Not too long ago I found myself in this very position and needless to say I felt lost, confused and extremely frustrated. It was as though yet again, life had taken me 2 steps backwards and things were not looking positive in terms of securing another job anytime soon either because like so many, I applied to several places often even applying to jobs that were going to pay less than what I knew I was worth. I just needed to feel busy and productive, to wake up every day with a purpose, have somewhere to go and with something to do.
There are many who are in the exact shoes I was in today, feeling completely blindsided to find themselves in their 30s without a good paying job, if they have one at all. Wondering what their next move should be and if it is time to just take the bull by the horns and start a business of their own. There is understandably a lot to fear when it comes to this and the mistake we often make (myself included) is deciding to start a business out of sheer desperation or frustration and not properly think it through. When we do this, more often than not, these businesses fail to get off the ground and before we know it, whatever cash we had saved up from previous jobs have been nearly, if not completely depleted. We find ourselves again feeling lost, de-motivated and if care is not taken, we could slip into a terrible depression. If this is your current situation, allow me offer some advice and insight if I may. These are the things that have been helping me get through the mental torture and may possibly work for you. Customize them as you see fit and based on what works for your immediate reality
1. Resist the urge to think negatively or give up. As hard as it may seem, now is not the time to sink into depression because let's be honest, what good does that do for you or your situation? This is the time to learn the habit of positive affirmation. Speak into existence what you want to see in your life and believe it. Say it as often as it takes till you start to experience a change in your own attitude and in your situation. Memorize some if you can and repeat them as often as you like throughout the day.
2. If job hunting is not yielding positive results, start figuring out what things you are good at and learn how to monetize your talents and passions. Google knows everything I promise you so just ask. That is what I do and so far it has helped me identify what I can and can't do. If you don't figure it out right away, don't get frustrated, stay on it and it will come to you before you even realize.
3. Use Social Media; not simply to scroll and surf for gossip news, fashion trends or what your favourite celebrities are up to ( which is busy making money by the way), use it to self promote. Follow business pages and other entrepreneurs, see what people are doing and figure out what you should be doing too. These days it would seem that any and everything can be used to make money, you just have to know how to market and promote it right. Nothing will happen overnight so make patience your middle name but stay consistent.
4. Get it out of your head that you can not make it simply because you do not have the "connections" or know anyone who does. Many people have disproved this dangerous belief by choosing to believe that they could and would succeed no matter how long it took or how slow the process seemed at first. Remember that "every pro was once an amateur and every expert was once a beginner" so dream big, start small and begin now.
Of course, there's a lot the "experts" say you should do when you find yourself in this position but what many of them fail to realize is that not everyone everywhere is living under the same circumstances so these simple tips I recommend cost nothing and everyone can afford them.
I'm 30 something and still figuring it out too, I'm learning every day that I alone am responsible for the way I allow myself to think and what I choose to believe about myself. I stopped worrying about what other people would think and chose to live life for me alone. David Foster Wallace wrote "You will become way less concerned with what people think of you when you realize how seldom they do". People are more concerned about themselves, the sooner we all learn that, the better for us.
Thanks for stopping by and it is my sincerest hope that for all of us 30 something year olds still figuring stuff out, will trust God's timing for our individual lives. We are not in competition with anyone because we are all running our own unique races. Do not compare your life to anyone else's, if your peers appear to be doing better than you at the moment, applaud them, encourage them and then get back to doing you
Love Always
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