I would love to hear more about turkey.

Thank you for the inspiration. This was focus for the education tip for our 1st networking breakfast of the year. We have since posted your blog to our business referral newsletter to share with all the group. Greetings and the best for 2010 from oceansideroi dot com

Having studied solution focused coaching, and read several great books on the power of optimism e.g. Authentic Happiness - Martin Seligman, I am convinced that focusing on the positives is vital to success, even when there's little to celebrate, probably especially when there's little to celebrate!! I am currently reading Never Eat Alone and I love not just the ideas, but also your honest and open sharing of your own life experiences, Keith. For me, that's what is keeping me reading every page. You even found time to comment on your blog followers' comments - that impresses me greatly. I changed career about 9 years ago now. I identified that there were only about 5 companies that could potentially employ me to do what I wanted to do, I contacted all of them and eventually got a job (despite no experience or relevant qualifications) because I turned up at the office without an appointment, and left a personal note expressing how interested I was, for the lady who became my boss. She called me back and invited me for an interview. I haven't looked back since. The job only lasted about 6 months but gave me the confidence to start my own business as a career coach.

Dynamite ideas and a real help to people who are feeling a little "on hold" at the moment. Someone told me yesterday that one of the best things we can do in such situations is to throw ourselves into the moment and give it everything we can. Not that we shouldn't plan and have goals because those are important. But being the best we can be TODAY, places us in the best position for everything that follows. Thanks, Keith!

Jon, April, Mel - awesome success stories and advice. i'm so impressed. JP - thanks for the comment, and the support. if you ever want quotes or anything else for your column, get in touch with Sara Grace who'll get me the message! Dawn - your research is fascinating! How do we train people to become Life Navigators? I'd like to feature your research as its own post here on the blog - are you interested in guesting? Again, get in touch with Sara Grace. Karima - it sounds like you're off to a great start. keep up updated on the volunteering. Susan, you are a thoughtful friend. Thanks for commenting - and you too Kirk. Finally, Hemant - keep on running man! That goes for all of us!

This is a excellent framework....it's really easy to get 'into the weeds' around transitions and spin your wheels or convince yourself that you're doing the things you need to do to make progress. Sticking to these four basic tenets and making daily, chartable/measurable progress is bound to lead to better results. Thanks Keith!

Keith - God bless you! As a mother, wife, MBA student and aspiring entrepreneur, I entered into this New Year knowing that some critical things must change in order for me to live with a sense of joy, happiness and purpose. I have committed myself this year to returning to the things that I love (like dancing and traveling) and doing some new things (like volunteering at a homeless shelter or traveling to a new country with my family). Thank you for your work and for inspiring me with your blog post in this New Year...this year will be the BEST thing that ever happened to me. PS. Never Eat Alone was one of the top Christmas gifts that I gave this year! It has changed my life! K ~

I have been through a career transition about four times over the last 15 years. Once when I was laid off from a large firm in southern California, a friend invited me to attend a meeting of the Science Education Advisory Board at UC-Irvine since my background was in science and engineering. I became a volunteer to this organization during my transition and it gave me a "grounding point" or something I could hold onto when times seemed a little rocky in the job hunt. After I landed my next position, I maintained contact with that group and became good friends with many of the Board members. And, of course, I thanked my friend who invited me to attend a meeting just to see what might happen. So you can play a role in this too. If you are in transition, look for some "grounding influence" that incorporates your interests and which you can contribute positively to. Or, if you are a member of a Group like that at UCI, look for others who might be in transition who could benefit from such contacts and networking. The benefits to both partiess are enormous and contribute to ongoing network relationships and further opportunities.

Thanks for posting this - my friend, Sandra, has been out of work since last spring. I sent this to her as encouragement. She has been doing a great job staying busy looking for work and volunteering her time. I know that it is a tough time, but she is making a difference to a number of people.

