Over 40, Unemployed, No Prospects--Time to Renew!

With the US jobless rate hovering around 10% and extended job loss becoming the norm, is it time to panic? Not at all! Assuming you can achieve an optimistic outlook and an unwaivering belief in self, right now may be the ideal time to plan out and launch your second half.   This is the first in a series of blogs on career make-over. Rather than seeking a new job in a vacuum, take time out--days, even weeks, if needed--to define your very own "ideal vocation." As your own CEO, precisely how do you wish to spend the remainder of your productive years? How much emphasis will you place on earning a living? What is your targeted end-point and how much as you willing to sacrifice to get there?   Ignoring for the moment earnings potential and your qualifications, what would you most like to do? What did you like and dislike about prior positions? What do you enjoy when free to set your own agenda? What are your favorite sports, hobbies and leisure-time activities? What vocations do you most admire? Of all those you know, who has the best job? Where do friends and loved ones suggest you would excel?   Your next challenge is to apply a hard dose of reality: "Will anyone pay me to perform the activites I most admire? Will I contribute value? If the answer is no, you will need to follow-up by researching more realistic alternatives which might provide similar satisfaction.   Once a realistic vocation is targeted, your next task is to visualize in exquisite detail your performance of the desired position and to immediately begin thinking and behaving as though the desired position or career were already yours. Trust the universal law of attraction: a consistently positive mind-set invariably attracts a positive result!   In future blogs, I will share insights into choosing a target vocation, wresting positive emotional control and financing an extended career transition. In the interim, please visit our web site www.middleagerenewal.com or e-mail me with comments o questions at roy@middleagerenewal.com.   Good luck in remaking life's second half!