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Managing Career And Life Challenges During The Holiday Season

Don’t let the glitz and glam of an Instagram picture, a feel-good LinkedIn post for 'viral' likes, or another person’s 'perfect' holiday table setting dictate your own season.

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That’s no perfect Thanksgiving! It’s a trap!

With Thanksgiving just days away, inflation soaring, and the world heading into a second holiday season in a pandemic, it may seem hard to feel joy during this time. If you’ve experienced loss — whether the loss of a job, a relative, a significant other, a friend, or even a pet — the holidays can bring forth a deep pain, a remembrance of what was, but no longer is.

The past two years have been tough on us as a world, as professionals, and as humans. We’ve witnessed terrible atrocities and we’ve been restricted from living the way we did in pre-COVID times. We’ve had to adjust to a “new normal” at work and at home. We began to see work differently — realizing that our internal happiness matters more than we have given it credit for (possibly for many years) and that we can be productive (and fulfilled) while working remotely. The mass job exodus in 2021, deemed “The Great Resignation,” has put the spotlight on how we view work and that making a pivot or a change may be the one thing that’s hindering us from truly thriving in our careers (as opposed to being complacent). It’s forced many to make new leaps and undertake new paths. The uncharted territory can be one of the best journeys, full of exciting new opportunities, but it can also bring fear, apprehension, and feelings of uncertainty.

Life is a journey, not a destination. We are all on a continuous path and road, and it is never linear. There are detours, new roads to try out, rough patches, and even sudden rest stops. Yet, the journey is never-ending.

If you are entering this holiday season with personal challenges or a sense of loss (I know I am after just losing my beloved dog), think about ways you can honor that person’s memory as part of the season. For me, that means putting a photo of my dog next to the console table where his Hanukkah present would normally sit. It means acknowledging that this will be the first holiday season without him, but his spirit is still here, and he is still a part of the home. If you’re experiencing career challenges or a sudden relationship status change, the last thing you may want to deal with is a prying family member. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries and prioritize your own self-care in the process. Set the tone for how you want to address these topics (or not address them at all). Remember, you are the master of your own destiny and the captain of your own ship.

Don’t let the glitz and glam of an Instagram picture, a feel-good LinkedIn post for “viral” likes, or another person’s “perfect” holiday table setting dictate your own season. Even in the toughest of times, even in the darkest of moments, we can honor our feelings, and still find joy and gratitude in doing so. Don’t be afraid to reach out, find support, and lean on someone if you need to. You are never alone.

I will be back next week with my regularly programmed column on career advice.

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Wendi Weiner is an attorney, career expert, and founder of The Writing Guru, an award-winning executive resume writing services company. Wendi creates powerful career and personal brands for attorneys, executives, and C-suite/Board leaders for their job search and digital footprint. She also writes for major publications about alternative careers for lawyers, personal branding, LinkedIn storytelling, career strategy, and the job search process. You can reach her by email at wendi@writingguru.net, connect with her on LinkedIn, and follow her on Twitter @thewritingguru.

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