Keith - as someone who's been through a few transitions in the past 10 years, I have to agree with the responses above. What's different for me was realizing the things I loved to do and was passionate about (helping others) and combining it with a career that I was always curious about and found was a nice match - financial coach. Now I work with people in transition and retirement, helping them to create their financial road-map. I have recommended your book, Never Eat Alone, to scores of people as it had such a profound effect on me - mainly validating what I was doing anyway - give to get. Thanks for this blog and forum - I will pass this along and mention in my column. Cheers!

Keith--Having recently completed a research study on transitions for a masters at Oxford involving 70 people, I've learned that those who are able to navigate easily through planned or unplanned transitions know a lot about themselves--they are “Life’s Navigators”—who live deliberate and authentic lives. My research revealed that they are consciously aware of: • Who they are • What they stand for • What their aspirations are and have been • Their goals and what will move them forward • How to see things from other's perspectives • Knowing that they always have choices Whether their transition is one that they have wished for, or one they hoped they would never have to face; whether it is a work transition, or a personal one; they are clear about and can answer the following questions with little or no difficulty: • Who am I? • How did I get here? • What do I want? • What have I learned? These are people who look at life through lenses of optimism, appreciation, happiness and wellbeing. They are connected to family, friends, and their community, savor life’s experiences and face challenges head-on on with determination. They live deliberately grounded in the present while always looking to the future, balancing ambiguities daily. Somehow at an early age these “Life Navigators” began the process of establishing goals-- ones that they may or may not achieve. They are self-motivated and have a vision of who they might become and how they might get there. They may not have either means or access, but their visions seem to be enough to move them forward. More than any other factor that has surfaced in my research, successful transitioners believe that they always have a choice-- no matter what. Much like individual studies in survivor research, what separates those who survive and thrive when going through transitions from those who don't is the ability to look at a negative experience of loss and turn it into a positive outcome and learning experience. It's the fish in the pocket!

Wow, @Jon - it's very gutsy of you to share that. Thanks. I'm glad you kept your sense of hard work. Many people would have quit in their minds the minute the boss said you weren't their man.

Keith, I was laid off from a marketing job at the end of January, my father-in-law died two weeks later, and two weeks after that I had an acute appendicitis attack (noticed the pain during a marathon, yikes!). Anyway, after 5 days in the hospital, I came home and could do very little. I decided to start painting because I had never taken the time to do it. I completely lost myself in it. An AHA moment for sure! I began painting fast and furious. I could hardly get it out fast enough for awhile. Now I have settled into a nice career as a painter. Who knew?? A painter, during a recession? I am still pinching myself... website is http://www.enos.net/amweb if you are curious what I kind of work I do. Anyway, I definitely found fish in my pockets :-) oh...and I finished that marathon too!

Keith, A number of years ago I was on the run from the law and working a great job as an auto mechanic in another state. As you can guess, the law caught up with me and I had to return to Wisconsin to sit some jail time and when I got out, I had no job, no money, and very little hope. I went to a temp service looking for work. They sent me to a heavy metal fabricator that needed a welder. I could weld, but not like these guys that welded every day. The boss said I was not there man, but the service required them to give me four hours work just for comming out. I worked hard those four hours and at noon, the boss asked me to stay the rest of the day. Then at quiting time he asked me to come back the next day. They knew I was a hard worker and made a job for me to do. Some days I sorted parts, some days I drilled holes. But I always did it to the best of my ability. That was the start of my new career in metal fabricating. Stick to it, do the best you know how, and peole will notice and give you a chance. Jon

Keith, You're spot on on all the points, and I was instantly able to connect with points 1 and 3. I am sharing an example on point 3. When I was preparing for MBA (admission to a top B-School), despite being rather busy at work with near deathlike deadlines, I made sure to take half an hour everyday for running/tennis. That time used to be the best time and also most productive as while running I used to plan the next 24 hours as well. I can vouch for the effectiveness of running in improving life in general and better planning as I've used this technique for the past 12 years! Here is to a good 2010 to you and all your readers! -Hemant