by Carrie Maldonado

Any time we are in an unpleasant-feeling situation, we have two choices in how to respond. There is rationalization and there is truth. Rationalization is a process of telling yourself a story about something to make you feel better about that something. The purpose of rationalization is to keep yourself from taking the scary step towards change. Truth, on the other hand, leads to freedom, hope and change. How so, you ask?

Here is an example. Suppose you’ve sent your resume out to hundreds of prospective employers, only been on a couple interviews, and have never received a call back let alone a job offer. Rationalization says, “Everyone knows the economy is terrible, and besides that, I’m being discriminated against because I’m [fill in the blank], so I guess there’s nothing I can do.” Now, you can feel good about the effort you’ve put in and no further effort is required.

Continue reading in the CTC CAREER CENTER.

About the Author:

As a certified HR Professional, executive coach and CV writer, Carrie Maldonado divides her time between consulting with small to mid-size businesses and career coaching with executives in transition. When not coaching or consulting, Carrie is a novelist, wife and mother to a daughter and twin sons.