When all you see is Fog

When all you see is FogNormally when you look out my office windows, you can see forever into the horizon. But not today. The pea soup like fog is finally starting to lift at 4:30pm. All day, it has been gloomy and dark and my view of 20 miles to the West and ski hill to the south has been obliterated.

I am a sun lover even though I live in Central Wisconsin and it is February. I can take sub zero temperatures if you keep the sun shining. The illusion of warmth is enough to make me feel excited but when all you see is fog, it makes me tired and cold.

Driven Personalities

My personality is fairly driven. I work well on deadlines and though I have plenty of projects on my plate, there are no urgencies pushing me forward. Weather like this foggy mess makes my goal-driven personality melt down.

If you read this blog frequently, you will find me more often in a cheerleader mode than a mopey mood. But there are times when I get off track. I’d much rather be celebrating success than  complaining but it is an upward battle when the fog encases the horizon.

When all you see is fog, it affects your internal motivation

Self-motivation is another one of those too much used resume words that start to seem trite when you see them in everyone’s resume but the reality is that we all need a fair dose of self-motivation and positive thinking to get past the road bumps in our lives.

Earlier this week, I talked about the emotional and psychological triggers that can bring back memories and cause us to react to everyday events with a different viewpoint. Outside events or even the weather can make you unwilling to work on the projects you have on your plate.

When all you see is fog, give yourself a break

I write most of my blog posts early in the morning, usually before 7am. But today, when all I saw was fog, even a second pot of coffee didn’t make me want to write. I ended up taking a nap and hoping I could refocus my attitude and my energy into something worthwhile later in the day.

I pretty much stayed off Twitter and Facebook. I’m smart enough to heed my own advice about the Law of Subtraction and wasn’t going to spend my day whining online.

Everyone has an off day when all you see is fog.

With the lifting of the fog, my natural personality will return and I can jump back into project mode tomorrow.

Am I alone? Or does a gloomy day change your ability to follow through, too?

If you need someone in your corner to give you that boost of confidence to create a job search that works, start here at my Let me write your resume page.

2 Comments

  1. Davina Haisell on February 17, 2011 at 10:18 pm

    Julie…

    “The Law of Subtraction” — I love that! I’ve not heard that phrase before.

    Gloomy days don’t necessarily have that effect on me when I think about it. I’ve been extra energized on gloomy days and less than enthused on sunny days. Go figure.



    • Julie Walraven on February 18, 2011 at 6:52 am

      That’s ok that you don’t get excited about sunshine that makes us different and unique. I don’t remember what kind of winters you have in Vancouver but SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is common in Wisconsin. I am not as much affected now that my office is upstairs and I get natural light. But downstairs with fluorescent lighting, I battled all the time.

      See the sidebar under popular for the Jobseeker, Are you invoking the law of subtraction post which explains that much better!



Resume Design and Job Seeking Tips

Here are Design Resumes' latest articles on job search, resume design, resume writing, and Linkedin optimization articles I've written.

FREE Resume and Job Search Tips by email

Get free tips and strategy direct to your inbox. just add your name and email below. I respect your privacy.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Julie Walraven, Design Resumes

Julie Walraven

Professional Resume Writer

Here are ways I can help you land your dream job.

You may be halfway across the country or the world. When you work with me, we share coffee, laughs, and concerns. This turns the scary job search into creative, consultative writing and learning sessions.