Following ten years of promotions and many kudos for her excellent work, Leah was laid off for the first time in her career.

Her company had been hit hard by the recession and needed to dramatically reduce its staff. Included in those reductions were key performers like Leah who worked in functions no longer deemed “business critical.”

Leah believed being laid off meant that she had failed. She froze, personally and professionally, and did nothing for several weeks except look back at what had happened, wondering what she could have done differently.

Leah hadn’t failed at her job; however, she was failing at dealing with the situation.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in the third quarter of 2010 there were 1,297 mass layoffs affecting more than187,091 people. (A mass layoff is when 50 or more people are laid off at the same time.) So there are many individuals like Leah who are dealing with an unexpected speed bump in their career path.

Hitting those career obstacles hurts, just like it did when you fell off a swing when you were ten years old. And, just like you did way back then, the key is picking yourself up and getting back in the game. Strive to view the situation as a “teachable moment” for exploring, growing and learning instead of allowing yourself to withdraw. As Albert Einstein remarked, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”

7 tips to keep moving

If your situation is similar to Leah’s, look to these seven tips to keep moving:

1) Look for lessons to be learned.

Work with a trusted confidante to explore your thoughts and feelings about what happened. There’s something positive to be learned from nearly every situation that will make you better the next time around.

Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are. ~Bernice Johnson Reagon, songwriter and scholar

2) Aim for understanding.

Ignoring what happened or looking to find fault won’t make the situation go away or change the outcome. Focus instead on what you do well and look for opportunities where you can apply your strengths.

The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same. ~Carlos Castaneda, author

3) Become more self-aware.

Take a long hard look at your reactions so you can better understand your motivation. Connect to what makes you tick and use that wisdom to connect with others.

Most of the shadows of life are caused by standing in our own sunshine. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and philosopher

4) Keep taking wise risks.

Expand your comfort zone. Learn and grow by trying something new. Expect bums, bruises and failures along the way.

There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self. ~Aldous Huxley, English writer

5) Build bridges to the future; don’t burn those to the past.

You never know when a past boss or colleague may become a future boss, so assure that the relationship remains positive.

Taking the high road is usually not the easy one to take or the most popular…but if you compromise your principles and your integrity, it will always end up costing you far more in the long run. ~Billy Cox, author

6) Be optimistic.

Shed those “what if” thoughts or “maybe I should have” worries, and remain positive. Saying I should have, I could have, I wish I did is living your life in the rear view mirror — all looking back and no forward movement.

The difference between can and cannot is only three letters. Three letters that can shape your life’s direction. ~Remez Sassion, author

7) Get – and stay – moving.

Volunteer, take a class, work out, be a mentor, network. Learn from the past and energetically move on.

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. ~Edmund Burke, orator and philosopher

The next time you’re cruising down the highway and see the road sign that reads “keep moving, change lanes later” – smile and follow the good advice.

Image source:  morgueFile.com