Here you are, suddenly unemployed. Initially, dreams of traveling and revisiting lost hobbies dance in your head. And then you start running the numbers: rent, groceries, health insurance and all of a sudden you realize you have no time to play. It’s time to get another job.
While these days being unemployed isn’t exactly lounging at the park all day, I believe that it is crucial to be efficient with your new freedom. Here are some great ways to strike a balance between focused job hunting and strategic goofing off.
Set Goals: Create specific and measurable goals with your job search. Start with small goals such as “Email two contacts a day to set up informational meetings.” Then create larger big picture goals such as what type of job you want, how much you want to earn and by when you want to be employed.
Schedule Your Time: Most of us are the most efficient either in the morning or in the late evening. Determine which it is for you and set aside four hours for job search/network purposes. Only take personal calls and Facebook time during the alloted break time in between. For the remainder of your day, go enjoy yourself, guilt free!
Brainstorm Fun: When you were at your job, what did you daydream about when sitting at your desk or in a meeting? Learning to rock climb? Seeing a matinee movie? Going to lunch with friends? This is the time to do it!
The secret to enjoying yourself when you are unemployed is to achieve enough during the day where you don’t feel guilty about it. In fact, you will be more motivated and efficient if you do balance your time. It’s when we putz around all day not really accomplishing anything that we feel guilty for not doing a twenty-four hour job search. So, go enjoy yourself!
