Santa Claus is Coming to Town, one of our favorite Christmas songs, begins with this light-hearted warning, “You better watch out”. It might be time to take this warning seriously.
If you are a person who regularly reads my blogs, you know I frequently write about the importance of being persistent in developing our emotional self-awareness and self-control. This is because highly developed emotional self-awareness and self-control are both critical to success in all aspects of our lives, and is reportedly lacking in a large swath of our nation’s population at a time of great vulnerability.
This is especially true now as we witness the breathtaking speed with which our economy and our society are changing. As I have stated before, we don’t like change happening at a breakneck pace because we can’t adjust to it comfortably. This is especially true when the change is forced on us as it destroys jobs and wages and throws our lives into turmoil.
Only a few years ago we were recovering from one of the worst financial crises we had experienced in our nation’s history. $15 trillion in assets had vanished in the United States along with six million families losing their homes. Almost 10 million jobs were lost, with many high paying jobs permanently wiped out. Because of a long-term shrinkage in the labor markets we now have close to 40 million working age men without jobs. Yes, this seems to qualify as “out of control” change and it isn’t going away. Economic growth, job growth and wage growth have all been slowing for the past three years.
What strategies are available to help us bridge this crisis? How do we increase our chances of riding the waves of change rather than being swallowed up by them? Anyone depending on help from the government or from their employers know that such help is “hit or miss”. Each of us must take charge of and determine our own destiny. And there have never been more opportunities and tools available to accomplish just that.
Here is what increases the likelihood of success. We should all be undertaking to increase our job skills right now and keep at it. Many workers, especially those in their 40’s and 50’s know how quickly job skills can become obsolete.
Be prepared to change industries and locations, as unappealing as that may be. Anyone who has had to relocate a family for a new job knows how difficult and disruptive it can be.
In addition to enhanced job skills, being armed with effective emotional self-awareness abilities, especially starting as young adults, can be a life-saver. These skills must be learned and improved upon throughout life, but effort in this area will completely recontextualize life for the better.
Highly developed self-awareness and self-management skills will allow for better decision-making, greater influence with others, improved relationships, more effective listening and communication skills, increased self-respect, better emotional and physical health (less stress and anxiety), a more positive attitude, becoming a better judge of yourself and others, and most important, greater happiness and satisfaction in life whether at work or in personal pursuits.
This is not to say that people possessing great emotional self-awareness don’t have problems, for life is filled with them. But fear and worry sap the strength and creativity we need to face problems. Self-awareness gives us the essential advantage to surmount these challenges.
So how do we build greater abilities in self-awareness and self-management? In the last three decades highly effective tools have been discovered and developed to quickly leverage our strengths and dissolve many of our greatest weaknesses in these areas. We at Spirit of Eagles have been helping clients make remarkable shifts toward satisfaction and success. You could easily join them. Why not resolve that 2018 will be a year of growth and transformation for you?
And to all our readers, friends and clients, we wish you the very best holiday celebrations with family, and a thoroughly delightful 2018.
Peace,
Tom Searcy
Board Certified Coach
Spirit of Eagles
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