“How’s the job search going?” I ask my client.

“I am not so motivated” is her reply.

I laugh and say, “Motivation is overrated. When it comes to a job search if you wait until you’re motivated it’s like waiting until you feel ready to have a child or get a dog. That time may never arrive.”

Motivation is the flipside of the procrastination coin. Once you start waiting to feel motivated, procrastination is ready to step in and fill that gap.

You do not need to feel motivated to make progress in your job search. All you need are a few ways to trick yourself into moving forward.

4 Great Tips To Kick-Start Your Job Search

1. Turtle Steps- This is one of my most favorite life coaching tools.  If you can’t seem to get started that is often a sign that your goal is TOO BIG. That is the time to do a turtle step. Whatever your goal is, cut it in half. If you still do not have traction, then cut your goal in half again. Keep doing this until you feel the small, turtle step of movement.
2. Priming Anchor- In psychology, priming is a technique in which the introduction of one stimulus influences how people respond to a subsequent stimulus. You can use this concept of priming to help you get motivated. Every time you begin your job search do something. Eat a banana. Do a cartwheel. It does not really matter what it is. You are working at training your mind and body to expect the next action. And then, when you are not feeling it, have that banana and this can help get past demotivation to action.
3. Do It Badly- Often perfectionism gets in the way of us starting pretty much anything. So, do not go into your job search thinking you have to do it perfectly. You do not have to spend 5 hours, send 10 resumes out and connect with 15 people on LinkedIn. Just start your day by saying this: “Today I will do my job search badly”. This takes the pressure off so you can move forward.
4. Rewards- I am not talking about the standard rewards we think about like getting a manicure or buying a new item after we meet a goal. That is all good, but I am talking about giving yourself a reward for doing steps 1-3. Rewarding yourself for getting started feels good and keeps you coming back for the good feels. And it doesn’t have to be anything major.
   • You took a goal and cut it in half and then in half again. Great. Stop what you are doing and give yourself a pat on the back.
   • You weren’t feeling the motivation to do your job search, so you pulled out a banana, ate it and laughed your way to your desk. Let out a rebel yell!
   • You caught yourself not feeling good about the level of activity you had put forth in your job search. Then you remembered that it did not matter because your goal was to do your job search badly. Reward yourself with a few high fives.

Stop waiting to feel motivated. Make real progress one imperfect step at a time!

Are you looking to get real traction in your job search? Our Take Charge 1-on-1 Coaching program is the ticket. Don’t wait until you’re feeling motivated. Sign up Today!