Why Strategic Accountability (Not Lonely Grinding) Gets You to Your Goal With Zero Burnout

Let’s talk about confidence, motivation, and why you need to stop beating yourself up for not being a job search machine every single week. If you’re three months (or more) into your job hunt, can you already begin to imagine a job before Christmas? This one’s for you.

Last week, I worked with people who were being “nicely” shown the door, targets missed, redundancies agreed, and desperate to escape a toxic environment. The common thread was that confidence took a hit. When your company tells you you’re not enough, or things just aren’t working, it’s hard to believe in yourself.

That’s when job searching gets really tough.

Here’s what I see in the 45 Day Sprint: people who show up for each other. They cheer each other on, talk up each other’s achievements, and, by proxy, everyone’s confidence gets a boost. On your own, job seeking is boring and lonely. In a group, you get proof that you’re not as rubbish as your brain sometimes tells you. You may even be thinking, “I’m the only one struggling this much.” The truth is, you’re not.

This week was half term. I juggled work and family, sprint calls and hospital visits (gratitude for scientists who never give up, resilience is everywhere). We had a check-in for folks who’ve been sprinting for over 45 days and feel stuck. Turns out, we’re all better at helping others than ourselves. Sometimes, you just need someone else to give you a shove.

We celebrated seven job offers by Friday. But not everyone was at their best, illness, burnout, bad news. Here’s what I’ve learned: you’re better off doing nothing than forcing half-hearted applications when you’re at 40%.

If you’re sick, rest. If you’re rejected, don’t waste time applying for jobs you don’t want.

Take the break, binge some TV, and come back at 100%. You’ll do better work and get better results.

A friend reminded me this week that sometimes, you need to pay for help. She hired someone to get her over the line on a work project, maybe she’ll have to ask forgiveness for using her budget in that way, but she got it done. Same goes for job search. If you’re stuck, get support. The right help can change everything. Solving your career problem isn’t just about the salary; it’s about fixing the stress in your home and finally getting to enjoy your family again this Christmas.

One last thing: unfollow negativity. If LinkedIn is full of doom, mute it. If people are telling you the market’s dead, tune them out. Fill your space with positivity, because what you focus on expands.

So, if you want a job before Christmas, stop going it alone. The 45 Day Sprint is here to help you dust yourself off, get back up, and find the confidence you thought you’d lost.

**P.S. Ready to join the seven people in the Sprint - just send me a message and lets talk.