The Importance of Routine

Our lives are built on routine and that is mostly because we like it that way. It gives us structure and creates some level of efficiency. Think how much work it would be to wake up everyday and figure out how to organize all the work you had to do that week / month / year into a block that you could accomplish that day. By having neat boxes in our day it provides some structure that relieves us of this chore. It also ensures that most of that work actually gets done.

Why Routine?

When we are unemployed a good chunk of that structured day is suddenly unstructured, We are free for more than 10 hours that used to be very regimented. Wake up, get ready, commute, get through the work day, commute and get home. Free time - sounds wonderful doesn't it? A lot of things are wonderful till you get it. The problem with freedom is most people do not have the discipline to handle it and over time this lack of discipline and a freedom that one is not used to can put you in a spiral down which can result in the loss of many other freedoms and privileges of civilized society. In other words if you do not spend this free time constructively you will not find another job or create a stream of income that will allow you to retain the things and lifestyle that you have grown accustomed to.

What to do do about this?

We need to replace the time we used to spend on getting to work and at work with time spent on finding a new job or income stream. This article will focus on finding a new job which is something I know vs how to start a business which I do not know a lot about. Your new job is to sell you to anyone that is willing to part with their resources for your skill and time. It really is that simple.

Structure is key

You have a few key things you need to accomplish everyday:

1. You need to connect with as many people as you can 
2. You need to identify as many job opportunities as you can 
3. Identify the best method to and apply for those jobs that you identify that day 
4. Follow up on the applications and meetings you had in the past

See this article and this one on how to find a job for more details on these items.

You can add the following items to your day - this is an opportunity to adopt good new habits into your day.

1. Exercise 
2. Meditation 
3. Preparing and eating healthy meals 
4. Spending more time with family and friends 
5. Developing a healthy hobby 
6. Learning a new skill
7. Living more - There is more to life than work. 

Everyone needs to develop their own routine, what is most important is that you have a routine that moves you towards your goal than what precisely makes up the routine. Key is it should move you towards your goal.

A sample routine might work as follows:

06:00 am wake up
06:30 am workout / meditation
08:00 am breakfast
09:00 am spend time applying to new opportunities on LinkedIn, Indeed and other sites
10:00 am connect with people coffee meetings, phone calls etc
noon try to grab lunch with someone
02:00 pm follow up on past contacts, applications
04:00 pm spend time applying to new opportunities on LinkedIn, Indeed and other sites
06:00 pm good time to connect with people over drinks
07:00 pm family time / learning
10:00 pm sleep

Please remember this is not a prescription it is a suggestion a guide to help you create your own routine.

Weekends

Sometimes the weekends are the worst. This is a time where it is harder to do things to help you find your new job. Fear not it is still a great time to connect with people at a more personal level. Get breakfast, lunch and drinks with people - remind them that you are still looking for your next opportunity.

The weekends are also a great time to recharge and get some happy into your life. Find those friends that make you happy that bring you joy. Spend time with them. If you need to have a good cry - whatever helps you recharge, focus and move forward.

This is not the time to spend time with family or friends that bring you down. You do not need that right now (you may not need that ever). You have a very clear primary goal - find a way to move forward, a new opportunity, what you do on your weekends matter towards this goal as all the work you do during the week.

What to watch out for

If you are waking up later and later everyday and letting more and more of your old routine go by the wayside this should alert you that you are getting used to doing little or nothing useful. If you watch day time TV or play Xbox for many hours during the day this should set of alarm bells. If you are not doing anything or spending time doing nothing useful then this is for sure a sign you are on a bad path.

Be kind to your self this is a hard time, it is possible that you are depressed. Talk to friends, family a therapist. Key thing is do not fall into a rut where you are not doing anything to help you move to the next step in your life. Adopt a a structure or routine as soon as possible even a simple one and make sure it includes activities that are healthy for you and will help move you towards your goals. Do something today!

Wrap up

Use this temporary period of your life to move your life forward. Think of this as an opportunity. It is a period of time that smart good people use to leap forward. Understand and believe that this is in fact a temporary situation, it is impermanent. Use the time to build a new life, a new way for your life, with new routines and new structure to help you be all that you want to be.

Confidence

Most people look for a job when they feel they must find a new job. Few people if any start the process and begin to interview until either something happens or they see that something is about to happen. These then are, generally, trying times – times when you are not necessarily feeling your most confident. Yet this is a time where you are marketing yourself and are expected to exude self-confidence. How then do you project this confidence? 

Past Achievements

One way to feel confident about your self and about the future is to look at the things that brought you to where you are. Your career accomplishments - these are things that would not have happened without you – you can argue that someone else may have executed those same things – but I say you need to believe that they would not have done so as well as you did. In the end you were the one that created these things they exist because of you and your hard work.

Look at the people you have touched and the impact you have had. Think about the people you have mentored, coached the people on whom you have made their lives better in some small way. If you have not done this up until now – start now – try hard to have some small positive impact on the people around you.

Focus on the things you have learned, your academics, your certifications, your on the job training, and the life experiences that make you who you are. You are unique in your life experience and the perspectives you bring to the table because of them.

Fake it till you make it

There are countless studies that detail the benefits of dressing well and paying attention to personal grooming. Fundamentally you absorb the image you are projecting. There is also studies that show how you hold yourself can instill a sense of confidence this TED Talk  is worth watching. If you smile a lot you will feel happy in that same way if you pretend to be confident you will feel confident.

Thoughts and actions

Focus on positive ideas and things that make you feel better about tomorrow and kill the negative self talk. This is not the time for introspection and learning from past mistakes. This is the time to leverage past victories and to build on them. To construct a reality in which you are super person. Then act like you are super person – do things that reflect this new you, be helpful to people, extend yourself, give of yourself. Shift the focus from you to outside you – a wider lens helps bring perspective.

Slow down – speak slowly and move a bit slower. This gives you more time to think and it reduces the ahhs and umms and that alone creates the impression that you know what you are talking about and have your act together. Confident people know that what they have to say matters and that others are willing to wait to listen to what they have to say.

Situation

By the time you actually get to talk to someone or meet someone in an interview that company has already some confidence in your ability and in you. They are looking to confirm their bias – that you are the person they want to hire. It is up to you to help them confirm what they already believe. Knowing that they already think you as capable should make you feel confident. In the words of Stuart Smalley: You are good enough, You are smart enough and doggone it, people like you! Believe it.