You probably know what I’m talking about.

You’re working on a project and you find yourself writing the same sentences or listing the same ideas over and over and over again.

Or you’re reading a book and you find that you’ve read the same paragraph 13 times and you have no idea what the words told you.

Or you’re working on a home or garden project and you find yourself wandering through the rooms or the rose bushes, and nothing is getting accomplished.

You’re moving…but you aren’t getting anywhere.  It’s like you’re walking on a treadmill without changing locations, and you can’t get off.

The same thing happens in a job search.  (Especially if you haven’t received any encouraging news from employers recently.)  You’re doing “stuff” but it’s busy work.

It’s time to get some traction.

Best place to start? Get some focus. Decide to do three things today that will get you closer to your new job.  Add a measurement to your tasks—how long or how many.

For example:

• Call three people in your network and thank them for their help and support in the past.  (This keeps your name and job search in front of them.)
• Spend 1 hour researching a company you’re interested in working for.  Put your notes in the file folder you’ve created for that company.
• Pick one friend who is also unemployed and list three people you can connect her with.  Give her a call and share the connctions with her.

Although I’m not someone known for an extreme exercise commitment, I’m smart enough to know that how we feel physically makes a big difference in our attitude. Re-energize your body.  Take a long brisk walk or run to get rid of that sluggish feeling.  Eat just fruits and vegetables for  one meal—stay away from the sugar.  Or take a nap!

The best way to move from treadmill to traction is to do something intentionally.  Stop the machine. Step off.  Do something that moves you to a different place.

Your job search is a journey. Different stops along the way.  Don’t stay too long on the treadmill. There are better ways to get you to your destination.

What’s one action you can take today to move from treadmill to traction?

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 2nd, 2010 at 12:00 am and is filed under Find a Job, Job Search Strategies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.