Author - Rob Robichaud Photo - Tim Mossholder

Consider the idea that finding a job is a full-time job. Get up each day at the same time and start working at finding your new career as if you were already going to work. A simple lesson learned from the law of attraction in the book The Secret. Take a half an hour (or less) for lunch, and end at the same time each day. My ritual is to do the dishes, that activity helps me transition from work minded into home minded.

Having a structure and routine creates a positive habit and will allow you to plan for those other essential parts of your life, such as exercise, family, and social time.

When you search for a job, you should follow the same type of schedule each week at least four full days every week until you get the offer you are searching for. It will happen, putting forth the effort will pay off, and good habits will develop as a result.

Get a good night's sleep tonight because tomorrow morning, you will be reporting to work and spending the day on tasks that lead to a job interview.

Approach finding a job as if it were a project. That means you should set goals for yourself, make a daily plan, and monitor your progress. You should apply all of the tools and skills that you used in your last job to the project of finding your next appointment. Excellent goal setting starts with writing down a plan; I recommend The Phoenix Journal – it is one of the Best Daily Goal Planners I have, and it is a top "Amazon's Choice" product.

Be a Boss. Set expectations for what you need to accomplish, provide direction, and monitor your work.

Meet with yourself once each week to evaluate your performance. I recommend doing this by writing two reports. The first is a candid evaluation of what you accomplished during the previous week. The second is a description of your plans for the coming week. Your plans should include your goals, actions, and priorities.

The first time that you write each of these reports, write out an evaluation of what you have done so far. Describe the results that this effort has produced and compare the results with what you wanted to achieve. Are you tracking ahead or behind? Make adjustments along the way.

Next, map out a realistic plan for the next week based on achievable goals. For example, you could set goals for the number of people you will call, the number of networking meetings you will attend, and the research you will conduct.

In the coming weeks, compare the results that you obtained during the previous week with the goals that you set. For example, if you planned to attend three networking meetings, virtual or in person, and you attended only one, you should;

a) Explain why this happened, and

b) Plan some actions differently this week to move and adjust to your goal.

You can also analyze why you missed your goal because this provides insights on what you need to do differently. Your goal (e.g., of attending three networking meetings) may have been set too high. Or maybe there are things you can do that will make it easier to achieve your job search goals, such as connecting with other job seekers to find out how their search is going. You may not be the right fit for a job, but they could be. The best way to get a referral is to give them first.

Finding a job is a full-time job, and you can do this. Everything will work out as it should, and you will be ok in the end. Work through your plan and the support of a good boss (yourself).

I wish you the best of success. You got this!