I’m bored. Being idle is mind numbing.

What I realized is that activity just for the sake of activity is wasteful and boring. It is almost like retirement.  What we do with our limited time and money maters.

Is this daily routine about right?

•           Wake up, breakfast and paper/news,

•           Workout,

•           Check email, job postings, apply to one or if a good day two,

•           Check out updates on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.

•           Make a few calls,

•           Then nothing.

What is frustrating many of us is interviews are infrequent. Recruiters want to talk with us about nothing and our curiosity in glorified ‘working from home’ ads increase as time passes by.

The point is to spend our time on stuff that maters.  This way we are purposeful and in control of the day.

How can we be productive?

Do for others inside and outside the family:

* Relieve those who are working or going to school of their chores,

* Catch up on your chores, home projects or paperwork. I’m updating my will finally.

*Volunteer. I’m active on 5 committees, 2 boards, meet great people and accomplish something good each time we meet. This I do for me.

Sprinkle the week with effective networking:

* Concentrate on events that get you the greatest return. Participate at each session.

* Schedule follow up coffee break with networkers to share new leads. I’m meeting with a Microsoft Value Added Reseller.

* Follow up on old leads and prior interviews (the person they hired may not be enough or didn’t work out). Business needs are changing monthly, take the initiative and determine if your services are needed now.

* Participate in online and live training courses, seminars and webcasts to learn something new, keep your skills up or meet people with same interests who are employed. Skills can not be stale on re-entry.  I am taking advanced Excel in the latest version. The navigation in Excel changed too much to wing it on the job.

* Get known; consider speaking engagements, tutoring, mentoring, assist or run a workshop, write an article, again volunteer, etc.

Other ways to grow a solid and viable network:

* Start a professional study group. More of my peers are using the new found time for self improvement.  They are creating professional study groups.  Including QuickBooks certification, studying for the CPA or CMA exams, etc.

* Use LinkedIn and participate in Professional Associations effectively

* Be active by working on short term projects either pro-bono, at a lower rate, for a stipend or on the barter system.

Most of all best wishes in all you do. Benefits are many…if only we bring home the daily bread.

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