So, how are you sleeping?

Try this tonight.

Get to bed early tonight. Before falling asleep:

Say thanks for what you have.
Decide what you are going to focus on in the morning.
Make plans to do something good.
Repeat your goal for the next day.
Promise to remain optimistic and hopeful and undefeated.
Repeat until you fall asleep.

Guess what?

You will sleep better and wake up feeling alert and refreshed.

You will not wake up in the middle of the night worried or uncertain.

Try it tonight. What do you have to lose? Sleep?

Looking busy

Years ago, I was laid off from a company I had been with for 9 years. For the first time in my life, I was out on the street unexpectedly without a plan.

So I did what everyone else did:

I started every morning by searching all the job openings on the job boards and submitting my resume to every single one.

I then checked my email hoping to find an interview invitation or an offer letter.

To make matters more interesting, I scheduled interviews with recruiters - often for job openings with 500 other applicants.

One day I had a meeting with an executive. As we sat in his office, he asked me to describe my typical day now that I had been out of work for the past few months.

I ran through the above schedule and he laughed. "You spend all day long clicking on jobs and sending in your resume. I guess that makes you feel like you're working or something, huh?".

It opened my eyes.

I thanked the man for his time and went home. I opened up my email and pulled the contact information for every person I had ever done business with or worked for in the past 10 years. Customers, vendors, former bosses, friends and antagonists alike.

I wrote each one and asked for their advice. "You know me, where should I look? What is a good industry right now? What companies need someone like me?"

The result was amazing. I had a new job in 1 week.

If you are looking for work or looking for a change, quit poking on job ads and spitting your resume down the drain. Contact your network and start asking questions.

And for goodness sake, quit trying to look busy!