This is a series of 6 articles about the different aspects of your job search…
Aspect #5: Physical Aspects Of A Job Search Part 2
This is a continuation of my previous blog post Physical Aspects Of A Job Search Part 1, which discussed your diet, sleep, addictions and, personal hygiene. In today’s blog post we will cover exercise patterns, and your time management. All of these aspects are important to maintaining your health in order to conduct a rigorous job search campaign. A job search can be hard work!
Exercise:
Americans as a whole probably don’t get as much exercise as they need. Perhaps you fall into that category. With more freedom to manage your time, now would be a good time to start an exercise routine.
Don’t end up like this:
A woman walking down a residential street, noticed a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch. She called out to him as she passed. “Hello there! I couldn’t help but notice how happy you look. What’s your secret for a long happy life?”
“I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day,” he replied. “I also drink a case of whiskey a week, eat nothing but fast food, and never exercise.”
“Wow!” The woman was amazed. “How old are you?” she asked.
“Twenty-six,” he replied.
Getting in better shape, and losing a little weight will add to feeling good about yourself and make you a much more viable candidate for a new position.
If you haven’t exercised in some time, it would be wise to get a doctor’s approval before you start an exercise routine, and then progress slowly. Don’t expect to be running marathons within the first month.
Research various other kinds of aerobic exercises, and find something you’ll enjoy and be able to stick with. The exercise you choose isn’t crucial, but what’s crucial is that it’s something you’ll continue. Exercising once a week won’t gain you much, but three to four times a week will work wonders, and you need to enjoy it to some extent to
be able to stick with it.
Don’t allow the joke Getting Fit author Joey Adams made about exercise be true of you,
If it weren’t for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn’t get any exercise at all.”
Getting started is the most difficult part of exercise. Kim Linehan held the world record in the women’s 1500-meter freestyle. According to her coach, Paul Bergen, as an 18-year-old she was the leading amateur woman distance swimmer in the world. Kim did endless exercises and swam 7 to 12 miles a day. The hardest part of her regimen? She said:
Getting in the water.”
Purpose to do it and then stick to it.
Time:
Time management is yet another aspect of your life that’s dramatically different when you don’t have a job. Your start time at work won’t dictate what time you get up, what time you go to bed, what you do in the evenings, your lunch breaks, etc.
You have freedom to set your schedule and stick to it. When you were working, there were consequences of not sticking to a schedule. Regular tardiness or absenteeism may have resulted in lost wages or a negative performance review. You may not see the results of not sticking to your schedule in a job search until further down the road, when it takes you longer to find a job.
Your perceived ‘free time’ is also a challenge for the significant others in your life. Discuss your time management with them so you all agree that your job (when you don’t have a job) is to look for a job. If you don’t approach your job search this way, you’ll be constantly distracted by the myriads of projects you can do around the house, or what
others will find for you to do.
II Chronicles reinforces this when it says:
But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”
We recommend that you spend five to six hours a day, five days a week in your job search. What you do with that time will be detailed in the rest of my book, “The Christian Job Search Manual,”
To focus on your search, set aside a place in your home that’s dedicated to job search activities. Whether this is a corner of your bedroom or living room, space in the garage, a guest bedroom…it doesn’t matter. What does matter is having a space where you keep all your job search resources. This space becomes your job search office.
One client told me he was having trouble focusing until he found a solution that worked for him. Each day, he would get up, shower, shave and do all of the other things to get ready ‘to go to work.’ Then he would go out, walk around the block and return to his ‘job search office’ in his home. For him, this was his commute, and it helped him get
into a mindset to go to work at his job search.
Whatever it takes for you to be successful, find it and stick to it. It doesn’t matter how corny it may sound; if it works for you, it’s worth it.
These tips and techniques will help you be better prepared, more energized, and ready to conduct an effective job search. But they won’t just happen; you must make them happen.
- Are you keeping in shape physically, or taking steps to get into shape?
- Are you communicating with your spouse or other close friends to let them know how you’re doing and what you’re struggling with?
- Are you eating healthy, or are you binging?
- Have you set aside the office space you need to conduct your search?
- Are you getting the sleep you need, without spending too much time in bed?
- Do you find you have become addicted to certain chemicals or practices that are damaging and robbing you of energy and zeal for the Lord?
- Are you managing your time effectively, and not letting others or the “honey-do” list manage it for you?
To read about any of the other Job Search Aspects, please click on a link below:
The Spiritual Aspect
This is an excerpt from my book “The Christian Job Search Manual,” click on this link to purchase the book.
If you would like to explore working with a Christian centered Career Coach, Contact me for a no-obligation 60-90 minute job search consultation with America’s Job Searching Coach, or text me at 425-220-0707 and we can discuss your situation, your résumé, what you would like to achieve, and structure your job search to fit your uniqueness.
I am also available to speak to groups.
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