What Are You Doing, Meanwhile?

No matter how you’re trying to make a living right now, it’s a good question—we’re all in a state of meanwhile.

Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary gives two meanings for the word as an adverb: 1) during the intervening time, and 2) at the same time. Call me a word nerd, but I find this particularly relevant to today’s “new economy.”

Full-time freelancer or full-time employee, it’s a good time to be thinking about the space in between two periods of time. As we watch the concepts of steady clients and job security erode, we’re all experiencing some form of what you might call “meanwhile.” Either you’re literally in between jobs or gigs, or you’re looking for the next opportunity while at the same time fulfilling your existing opportunity. At least, according to the experts, that’s what we should be doing.

The optimists say that when one door closes, another door opens. The rest of us say, what the heck are we supposed to do in the meantime? Because if you’ve ever experienced that door closing behind you, you know it can be a bewildering feeling. Especially in today’s economy when so many are finding that the next door isn’t anywhere in sight. Entire professions or industries are eroding before our eyes, and a lot of folks don’t even know what color that door is supposed to be.

It’s enough to make a long hallway seem endless. But maybe it’s what you do in the hallway itself that counts.

Focus on the future. The best thing you can do is move beyond any door that has closed. There are more opportunities out there than ever before—but it will take some time and energy to focus on finding them. And if you’re still thinking about what you’ve lost, you are more likely to miss new opportunities as they come up.

Take action. Confidence can be gained through doing—anything, really. If you don’t know what, try something new, whether it’s networking with a new interest group, volunteering, or working a part-time job just for fun. You’re likely to find new applications for your core group of skills, as well as a new way to approach your marketing techniques. Plus, learning new skills is a definite boost.

Change your thinking. Trying to find new opportunities based on an old way of thinking just might be a recipe for failure. Are you sitting on the floor waiting for a magic door to open? Waiting for a hand to lead you to it? Your clients may be in places you haven’t looked, or in an industry that’s new to you. But if it’s interesting to you, chances are that you will not only find it, but also find a way to make your skills translate.

Work hard. Running your own business takes a lot of elbow grease. As a freelancer you’re the president, the marketing department, the account executive, the accountant, the worker bee, and more, all rolled in one. You may need to work eight days a week to get things off the ground or keep them going right now, but perseverance and discipline do pay off.

Think creatively. Try new things and new approaches, daily. If you think you’ve run out of options, brainstorm until you come up with more. You might find that you have to draw your door on a blank wall—you might even have to invent a new door handle to open it.

How have you been able to find and open new doors? What approaches have worked or not worked for you? And what did you do in the hallway beforehand?

Photo credit: cekrypton2 (Flickr)