Are you unemployed? Do you find yourself staring into a computer screen and painfully trying to will yourself to look and apply for jobs? Or to update your resume, edit cover letters, host interviews, or simply do a Google search on local companies hiring?

You are not alone.

One of the biggest hurdles when unemployed is overcoming that initial step of how to go about becoming un-unemployed. Finding motivation that drives your ambition toward results; a professional career of your desire.

Being unemployed is a common and never-ceasing result of existing in modern society. Everyone has been or will be at some time in their life unemployed. However, whatever the circumstances or results occurred from becoming unemployed, does not deter from the true meaning of unemployment. A chance to find a career/job that is new, fun, better, and most important you.

The most important thing to remember when overcoming being unemployed is to keep focused on the end result. A new job, career, or passion that solves your immediate needs and put you back onto a path of prosperity. With that in mind, here are 5 tips for staying motivated when unemployed. These tips will ultimately assist in accelerating your aspirations toward a happy and successful future:

Unemployed Motivation Tip 1: How Much Do You Want It?

Conjuring motivation for something you don’t want to do is like pushing a boulder uphill. For our first tip, let’s focus on what you really want and how much you want it.

You know what they say: It is impossible to obtain what you don’t know you are looking for.

For example, write a list of expectations and desires for your new career. This can include job title, type of industry, work culture, company size (start-up or enterprise), pay, work/home-life balance, etc. Next, rate each listed desire from a scale of 1-10, one being the least important and ten the most important. After rating each desire, record a new list featuring the highest-rated items at the top and the least at the bottom.

Once you have determined the importance of each desire, evaluate what you hope to gain from each desire. If you perceive the gain to be worth less than the energy needed to obtain the desire, re-evaluate its importance. Understanding the reality of each criterion helps manage personal expectations for each desire, as well as understanding what is actually important to you.

Once you have completed Tip 1, please continue to Tip 2.

Unemployed Motivation Tip 2: Plan of Accomplishments

Tip 1 is understanding what we want and how much we want it. Some individuals might feel pretty good and motivated; ready to jump back on the horse. But I suggest looking over our next tip: making a plan of accomplishments for what you want.

One of the best ways to stay motivated is knowing when you are achieving milestones. No matter how big or small, checking something off a checklist always feels a little liberating.

For Tip 2, we focus on the little things when seeking employment and break them down into individual tasks to attack and accomplish daily/weekly.

An example:

-research industries that interest you and make a list

-from the list of interested industries, research companies interest you and make a list

-from the list of interested companies, list their open jobs that apply to you with directions on how to apply and the respective hiring managers/leaders

-edit your resume/cover letter to match each specific job/company you are pursuing

-make a list of individuals to reach out to after applying (hiring managers, CEO, Directs)

-apply to jobs

-send follow-up emails/messages

-lookup interview questions for the specific job/role, record and save response to review later

-ask yourself how your current skills match the specific job functions/company and record your response

Once you have created your checklist or “Plan of Accomplishments,” actively imagine yourself completing each task and set a timeframe of when you want each goal accomplished. You can set reminders on your phone or invite people within your life to encourage you to accomplish your goals. Be sure to continuously reward yourself after every accomplishment.

Unemployed Motivation Tip 3: Love Yourself

The best part about being unemployed is having the time to focus on yourself and recalibrate who you want to be. Unemployment is a perfect time for mindfulness, self-reflection, and seeking positivity within yourself.

Our third motivation tip corresponds with tips 1 & 2 (discovering what you truly want & how much you want it and establishing a plan of accomplishments). Once you have started making progress in your plan of accomplishments, it is essential to reward yourself. Hence the name of our third tip; love yourself.

Loving yourself can be as easy as treating yourself to something delicious, or a fun activity.

As corny as this step may sound, it is essential. This tip allows your brain to fully register your accomplishments; thereby sustaining the momentum of your progression and maintaining motivation for your next accomplishment/reward.

Unemployed Motivation Tip 4: Find Your Sensei

A sensei is a teacher/mentor/leader who inspires something within you.

Tip number 4 “find your sensei” essentially means to look for someone who has accomplished the same goals that you seek to accomplish. Your sensei does not have to be a single person, this can also be a group of like-minded individuals or friends that positively impact your professional wellbeing.

One of the best ways to stay motivated is by surrounding yourself with individuals that inspire you to be the best version of yourself.

Unemployed Motivation Tip 5: Sweat/exercise

Our final tip on finding your motivation while unemployed is something previously mentioned in my earlier article “Boost Productivity: Promote Employee Health and Wellness 2020.” In this article, I highlight one of the best tips that boost IQ, improves mental health, enhances memory, and relieve stress. This tip is exercise!

We know sweating relieves your body of toxins like heavy metals, chemicals, and bacteria. But, did you know sweating while exercise boosts energy, helps your body naturally defend against diseases and health conditions, and improves your mood and sleep? (Healthline)

Is there a better way to motivate someone than improving sleep, energy, and feeling healthy?

Bonus Tips:

In this article, we covered 5 tips for finding motivation while unemployed. Experiencing the loss of motivation or drive is a normal dilemma. Feeling unmotivated is an essential personal development tool designed to make you stronger.

If you continue you lose your motivation after re-visiting the tips above, please keep in mind our bonus tips below:

6.Continuously review goals and set realistic expectations and time frames. If the goals seem too big, break the goal down into smaller sub-goals that create a path to the main outcome.

7.Stay mindful about what you are doing throughout the day and why you are doing it. Are you consciously focusing on ways that change your current unemployment status, or are you dwelling on being unemployed?

8.Obtain inspiration from others. Look to your sensei. Read/watch inspiring materials> Talk with someone who has completed similar goals you wish to achieve. This is another element of staying focused by aligning your goals with others who have achieved similar goals. This helps keep you motivated by creating a scenario “if they can do it, so can I.”

The last tip I would like to share to conclude this segment is: Tip 9 – Take A Break.

Sometimes all you need is a break. Take the time to reset your mind and align your thoughts around your goals. Remember, even the universe was not built in a day.

You can do this. We believe in you!