Job Seekers Diary: How to set yourself up for success every day during your job search [Read it Loud]

Where to begin?

What to do first?

The following is an example of a typical day for me as a job seeker—based on the premise that I'm self-employed and have no one but myself to answer to! If you've got any questions, feel free to ask them.

This isn't intended as some sort of a manifesto or a lot of other over-hyped words usually associated with this subject. Just a simple overview of what I do to help keep me productive and, more importantly, organised.

You can spend all the time in the world planning your day, but without execution, you're wasting your energy. So I believe it's equally as important to understand what and how to execute.

I've been using Trello for a while now as. I find it very easy to organise projects into different boards, add cards/tasks within each board, categorise everything by tags (which then sort of serve as folders), and invite people to view or contribute. It takes some getting used to, and I don't use every single feature, but it's a solid tool that helps me navigate and prioritise projects—which I need to do as effectively as possible.

Anywho, that's not the point of this article. So here we go!

I like to start my day by checking out blogs and job search websites.

Set your email to reflect these sites, and you'll get a daily dose of motivation, insight and direction on how to succeed.

But let's say you're ready to start working. Remember that effective time management is all about the right mindset first. You've got to set yourself up for success.

Who are you?

Do you know what you want to do with your life?

Have any goals or objectives?

What's important to YOU in this world?

In other words...what matters most is having clarity within yourself day-by-day and putting yourself in a position where nothing can go wrong because it feels right (and not just some egotistical declaration of greatness). This means setting your intentions from the outset—rather than jumping from one thing to the next. It's essential that you feel good about yourself and your actions for you to reach success.

Contemplate these questions seriously first, then when you're clear on what it is you want to achieve—now the fun begins...you can get down to business!

What will today bring?

What needs to be done?

Where do I want this day to take me?

For those of us who are great at initiating but aren't so great at managing projects and tasks either need a little help or we're just lazy ;)

Lame excuses aside, it's time to use Trello again (or whichever tool works best for you). Break up your goals into small steps that are actionable every day. Write them down and verify the due date. The key is to maintain a daily routine and see it as an entire project in itself. If you miss one day, don't beat yourself up—just start the next day again.

This is where all of your hard work will pay off because EVERYTHING counts. You've always got to show up -- no excuses. Not being able to execute a plan because "you're tired" or "something came up" isn't an excuse any more than me saying I lost my keys—I know exactly where they are! Again, this takes discipline and practice, but once you get into a rhythm with Trello/whatever tool you use, it becomes second nature and sets you apart from everyone else who isn't willing to get things done.

The fact is you have to work hard to achieve even the slightest success. Suppose a website or a blog post taught me one thing. In that case, it's that nobody became great while sitting on their bum (and no, I'm not talking about modelling all day long—as in watching TV, movies and playing video games—I mean, these are worthwhile activities when put into perspective). You've got to be moving forward and taking action. Action breeds confidence which breeds more action. Get out there and do something!

"I am prepared for tomorrow; I shall meet today as it comes." – Anonymous

The next thing I like to do is review my list of action items, see what needs to be done and then work on them in order. If I miss a day, I just add it back into the schedule for tomorrow. And remember, even if you miss a day or two, don't worry about it—just keep on going. The key is just to do it! You can always play catch up later.

You have to remember when working with Trello (or any project management tool) that you can only truly get things done by taking action. Sitting down all day looking at your task list isn't helpful unless you're putting something into motion. In other words...you must take action and put something out there for the world to see/experience. It's so easy to get caught up in the "analysis paralysis" phase. You can sit there and have a theory of why something won't work, but you've got to go out and test it otherwise, how do you know? Unless you're living under a rock, then good for you!

It's all about the action—the more helpful information you put into your system (whether it's business or personal), the better off you are. Just keep going until everything is done and don't look back. If an item on your list isn't due till tomorrow or even later this week, just disregard it temporarily until that time comes around—don't stress yourself with non-urgent items that aren't due anytime soon if they aren't critical to your success.

#PlanForTomorrow Challenge: Determine the most critical steps you need to achieve today. Break them down into the most minor actionable tasks possible, then schedule them in Trello/Google Calendar. What's due tomorrow, and what can be done at a later date? Don't let things fall through the cracks—get them out of your head and onto paper (or whatever task management tool you use). Always know what you have going on tomorrow and make sure it's scheduled into your day—this reduces stress by not having to worry about what needs to get done when and how giving yourself that extra mental peace of mind which will allow for more motivation and productivity in the long run!

Now go out and bring it!

That's a wrap for this week.