By Mary Ann Faremouth, CPC
As a music lover with many talented musicians in my family, I find the word “harmony” often comes to mind during these interesting times. Also, as I reflect on the work I have done in the recruiting space, I believe I’ve spent my career trying to find harmony in the Work World: applicants coming into alignment with their jobs to become their best selves and businesses striving to become harmoniously outstanding in their industries by hiring the best talent. Yet over the past several years, that harmony has grown discordant. As we move into the second month of 2025 amid uncertainty, how might we strive to find balance, become unshakable and foster positive mindsets in the face of all the noise? How can we keep ourselves mentally strong and not lose hope for what our futures, with a new tone, may hold?
Perhaps the etymology of the word “February” can point us in the right direction. The month was named for a Roman festival of purification called Februalia. While the festival itself might belong to an ancient culture, the concept of an annual cleansing is still applicable today. I’m sure we all are ready to wash away the stains of darkness left behind by the past few years so we can reach a brighter, more pleasing place in our personal and professional lives. And such a quest for harmony might be just what we need to help us achieve our goals.
Rather than focusing on chocolates, roses and romance this February, wash away the old and strive for a harmonious balance in your life and in the New Work World. Let’s consider some of the acts of concordance you could perform to bring more positivity into your life this February and beyond.
1. Cleanse Your Mindset
Many scientific studies have reported that severe stress or constant extreme negativity can affect the immune system. With this in mind, how can you keep your mindset strong amid all the challenges you may be dealing with? Perhaps you could start your day with meditation, a long walk or run, or journaling, in which you write down feelings that might be hampering your progress. How might you reprogram your mind so your internal software is positive and unflappable? Maybe a visit with a friend, mentor or coach could help you develop a plan of action so you can feel supported, rather than alone. Such exercises can bring a sense of balance back to your world and allow some of the anxiety to dissipate, to be replaced with a calmer, more harmonious journey in tune with your personal momentum.
2. Join a Community
In times of extreme change and challenge, balance and harmony can often be found in community. Consider joining a group or association that can support you, both in the services it provides and the people who make it up. Clubs like Toastmasters or Rotary can help you enhance skills, such as public speaking ability, while also providing networking opportunities for job seekers and those looking to cultivate personal relationships. These days, many such groups and associations conduct meetings online, so you can easily enjoy them from the comfort of your own home.
3. Expand Your Knowledge
In the wake of a variety of challenges throughout the past few years, many people have had to take time off to recover, leaving their teams to struggle to compensate. To prevent the imbalance of such project-stalling difficulties, consider working with your supervisor and team to familiarize yourself with the functions of other positions. What’s more, expanding your knowledge in this way can make you more valuable to current and future employers, as it shows your willingness to grow and diversify. Also, consider taking a class to enhance your skillset to be able to contribute more to your work world and personal life as well.
4. Extend Kindness to Others
As Amelia Earhart said, “No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another.” What kindness can you extend to another who might be going through a hard time? Perhaps you could bring a coworker some comfort food to cheer them up at the end of a hard week. When a friend receives a rejection letter after an interview, maybe you could you do a mock interview with them to analyze what they might be doing wrong, delivering your findings honestly but gently. Demonstrating kindness provides balance within relationships, allowing both the receiver and the giver to feel better.
This year, make February about more than just chocolate. Focus on cleansing your personal and professional lives. Strive for harmony by cleansing your mindset, joining a community, expanding your knowledge and extending kindness to others. In doing so, you might just find your way beyond the noise to the symphony of your own world.
Mary Ann Faremouth
Mary Ann holds a CPC (Certified Personnel Consultant) credential, was certified by the Board of Regents of the National Association of Personnel Consultants in Washington, D.C., and was awarded an Advanced Communicator Bronze, Advanced Leader Bronze Awards by Toastmasters. She cofounded Jobs: Houston magazine in 1997. Mary Ann maintains affiliations with professional organizations, including oil and gas, financial, construction, IT, and structural, mechanical, and civil engineering. (www.faremouth.com)
Mary Ann’s award-winning first book Revolutionary Recruiting has been listed by Book Authority as Number #1 Best 100 Recruiting Books; #1 Best Seller, Non-Fiction, Amazon (2019); Top 20 Recruiting books, Recruitics; Readers’ Choice finalist (2019), Houston Literary Awards; Best Non-Fiction (2018), Best Cover (2019), and Best Self-Help (2018), Authors Marketing Guild. Her books support individuals and corporations, tap into each candidate’s unrealized potential to find the right person for each job, maximizing both employee satisfaction and the employer’s bottom line. Mary Ann showcases her expertise of the recruiting world on a monthly podcast for The Price of Business and weekly articles for USA Business. Her new workbook, Revolutionary Reinvention, was recently released on Amazon. Mary Ann lives in Houston, Texas.
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