Five Ways to Work with a New Administration

The election may not have turned out how you want and you’ve already worked through your five stages of grief. What next? Instead of going into automatic pilot for the next four years, here’s five things you can do to keep yourself moving.

1. Listen

A new administration is a great time to take advantage of listening to different points of view. This election, more than any other, showed us how much we insulated ourselves in our own bubbles. Make it a goal to expose yourself to opposing points of view.  See where the other side is coming from. It’ll make it much easier for you find common ground and work together in the future.

2. Look for new opportunities

A new administration means new priorities. Areas where you’re passionate may now be at risk, join the cause and help determine how policy is applied and what evidence is relied upon for analysis. Or, a new administration may mean a change of focus into an area where you’re interested. Be proactive and reach out to your network. Look to partnerships with organizations that may have not shown up on your radar previously.

3. Think three steps ahead.

Don’t react. Stop, think, and strategize. There’s a reason you’ve heard the phrase ‘be proactive not reactive.’

4. Look to your local community

Too often we look to the national stage to effect change when it really starts much closer to home. Look to local politics and to local volunteer efforts. Do good in your community. It will feed your soul.

5. Focus on you.

You know that thing you’ve been putting off doing?  Now’s the time.  Learn a new language, photoshop, Java, knit, anything. Just pick something and go with it. The point is that you do it.  Put your energy, your focus into something you’ve left on that back burner. Once we emerge from this administration, you’ll be thankful for that effort.

Kirsten O’Nell is part of the GovLoop Featured Blogger program, where we feature blog posts by government voices from all across the country (and world!). To see more Featured Blogger posts, click here.