Trading in your “Ds”: A morale boosting strategy during work transition

With no disrespect to the letter “D,” it turns out a lot of dreadful words that have the potential to put you down in the dumps begin with D. Think about it: depressed, disappointed, dissatisfied, disenchanted, disillusioned, doubt, disheartened, distraught, dismayed, disturbed, distressed, you get the idea…

Transition is, by definition, a change from one condition to another. It can be a wonderful opportunity and experience, but here’s what it’s not: consistent, easy or predictable. And like any dramatic climate change (you see what I did there?), you need survival strategies. Leaving your comfort zone is an erratic, emotional journey, for which nobody trains you for in advance. Your excitement and motivation can barely be contained one week, and you hit a low point the next. You land on a spot-on job description, but the unrequited interest leaves you full of self-doubt. Explaining to someone who has a job that you are in transition can be an awkward and uncomfortable conversation to have. Here’s a smart survival strategy borrowed from a friend, and too good not to share.

During her work transition from employee to entrepreneur, Claire kept up her morale by “trading in words.” Unusual comment? Not if you know Claire. Whenever Claire felt low, she she'd trade it in for a positive word or phrase. Here's the good news: there are plenty of positive D words out there as well. So whenever you feel doubt or a hint of despair, trade it in for a better word. Here are a few to get things started:

Sometimes we can play an emotional game with our minds. An inspirational message, encouraging quote or the power of a positive word is all it takes to put us in a new place and a new frame of mind. If you feel a dreaded “D” creeping in, promise yourself to “trade it in” for a better word. Strong action words can make a powerful impact and each one counts -- just ask your resume.