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“Optimism is the skill of focusing on the positive – without denying the negative – and channeling one’s energy toward what is controllable. Optimistic people expect good things to happen in their lives and work toward creating positive change.”

It is hard to maintain an optimistic outlook 365 days of the year while being unemployed for the majority of them. We are only human, but making optimism your default setting is key.
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“Any fact facing us is not as important as our attitude toward it, for that determines our success or failure.”
     ~Norman Vincent Peale


You can’t land the sort of job you deserve if you don’t think you deserve it. 

Too often, folks approach a job search in the same way they would the welfare line. They feel embarrassed or unworthy. They feel like they’re asking for a handout. 

But, no one hires out of pity or charity. A person is hired because an employer has a need to fill. In essence, you are doing the employer a favor by agreeing to provide your labor at a fair market value.

Think of yourself like an NFL free agent. You never see a cocky, highly paid, famous wide receiver begging a team to hire him. Just the opposite: the NFL free agent takes the attitude that he is a rare, prized commodity. He can score. He can help you win. He’ll be doing you a favor if he deigns to sign with your team. NFL free agents don’t fear a job search. They dream of free-agency. That’s when they make the big bucks.

You’re just like that free agent. You are a skilled and talented professional. You can bring success and innovation to any job you sign on to. You will improve any team you join. This is your year of free-agency. This is your chance to sign a better five-year deal and join the franchise you always really wanted to play for. This job search is actually a very good thing. This is your chance to move up and make the big bucks.
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“Getting fired is nature's way of telling you that you had the wrong job in the first place.”
     ~Hal Lancaster, in The Wall Street Journal


It’s normal to feel hurt, vulnerable, or angry after losing a job. The good news is that despite the stress of job loss and unemployment, there are many things you can do to take control of the situation and maintain your spirits.

You can get through this tough time by taking care of yourself, reaching out to others, and focusing on your goals. Losing your job can also be an opportunity to take stock of your life, rethink your career goals, and rediscover what truly makes you happy.

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“You need to stop your worrying and start believing in yourself.”
     ~The Sorcerer's Apprentice


Worrying can be helpful when it spurs you to take action and solve a problem. But if you’re preoccupied with “what ifs” and worst-case scenarios, worry becomes a problem of its own.

Unrelenting doubts and fears are paralyzing, not motivating or productive. They sap your emotional energy, send your anxiety levels soaring, and interfere with your job search and your day-to-day life—all this with no positive payoff! The good news is that chronic worrying is a mental habit you can learn how to break. Train your brain to stay calm and collected and to look at life from a more positive perspective.
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“Once in a while you have to take a break and visit yourself.”
     ~Audrey Giorgi


Needless to say, there's a lot of stress and pressures associated with any job search.  Circumstances drive the urgency of securing a job (rent/mortgage payments, expiring unemployment benefits, personal pride, etc.)  However, if you've been searching non-stop for a job, don't let guilt and anxiety keep you from taking a break.  Rest and relaxation are necessary to avoid burnout and illness. You need to take a little time to recharge your mental and physical batteries.
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“You’ve got to think about big things while you’re doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction.”
     ~Alvin Toffler


The average job search takes 32.1 weeks — 225 days — according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That means the Big Thing in your life must be finding a job. So in order to not get caught in an average job search (32.1 weeks) every small thing you do each day must point in the direction of employment.

Any time you’re not sure whether you should be doing something, ask yourself: 

Is this moving me closer to a new job?  

If not, stop doing it.

Examples of small things to analyze with your employment goal in mind:
  • Email. Do you really need to check it every hour? Are employers contacting you that often? Would two or three email checks per day suffice instead?
  • Errands. Yes, it’s good to get out of the house, but you can do your banking or shopping after first having a networking lunch or coffee with a person in your target industry?
  • News from TV, print, or online. Do you really need to sit through 30-60 minutes of bad news on TV each morning and night? How will it make you more employable?
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“Action is the antidote to despair.”
     ~Joan Baez


In more popular vonacular "Just Do It", Nike made the phrase  famous, but you can make it practical.  You must go from saying and planning to doing and proving. Instead of fighting, crying, or complaining, funnel that energy into focus and action. There’s no need to pick a day or plan ahead -- "just do it". 

The more job ads you answer, the more calls you make, the more networking you do, the better you'll feel.
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“The past is not your potential. In any hour you can choose to liberate the future.”
     ~Marilyn Ferguson


Don’t walk backwards into your future! 
 
Move beyond your past and into your optimal future.
 
In order to walk forward into your optimal future, it is imperative that you give yourself permission to SUCCEED. Accept the past as valuable experience, then apply these new insights and strategies to create the life you most want.
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