I had been slowly but surely losing weight for almost two years. I adjusted what I ate. I was eating less breads, pasta and sugar and more proteins, fruits and veggies. I also was getting regular exercise 3-7 days a week.

And it was working. I was not in any kind of rush, so as long as I was seeing progress, I was good.

In January of 2019 I stalled. Plateaus happen so I was not initially bothered. I just kept doing what I had been doing waiting for my body to adjust and for the slow and steady weight loss to begin again.

1 month, 2 months, 6 months and no change. Now I was starting to get pissed off.

I really liked my eating plan and level of exercise. I wanted to keep doing what I was doing and getting the same results.

The Rebel Takes the Lead

I heard that rebellious voice in my head saying “Geez! I am not eating bagels or candy or cheese. What else do I have to give up?”

I spent the holidays and into the first part of 2020 eating whatever I wanted. I showed “them”. Whoever “them” are.

I  gained 10 pounds, felt sluggish and a bit down.

My rebel had come out and it was not doing me any favors!

Time for Something New

I decided to download the Lose It! App on my iPhone. It lets me determine how much weight I want to lose and in what length of time. Then I input my food and my exercise, and it lets me know if I am on track or close to going off the rails.

Good News! I am losing once again at my slow and steady pace.

Tracking Gets Results

Recently, I was talking with a coaching client about how her job search was going.  Not well.

I started asking some questions about her job search activities, like jobs she was applying to and how she was growing her LinkedIn connections.

She did not know exact numbers.  She was “doing pretty good” she thought but could not figure out why why she wasn’t getting any interviews.

Just like my weight, she had plateaued and now needed to change things up.  I suggested she start tracking her activity so it was all in the black and white.

Her inner-rebel wanted to fight her on this, but she did it anyways and started getting traction on her job search again.

5 Steps to Removing Your Job Search Plateau

Step 1:  Start with the outcome you are seeking
               Example: Get 100 new connections on LinkedIn by month end.

Step 2:  Set up one activity goal for the month
               Example: Connect to 10 new people on LinkedIn every day.

Step 3:  Track what happens when you do this
               Example: How many folks say yes when you ask to connect?

Step 4:  At the end of week 1, look at the numbers. Are you on track to hit 100?
If yes, keep it up! It is working.
    If no, up the number of people you are connecting with, so you can up
your yesses!

Step 5:  Once you hit your goal! Do the happy dance. Take time to celebrate!

Losing weight and gaining connections on LinkedIn really do have something in common.

Initially, I was not tracking anything. I made some healthier choices and was getting results…until I wasn’t.

One of the things I coach on is in the upcoming Take Charge Digital Course we are launching, is the idea of treating your job search like a sales journey.

If you know anything about being in sales, you know that salespeople have goals or quotas. They have targets they are shooting for and certain activities that help them reach their goals.

If they are not getting the outcomes they are hoping for, they (or their boss) will look at their activities and make adjustments like increasing the number of cold calls or going to more networking events.

By adjusting the things you have control over you can change your outcomes.

Same is true for your job search. You want to have daily or weekly activity goals that are tied to outcomes you are seeking.

Like increasing your LinkedIn connections.

They are both the result of tracking activities and adjusting when you are no longer getting the outcomes you desire.

Stop rebelling and start tracking your way to your next job.