Staying motivated in an unmotivated world

Staying motivated while searching for a job can be one of the most complicated actions.  Many people find it difficult to have enthusiasm and motivation when doors are closed in their face.  With the economy down and unemployment up how do you stay motivated to keep looking?  A normal human being can only hear no so many times before they just want to give up.  Here are a few suggestions to look at to hopefully stay motivated and not give up.

1. Enthusiasm is sometimes difficult when you are looking for a job, but if you walk into a place and you are looking depressed and down, sounding down when you are speaking with the person in front of you then that is going to show all over you.  Even if you are having a bad day, plant that genuine smile on your face, pump yourself up and make sure you have that enthusiasm oozing from you even if it is just for that interaction.  I know it is hard to stay enthusiastic when you feel the search is not going anywhere, but find someone that can pump you up and be your cheerleader.
2. Motivation comes from many different places.  Look at what motivates your actions.  What do you do every day to make sure you are motivated to succeed?  Who do you have in your corner that helps motivate you?  Using social networking sites are a good way to help and encourage each other to keep the chin up and share the frustration.  Making sure you motivate yourself to keep going is so important in today’s world.  Most people are motivated by money but there are other reasons to look at motivating yourself.  Maybe your children motivate you to make better choices, maybe your friends or family motivate you by walking the frustrating road of job search with you.  Maybe you just know your potential and that motivates you to change.  If we are not motivated to change, will we ever change?
3. Barriers can get in our way on a daily basis.  What barriers do you have that stand in the way of you gaining employment?  The individuals I work with have barriers ranging from little to no education, minimal job experience to having a criminal record.  These are some of the barriers that individuals face in the job hunt.  I tell my participants the same thing I will tell you. Success is not measured in having everything you want but the barriers that you have overcame to achieve it.  Facing a barrier can be frightening but with the right support and a plan of action overcoming the barriers can be rewarding and fulfilling.
4. Learning is a powerful tool to have on your side.  It is important to try and learn at least one new thing a day.  It might mean going back to school to help drive your career in an upward direction.  It might be learning a new skill that will make you stand out more to an employer.  It might be learn how to use multiple social networking sites to join other individuals in a forum to discuss different issues around employment.  It might be taking your self out of your comfort zone and doing something different.   
5. Planning is important because without a plan of action how will you know if you have succeeded.  Sticking to that plan of action is imperative to having success.  Each day we all do things that are minor successes for us.  Maybe it is following through with something you said you would do, maybe it is accomplishing a task, even if it is an assigned task, maybe you wanted to be on time today or even early and you did that.  We all have things that we do daily that we should pat our own backs for succeeding, but we often fail to recognize these achievements.  

If we wait around for others to motivate us, or expect others to give us the accolades we feel we deserve but we are not giving them to ourselves, then we are missing the boat.  I have several people in my life that motivate me, help pick me up when I am down, and help bring a smile to my face.  Some of them are only known online but they still know how to help me help myself.