Routine, Discipline and taking Action

The past few weeks have been amazing, I've been on holiday and relaxed in the sunshine, I've eaten some incredible food and had so much fun with my husband Mark and two children Holly and Jack.

Initially a few days into my holiday I panicked as I realised that I wasn't getting much reception on my Blackberry - how was the world going to cope if they couldn't have contact with me? I then remembered how it was just 15 years ago before the mobile phone was developed; people would take their holidays and be free from everyday issues. Instead of agonising over a problem that was out of my hands I decided to take this opportunity to sit back, relax and enjoy myself!

How often do you take time off to relax and recharge your batteries, cutting yourself off and forgetting about everyday issues?

We've now been back from our holidays for nearly a week, Holly and Jack returned to school on Tuesday which hasn't been easy. Changing our routine back to pre-holiday has been a BIG challenge for me let alone the kids! After nearly a month we managed to change our sleeping and eating habits overnight, it's easily done and I now realise that getting back to routine is hard work.

I'm now on a mission and decided that if I want to have greater success in my work and have an easier family life then I have to introduce ROUTINE and DISCIPLINE and take more ACTION. Believe me when I say that it's easier said than done!

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.”

Habits are routines of behaviour that are repeatedly regularly. Throughout our day we form dozens of routine habits to include the time we get out of bed, brush our teeth, the route we take to work, the time we go to lunch, the time we leave the office, the journey home from work, the TV programs we watch, the time we go to bed.

Other habits which can affect our health include smoking, poor diet, drinking alcohol, lack of exercise and stress. We also have ‘funny’ or our friends, family or partners might call them ‘irritating’ habits whether it’s something we say or do on a regular basis.

But, let’s not focus on the bad habits let’s focus on the good habits and especially those habits that successful interviewees adopt when seeking new job opportunities. There are many to choose from however I have focused on the following 5 key points:

1) Positive Attitude – Whilst it can be difficult to remain positive when seeking new employment it is absolutely vital that you keep a smile on your face. Attending interviews feeling negative will have a HUGE impact on how you perform during interview.

2) Preparation and Practice – It’s an old cliché but….”fail to prepare, prepare to fail” You can’t prepare too much for an interview, do your homework and find out everything you can about the company / department and the people you will be meeting. Practice your interview answers by writing them down or even record yourself until you feel confident with the answer you hear.

3) Proactive – Input Activity = Output Results. Being proactive or taking ACTION in your job search can be quite difficult when working in a full time job however, if you’re serious about finding a new job then you need to dedicate some time to ensure that you’re ahead of your competition. If on the other hand you are not working then it’s your job to find a job and therefore you should be putting in the hours on a daily basis.

4) Networking – nearly 80% of jobs are filled direct via internal referrals, company websites and various job board sites therefore it is important that you’re not relying solely on Recruitment Agencies. Strong job seekers are aware that networking is a vital part of the job seeking process and are always looking for opportunities to meet or connect with new people.

5) Follow Up – Without follow up then a meeting, interview or new contact is an empty hole. It is in your interest to ensure that you follow up every lead and interview. Send a note to say thank you to everyone who interviews you reminding the employer why you are the right person for their role. Even if the role is not for you still send a thank you note and make a good impression.

Nikki Hutchison, founder of Chilli Pepper Global www.chillipepperglobal.com advising you on every aspect of the job seeking process guiding you step by step whether you are looking to move internally or externally.