When I was 9 months pregnant I would fantasize about life as a new mom. I would sit in the empty nursery and take it all in. I would rock in the glider, smell the baby lotion, and feel the soft texture of the baby blankets. I'd look at the closet full of baby clothes. I'd flip through "Good Night Moon" and imagine reading it by the frog lamp that complimented the nursery theme. After 12 hours of labor, that dream came to a screeching halt. I gave birth to the most beautiful colicky baby in the history of the world. People laugh, but I'm serious when I say I've blocked out most of the first three months of her life. If you've had a colicky baby, you understand. They don't cry, they scream. They scream all the time. She would scream and I would cry. That beautiful nursery was never used because I couldn't put her down. I would sit in the pediatrician's office, weeping. He would assure me,"You'll get through this". All I could think was that my pediatrician was a liar, and that I was doing something wrong. Why didn't I know how to fix this? Why couldn't I make things better?
"What did I get myself into?!"
"I was not prepared for this!"
"I have no idea what I'm doing!"
These are all thoughts that run through the mind of every new parent. New parents read every book available. You read baby product reviews, consult with doctors, and finally start listening to the advice of your parents. But, what you quickly learn is that you don't have to know everything to be a good parent. It's impossible to know it all.
This is a challenge for many employees, especially if they're experiencing a downswing in their careers. That downswing could involve switching companies, experiencing an unexpected layoff, or even something that should be positive like accepting a promotion. There's a desire, or pressure, to be omniscient. You think that if you knew it all, you would have been totally prepared and could have managed (or controlled) what came at you. But of course, this is impossible. So how do you manage through those difficult, colicky, periods in your career?
READ THE ENTIRE POST HERE: Are You Experiencing Career Colic? 4 Tips For Overcoming A Professional Downswing - Business is Child's Play