Blog Post: How to Have Faith in Yourself from a Dallas Cowboys Fan

Did you watch the Dallas Cowboys' game Monday night?  The second half was a great example of the concept of not giving up.  They had key players that were injured, they made tremendous mistakes during the game, and they had some inexperienced rookies that they were depending on to win.  Yet, they continued to have faith in themselves and each other.  They did not give up!

During these most difficult times in our employment history, it is hard for many to keep the faith in their ability to perform as some Cowboys' fans are struggling to keep the faith in my favorite team to win.  Some are beginning to wonder if the Cowboys will have a winning season as some of you are beginning to wonder if you will ever locate another job after being rejected countless times over and over again like a continuous defensive tackle from a very talented opposing team.  Yet like most quarterbacks know (ask Tony Romo), it is as much a mental game as it is a physical game and you must continue to execute the plays regardless if you feel like it or not. You must not give up! 

In the game of football if a quarter back wants to win a game, he knows he has to either pass the ball or run the ball regardless of what is going on in his personal, family, or social life.  His head and his team’s have to be in the game before they can begin to win.  He has to be ready to make quick game changing decisions and they have to be ready to execute the plays that involve multiple risks to include: the possibilities of an interception, a quarterback sack, sports injuries, and missing the first down.  Yet the game must go on whether they are winning or losing.  They know one game does not determine a season and several mistakes do not determine a game loss.  They know, they will win some games and lose some games.  Likewise, you will keep some jobs and lose some jobs.  What is important is how you overcome your obstacles, your defeats, your upsets, that truly will determine your triumphs.  However faith in one self and passion can make a huge difference.  You cannot give up!

We as professionals can learn many lessons from the world of professional football.  One lesson I want to leave you with is the lesson that occurs during the off season.  During football season the players are intensely working their game against their opponents as we fans gather around the stadiums and HDTVs to cheer them on.   However, during the off season when the players aren’t competing, they are still 100% in the game.  They are practicing, working out, going to training camps, and taking conditioning courses.  Likewise, unemployment to a corporate professional is an “off season.”  The question is, what are you doing during this period?  It is not the time to cry, get depressed, and wallow in your misery.  It is the time to renew your mind, take empowerment training classes, go back to school, learn a new trade, write a book, or start a new business.  You must take this time to build your endurance if you want to remain competitive.  Get proper rest, eat healthy meals, read trade journals, join professional networking groups, and begin to write the finishing paragraphs to your new success story.  Build positive mental and physical endurance during this off season and give us all a wonderful story to learn how we too can overcome one of the most difficult career periods in life because you kept the faith.  Here is to you and your success.  Go do it!  Start Believing in Yourself Today!

TJ Haygood, Certified Personnel Consultant, is the founder and CEO of Confidential Search Solutions, LLC, an employment consulting and training company based in San Antonio, TX.  For more information, go to: http://www.confidentialsearchsolutions.com/Coming_Events