50 Ways to Stay Motivated

The initial energy that you put into your job search will end. The longer the process drags on the more difficult it will be to stay motivated. You may not even recognize that you are losing momentum until you're in real trouble. Most of the action items below are minor adjustments like #5, "Get a hair cut," but all together they can have a cumulative impact. Doing an effective job search requires energy. A lot of energy! Eating junk food, lacking exercise, being sleep deprived, watching too much TV, isolating yourself and looking like crap as in #5, "Get a hair cut," ARE NOT energy producing activities. Avoid spiraling downward with these tips.

1. Go to bed a half hour early and get up a half hour early. This allows you to carve out additional personal time.
2. Start each day by saying your favorite positive affirmation to yourself (ie., TODAY will be a Totally Awesome Day).
3. Define your daily exercise time. Make an appointment with yourself and keep it (ie., morning, afternoon or evening).
4. Get 30 minutes of exercise five times a week (ie., walking, running, biking, swimming, climbing, lifting, yoga, zumba, etc.).
5. Get a hair cut. Take a hot shower which will relax you. Wear comfortable clothes that make you feel great.
6. Write a short entry in a journal every day. This will help put your thoughts onto paper and help declutter your mind.
7. Read scriptures such as the Bible, Torah, Koran or something else that feeds your soul. Pray or meditate to clear your mind.
8. Attend a house of worship or join a community of like-minded believers. Helps avoid isolationism.
9. Believe in yourself, believe in something and have someone believe in you.
10. Eat a balanced diet loaded with fruits and vegetables; make wise nutritional choices. Reduce the level of sugar in your diet.
11. Eat an excellent breakfast that will sustain you during the day. Eat some fruit mid-day or other mood-improving food.
12. Call two people that have served as trusted mentors. Helps avoid isolationism.
13. Listen to the right people. Helps avoid isolationism.
14. Reach out to three to five friends and ask for their advice and guidance. Helps avoid isolationism.
15. Spend some fun time with friends at least twice a month. Helps avoid isolationism.
16. Check out from the public library a motivational book, CD or DVD.
17. Go through some photographs that remind you of positive memories which will also put your situation in perspective.
18. Drink a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. Have a beverage with friends more consistently. Helps avoid isolationism.
19. Listen to your favorite positive music.
20. Think of just one thing that will move you forward. Just one! Then do it!
21. Read old letters of recommendation or obtain new one for your LinkedIn Profile.
22. Take a nature walk of any duration. Even 30 minutes will help clear your mind. Share it with a friend. Helps avoid isolationism.
23. Rally your family members for support; call more regularly and increase the time you spend with them. Helps avoid isolationism.
24. Find an "Accountability Buddy" and call them on "Motivational Mondays" and "Follow-Up Fridays" to help you stay on track.
25. Do some stretching exercises mid-day.
26. Have someone give you a massage. Give/Get at least three hugs per day. Helps avoid isolationism.
27. Volunteer five to 10 hours a week to make a difference, develop a support team and build connections. Helps avoid isolationism.
28. Write your Triple "P" - Your Personal, Professional and Play Vision Statements. Get clarity on what you really really want!
29. Set strict limits on technology including the time you spend on the Internet and watching TV. Helps avoid isolationism.
30. Get out of the house every day and go to the library, coffee shop, walk, etc. Helps avoid isolationism.
31. Laugh at least 10% more than you do now. It releases endorphins.
32. Plan the next vacation you will take once this transition is over. This way you will have something to work toward.
33. Get at least eight hours of sleep. Stick to a standard wake up time and bedtime. This will help improve your daily performance.
34. Have set dinner times with family/friends each night. Take a break from your search and recharge. Helps avoid isolationism.
35. Change your attitude. Don't beat yourself up. No one is telling you that you are a loser, so don't tell yourself that you are one!
36. Visualize the ideal job and total success. Visualize abundance NOT scarcity. Visualize what you can do, NOT what you can't do.
37. Establish a written detailed monthly budget - stick to it each month.
38. Make an appointment with a financial planner to come up with a short-term and long-term financial strategy.
39. Take one minute out every hour to breathe and exhale deeply ten times.
40. Take one minute to stretch every hour.
41. Set a goal of doing one fun activity every weekend.
42. Conduct as many networking "Coffee Talks" as possible. I suggest five to ten every week. Helps avoid isolationism.
43. Set three daily Micro Goals that are so small that it is impossible to fail.
44. Set three Major Goals (BHAGs - Big Harry Audacious Goals) so high that when you achieve them, they will blow your mind.
45. Remain disciplined to putting in at least 40 hours per week on your job search. Then quit and enjoy the weekend!
46. Create structure in your daily job search activities. Join professional associations, job search clubs, attend career fairs, etc.
47. Take any temp job or part-time job to earn cash, to network, to get you out of the house and improve yourself esteem.
48. See a therapist if you start to go downhill. Get on a treatment plan that will work for you. Helps avoid isolationism.
49. See a professional career counselor for solid advice, guidance, direction and an action plan. Helps avoid isolationism.
50. Say ten things each day that you are grateful for. Wish for three things that will happen to you.