Posts tagged Business and Economy

Surviving Lifes Sucker Punches

Sometimes, you’re just going about your business of working and partying when suddenly, you’re blindsided. You could’ve gotten fired and are now short on cash. So, how exactly can you bounce back from this financial slump?

What if you lost your job? First of all, don’t go around acting beaten down. Be honest but upbeat. It was disappointing, but there’s always something you can do about it. It’s better to be the person who talks about it than to have it be the elephant in the room. Then, face the fact that rejection provides information. So, use it wisely. Think honestly why you don’t have work. Perhaps there’s a slowdown in your industry overall, but maybe, it could also be something about you. This is your chance to figure out whether you actually liked doing the job anyway. If you can take some emotion out of the situation, you’ll learn a lot. For many people, being fired is the best thing that ever happened to them because they use it to think creatively about their career.

Firing rarely happens out of the blue. In hindsight, the clues can be found everywhere. If your boss isn’t quite meeting your eye, you feel suddenly left out of the loop on key projects, you got turned down for a promotion, or there is less pressure on you to achieve goals or score big coups, you’d better start staying late and brushing up on your resume. And along the way, you should be managing your career by having a five-year plan for yourself. Even if you’re at a junior level, start meeting people in your industry, attending conferences and events, and building relationships with people in your company who might mentor you. The bigger your world is, the better off you’ll be should you lose your job. A lot of people just figure they are working hard and will be rewarded, but life just doesn’t work that way.

When you’re broke, know that you’re not alone. Millions of people are bogged down by credit card debt on a monthly basis. But, even if credit card expenses are getting you down, never let them intimidate you. To get back on your feet, shift credit card balances to a promotional zero-percent card and finding budget leaks while writing down every cent you spend in a month. Try preparing your own lunch, drinking coffee at home rather than buying a daily grande latte, and saving your loose change.

Everyone should have an emergency fund that will keep them going for three to six months. So, start putting that aside with your next paycheck. If you’re finding that you can’t pay your credit card bill each month, put the card in your freezer literally. If it’s sitting in a block of ice, that will at least slow you down and give you a chance to rethink before you spend. Moreover, try not to think about how sad or difficult your life will be. Realize that there’s nowhere for you to go but up.

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