“Stay home and stay safe.”— Like everyone else, you’ve probably heard some semblance of this mantra parroted to you during the early months of 2020.

Between the Coronavirus pandemic, an economic depression leaving billions unemployed, and those dreadful ‘murder hornets,’ it seems as though 2020 has been filled with unbelievable challenges one after another. I don’t know about you, but it didn’t take much convincing to get me to stay indoors. So now what? If you find yourself saying, “I’m bored, there’s nothing to do,” you might be missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

Whether you’re working from home and spending less time commuting or have found yourself unemployed, rest assured one positive thing came out of it all — time! Time is now on your side, and if you want to take advantage of it, we recommend following these 6 tips explaining how you can best use your newfound downtime to secure a better future!

“…when I was sleeping in my car homeless and searching for a way to change my life. How did I do it? Books! They helped to establish me.”

– Tony Robbins

1. Read books

Non-fiction books are a great way to self-educate, increase your understanding of the world, and at the very least, improve the quality of your conversations. A few of my favorites are Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio, MONEY: Master the Game by Tony Robbins, and the all-time classic, How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

Each of these books has played a monumental role in my business life, finances, and they have even helped improve the quality of my character. Without a doubt, if used effectively and read regularly, books can be life-changing resources.

“Knowledge, when it’s applied, equals power!”

– Earn Your Leisure Podcast

2. Listen to podcasts

In 2020, podcasts are also a great way to stay informed and learn life changing insight. No matter your interests, there’s a podcast for anything and everything. No, really, there’s a podcast for everything.

If you’ve found yourself on our page, you’re probably looking for a way to jump start your career, change paths, or are simply interested in investing more into yourself and your goals. We’re partnered with one of the world’s fastest-growing business podcasts, Earn Your Leisure, to help you gain your own financial freedom and increase your understanding of the importance of believing in yourself.

Brandon Mitchell, CEO of BrandResumes, was featured on Episode #59, where he discusses career advancement strategies and provides tips that anyone can implement to increase their salary. Click here to watch the episode!

“If you stay ready, you don’t need to get ready.” – Will Smith

3. Update your resume

Whether you’re between jobs or have an established career, it’s always good to improve upon or create a quality resume! Your resume is your first investment. If the last 10 years have taught us anything, it’s that we are all one government shutdown or pandemic away from unemployment. The world is returning to work again. Employment opportunities are increasing every day. Don’t let the competition get your dream job because you were unprepared and didn’t have a well-written and professionally crafted resume handy.

Professional writers at BrandResumes will design your resume for the same price as your Netflix subscription. Take the pressure off yourself and get started now! Click here to learn which BrandResumes Package will work best for your career!

“A moment’s insight is sometimes worth a life’s experience.”

– Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

4. Spend time reflecting

Do you wish you had more money saved? Wonder why that last job didn’t work out? Or wish you were further ahead in life? There is no better opportunity than now to spend your extra alone time reflecting on your life, particularly if you’ve been having a rough couple of months.

Legendary investor Ray Dalio has endured many painful moments throughout his lifetime, but he insists that reflecting on those incidents is what made him a better and more successful person. One of his mantras is “Pain + Reflection = Progress.”

If that job didn’t work out, could you have been a better colleague to your coworkers or perhaps more punctual? It’s always best to be honest with yourself so that you can get to the root of your problem and work towards improving for the next opportunity.

If you’re unemployed and don’t have a lot of money saved, don’t beat yourself up. Use this time to reflect on your relationship with money and your spending habits. Once you understand how you manage money, you will begin to see where you can improve your actions and then you can work towards becoming more fiscally responsible.

My point is, spend your downtime looking deeper and getting to know yourself. You won’t achieve success without first reflecting on your current circumstance, understanding why you aren’t where you want to be in life, and then taking the necessary steps to change.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain

5. Prepare for success

Don’t be naive and assume there are no jobs or new employment opportunities out there. Yes, people are hiring, even during this unemployment crisis. Job search Engine Glassdoor.com posted an article about hiring during COVID-19 saying, “while hiring may be slowing in some sectors, many companies are eager to add hundreds or thousands to their ranks today.”

Not only can BrandResumes provide you with a high-quality resume that is sure to land you an interview, but we can also assist you through that interview process by providing you with strategic interview coaching services. Get ahead of the competition and begin preparing for success now!

“Your life is only as good as your mindset.” – Unknown

6. Practice gratitude

Our last tip, but the most important of them all, is practicing gratitude. You can train yourself to have a grateful mindset by remembering that no matter your current circumstance, good or bad, things could always be worse. Training your mind to focus on appreciating everything, even the “little things,” plays a monumental role in your emotional, physical, and mental well-being.

According to a study conducted by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, “Daily discussion of gratitude results in higher reported levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness, energy, sleep duration, and quality. Grateful people also report lower levels of depression and stress, although they do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life.”

Everyone faces difficulties in life, but how we perceive those challenges and our ability to maintain a grateful attitude in what may seem like our darkest hour, is one of the most life-changing things we can do.

 Times are certainly tough right now for many, but there is still that silver-lining that exists which is filled with opportunity. Using your time wisely right now can make all the difference for your future as we move past the challenges from the first half of 2020. Take these 6 tips and make the most of your current situation. It could really change your future. Good luck!