Now that we have a new president, how much will our lives really change? I'm sorry to tell you that the answer is not as much as some people hope and not as much as some people fear. The bottom line is that the president of the United States has very little impact on the lives of the average citizen. You're not going to be any more or less successful because of who became president. Sure, with Donald Trump you might see your taxes cut and you might save some money on insurance. While a little extra money is a welcome occurrence, it isn't going to be enough to materially change your life. Only you can do that.
Historically, people running for office promise you a great many things. Some of them are positive, such as lower taxes or more affordable healthcare. Conversely, I'm also sure there were some things you didn't like hearing. As we all know, there's usually a significant difference between what is promised and what is delivered. What does all this matter to you and the things you must do every day to have a successful life? My contention is not a thing.
You'll still wake up every day and go to work, assuming you're employed. If you don't have a job you'll need to spend time trying to find one. Will President-elect Trump bring back jobs? I certainly hope so but it's not going to happen right away. So, you must keep looking; you have bills to pay after all. If you have a job will your company be more successful under a Trump presidency? Maybe, but how your company rewards your performance or results will very likely remain the same.
So, while you're waiting for President-elect Trump to "Make America Great Again" you must continue to work on making your own life great. If you don't already know them find out what your boss or company values and rewards and do those things better than anyone else. Get the feedback you need from your manager and adjust your performance towards what he or she considers exceptional. Be accountable for your deliverables and keep your boss accountable for rewarding your exceptional performance.
Believe it or not, you are in charge of your own success. No politician is going to make you more or less successful. No politician deserves credit for your successes or blame for your failures. Both results are entirely on you. If you want a bonus at work you're going to have to put in the bonus effort. You can hope some politician raises your wages or gets you more time off, but neither of those things is going to get you that next promotion. You can hope for or even push to have work/life balance be a priority at your company, and your company may even say that it's an important part of their culture but the fact is that when they're handing out the rewards they're going to go to the people getting the results, and those people are very likely going to be the ones putting in the extra hours, at the expense of work/life balance.
I'm here to tell you that the American Dream is alive and well. The election of Donald Trump may convince you of that or it may not but the fact is the dream never went away. It is always within your control. It's never easy and it requires a lot of hard work but believe me when I say it's worth it. I grew up in the projects of South Philadelphia on welfare and surplus food, before there were food stamps. I had a hard life with many setbacks. Some of my setbacks came during Republican administrations and some with Democratic administrations. The same is true of my successes. So, celebrate the election of Donald J. Trump as our new president or cry if you feel the need, but whatever your reaction, do it and then get back to work.