by Randy Place
When you change your thought you can change your experience. This might feel counter intuitive because society would have you think differently – like it’s okay to moan and groan as you let negative thoughts and emotions take over your thinking and controlling it for a length of time.
Whether you feel happy or sad, it’s what you think, stupid! So how you think is everything, especially during a job search when your emotions can fluctuate wildly.
Information Technology professionals use the expression, “garbage in, garbage out.” What’s true in computing is also true in thinking. How you think is everything. Your success depends on the way you think. When you dwell on the negative, that’s what you’ll attract and experience. But when you focus on the positive, you’ll attract more good into your life.
Nobody is asking you to be a Pollyanna. To act Pollyannish while facing a crisis in your life would be counterproductive. For the rest of the time, especially during a job hunt, changing how you think will be the key to a successful – or unsuccessful – job hunt.
While you’ll discover many methods for changing how you think, a technique I’ve used with good results is to focus on the word “joy” for a while. “A feeling of great pleasure and happiness,” is the way joy is defined. You can experience the joy method in five easy steps –
- Find a quiet place to sit down and be quiet for a few moments.
- Take a few deep breaths, relaxing your body each time you exhale (breathe out) As you do this, try to put your mind in neutral – just for a half minute or so.
- When you’ve quieted down, place the word “joy” in your mind ever so gently. Let it evoke that feeling of great pleasure and happiness
- Then joyfully anticipate a perfect outcome to your search, work, or home life.
- Practice the joy method at least three times a day.
You can succeed with this method by knowing feelings can be chosen and experienced. That’s how to change the way you think – and feel and experience.
Even under the pressure of sales or job-finding campaign, you can take a brief time out to evoke the positive feelings you need to succeed.
When you’re able to think a bit more positively, your speech will reflect more positive language. Click here for an “Interview tip — use positive language,” a previous post on Your Career Service.
