billions of cells in our bodies die and are completely replaced once every few years. The day we stop changing is the day we die.

The sooner we begin to realize this truth, the sooner we can stop resisting change and learn to adapt to it, to embrace it, even to see it as a gift. After all, change is not necessarily for the worse; in fact, when we lean into it, our lives usually become better as a result.

One thing I’ve learned in my own experience is that one way to lean into change is to anticipate it and plan for it, which is what GiraffesConsulting is all about. When we plan for change, we no longer feel out of control, and we can face the future with confidence. This is why we always say: Change happens—take control!