List Problems

It’s that season again. The one to make resolutions for the new year, and to make lists of things that we want to accomplish. Lists are a good things – I use them all the time, and certainly our software is built around lists of things that need to get done (as well as the context of information around them).

But sometimes making a list is not productive. Let’s look at some of the ways and times that it’s probably better NOT to make a list:

List and Forget: Sometimes I make a list of things to do purely so I can forget about them. Hey, it’s on a list, so it’s under control, right? My wife particularly accuses me of this one. The solution: Only make lists that you’re going to look at and work on.

List it all: This is the list from hell. The list with everything on it, from finding a job to fixing the house, to losing some weight, to writing that novel. This is a list begging to be ignored – how can you work on something that big? The solution: Make a couple of lists. I have my life goals list, that I pull out once a year to see how I’m doing and what to focus on for the year. I have my ‘fix the house’ list that lists all the stuff we’d like to do on the house. One or another of these get worked on when we have house fixing time.

List it Big: Make no small items on the list. Everything on this list is big, and scary. It’s almost impossible to start. The solution: Break down items into tasks that you can get done. I find that 15 minutes is about my perfect task size for work-related lists. Anything bigger than that, and I have to schedule the time. But I can fit in 15 minute tasks between interruptions. Put the big items on a long-term list, and check them off when all the small tasks get done.

List it Bad: Make everything on the list something that you really, really, don’t want to do. That will assure that you never look at the list again. The solution: Put a mix of fun and nasty things on your list. Just make sure you don’t do all the fun ones first, leaving you with a bad list again.

Getting started on a list, whether it’s new year resolutions or job search to-dos, is the biggest challenge. Have a couple of ‘gimme’ items to get your momentum up. Then tackle the whole list.

Ignore the Economy

Stop reading the economic forecasts.

Unless you’ve had your head in the sand for the last 6 months, you are aware that the world economy is not in good shape, and that the job market is difficult, at best. And the headlines keep shouting this at all of us (I must have a couple dozen emails in my inbox that start with something like, “The unemployment rate has increased to 6.7%...”).

We should all be reading the newspaper (online or dead tree edition, take your pick) to get background information, topics of conversation, and to basically show everyone that we’re connected. So if the economy suddenly takes off (or there is a miracle breakthrough and none of us have to work again) you will probably hear about it.

The problem with reading each of the doom-and-gloom articles is they don’t help. Job hunting is a tough undertaking. It is hard enough staying optimistic, and constantly reading about how bad the economy is doesn’t help.

Instead, focus on measuring your own job search success. If you’re not getting interviews or call-backs, those are problems – but they are job search problems whether the economy is in good shape or not.

The great thing is, job search problems you can work on. The overall economy is not anything you can work on.

If you are celebrating the holidays, take cheer from family and all the blessings you have. If you are not celebrating, still take a minute to think about everything you have going for you right now.

When you get back to your job search, approach it with clarity and confidence, knowing that your blessings will get you through.