Motivation for Success

by Debra Wheatman on Jun 21, 2010 in Career Advice

When you start to feel unmotivated because of a demanding job search that is moving along at a snail’s pace, it’s hard to get going again! It happens to all of us. You don’t even want to think about it sometimes. You need to jumpstart your engine, reengage, and get pumped to keep going. Here are some things to help you go the distance:

Focus on the Goal. Whenever I’ve been down, I find that it is because I have too many things going on; it is stressful to look at a laundry list of ‘to-dos’ and feel energized by that. The overwhelming sensation that there are simply not enough hours in the day grips me like I am paralyzed. I think about all of the things. How will I get them all done? It consumes all of my energy. One of the most common mistakes people make is trying to do too much. Choose one goal at a time. Focus on that goal; make a plan to achieve it before you try to move on to the next thing. The simplicity of putting all your ‘eggs in one basket’ as it were will be just the thing you need to forge ahead. Divide and conquer I say!

Look for the Inspiration: We are all inspired by different things – some read books, articles, journals, blogs, or other materials regarding someone else who has overcome adversity or some other challenge. Some speak to people and learn of their efforts to promote change in their own lives. Whatever your method for becoming inspired, embrace it! You will feel empowered and inspired to keep going.

Psych yourself up: Seems totally obvious, right? Well, not so much. It is hard to be excited by something that represents a lot of work and requires, as I always say ‘a significant amount of skin in the game’. Talk to your friends, relatives, and people within your sphere of influence. You might even consider joining a networking group. There are some that really provide a lot of inspiration and support from the other group members. Visualize your success in your head. (I do this at the gym). I know it sounds hokey, but I get my best ideas while I am running. Embrace that renewed sense of power and carry it forward.

Set Milestones: Setting milestones to achieve the overarching goal will allow to formalize your approach and celebrate the little achievements. It is the crawl, walk, run theory. Keep notes; write down the milestones on a calendar. When you achieve them, give yourself a ‘present’. This could be something as simple as an afternoon in the park. The point is that you should reward yourself for achieving your milestones. This will help you achieve the points referenced above.

Publicize it: Tell other people – friends, family about what you are doing. People will ask you how things are coming along. You will want to have something to share with them. Sharing what you are doing with other people – similar to writing it down makes it seem more ‘real’. Find a person, or people with whom you can share your updates on a regular basis. You will find that your progress reports will allow others to help you help yourself.

Embrace the Level Set: There will be high’s and low’s to your search. Things fluctuate; life fluctuates. If you need a good swift kick in the bootie, call someone who inspires you for a reality check. It will happen for you.

Don’t Despair and Don’t Give Up: Consider your search a journey with stops along the way. You might hit bumps in the road; at some point the bumps will turn to clear highway. You might even be forced to have to choose between making a left or a right! (Think two options.) Stick it out; you will be glad you did.

Power of Positive Thinking: How you feel about yourself is what you project to others. This is especially true of job search! You must remain positive during your search. Other people will sense your proactive and ‘happy’ mentality. This will contribute to your success! Value yourself – others will value you too. You can do this!

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”  — Michael Jordan