TED Talk Think of Near-Wins for Job Search Motivation

TED Talk Think of Near-Wins for Job Search MotivationTED Talk Think of Near-Wins for Job Search Motivation14In the YouTube TED talk video, Sarah Lewis Embrace the Near Win, Sarah talks about the importance of the near-win. As an art historian, she was studying painter Elizabeth Murrays works. When she spoke to Murray, she admitted that some of her works didnt meet the mark of what she wanted them to be. In fact, she put one out into the trash, and a neighbor picked it up because she saw its true value.In that moment, Lewis discovered what success truly meant. Success is a moment, she says. But what were always celebrating is creativity and mastery. She also tells the story of a group of archers who both make and miss their marks during a training session. She realized that success is hitting that ten-ring, but mastery is knowing that it means nothing if you cant do it again and again.Lewis points out that mastery is not the same as success. Success is an event, a label that the world confers upon youMastery is not a commitment to a goal, but to a constant pursuit, says Lewis.Thats why its important to value- and celebrate- the near-win.Heres how you can think of your near-wins for job search motivation and successYou go on job interviews- but dont get hired.It can be extremely frustrating to get all excited for a job interview, assume that it went well, and then never hear back from a potential employer. But before you blame yourself, use these near-wins as an opportunity for self-reflection. Maybe your interviewing skills need some polishing- if thats the case, you can practice answering typical questions (and some strange interview questions too) before going in for the interview. You can also view these interviews as a aussicht to perhaps realize that the job (or industry) you thought you wanted to be in is not something that you like after all.And you have to know that if you dont get the job, theres another one, a better one, waiting just around the corner for you. Promise.You do have a job- but you hate it.Sure you have a job and it pays the bills, but you abhor having to commute into work each and every day, sitting in a cubicle, and dreaming of what your life could really look like. While a job that you really dont like might feel like a mistake, its actually a near-win, if you think about it. Sometimes, doing something that you dont like prepares you for the next big thing. Youll know, as you start your job search, the types of jobs you dont want, which is almost as good as knowing exactly what it is that you want to doIn the grand scheme of your career, though, you will almost always find that every job, in some way, shape, or form, has helped contribute to who you are in your professional life. Maybe it was a certification that you got or an online class that you took, but every job, no matter how seemingly irrelevant it is to your life at the time, will help you in your career.You have a passion that isnt profitable.Lets say t hat you have a day job that you like, but you have a hobby that you live and breathe for. Although you might think that its unsuccessful because youre not making much (if any) money off of it, having a passion that isnt profitable is most definitely a positive near-win in your career. It will keep you moving forward doing something that you love, as you slowly become a master at what you do. Mastery is an ever-onward almost, says Lewis. Mastery is in the reaching, not the arriving. Whether you turn your hobby into a full-fledged career is actually irrelevant. Simply be grateful that you have found a passion that ignites a fire within you, and enjoy it, without worrying about numbers or earnings. Just enjoy the process as you become a master of it. According to Lewis, Mastery is about sacrificing for your craft, and not for the sake of crafting your career.The near-win is an essential part of your job search as well as your career. You will learn far more from your near-wins than you will from your momentary victories. Says Lewis Coming close to what you thought you wanted can help you attain more than you ever dreamed you could.Readers, what do you think of this amazing TED talk? How do you now look at your job search in light of your own near-wins? Does it help give you job search motivation? Let us know in the comments