Day 2, December 2 2009

As part of this self imposed challenge I have included additional improvement and action items. These range from reading more, to exercising and being more proactive in day-to-day life. Now with this exercise plan I am not seeking to spend hours in the gym or even attempting to run. The plan is to keep it straightforward and quick. A couple of examples of things I am doing include push-ups & sit-ups five mornings each week and using stairs instead of an elevator whenever possible. Nothing substantially groundbreaking, just simple items that should be achievable.
So this morning the first item on my agenda was exercise. With the yorkie in my face and vying for attention I pressed my way through 25 push-ups (impressive I know) and moved onto sit-ups. Now the 7 pound dog was easy enough to ignore but as soon as I completed one sit-up my 65 pound dog charged into the room to smother me. I tell you there is nothing like lying on the floor with a dog’s backside resting right under your face. Luckily for me both dogs eventually got up and I was able to complete my routine.

As for the rest of today I need to get some applications sent out, write some introduction letters and hopefully make a few connections with people in the Chicago area via LinkedIn. As it stands at this point my weekly / monthly goals consist of:
- Applying to 20 companies each week (multiple jobs with the same company during a week only counts once)
- Send 7 introduction letters to potential employers each week followed by a resume
- Attending 2 network functions each month in the Chicago area
- Meet 4 people per month in the Chicago area for coffee or drinks

Initially I am not definite if these goals are too aggressive or too attainable, so they are subject to change. One thing I am certain of is the most difficult part will be finding the energy to allocate towards these items each night after a full days work. If you have never entered into a comprehensive job search it’s very similar to a full-time job.