Christmas and the New Year have come and gone. Now what? Perhaps you've been out of work for a while. The job market is still tough. Recruiters are trying to pull in anybody who remotely matches their client's requirements. Employers are very picky and are putting prospective candidates through the proverbial wringer, if you even get a response at all. Maybe it's time to take stock and move in a new direction. Maybe you need to get a different job. Learn a new skill. Change your fate. It's time for a little hustle. Start right now, and I promise you'll feel better. My daughter tried out for JV girls softball yesterday. It was her first time on the diamond. Oh, we've thrown the ball around, but it's nothing like being on a regular field, with a bunch of other players, a batter and a pitcher. The coach put her at shortstop and several grounders rolled right through her legs, because she was bending at the waist and didn't have her glove down on the ground. After a few minutes, another girl was rotated into her spot. As she came off the field, she looked right at me, and said “I suck!” “I'm not sure I want to play this game,” followed a little later. I said, “Oh, go on! That was the first time you've ever been on a field!” I continued with “You just need to bend your knees a little and get in front of the ball. It takes time to learn those things.” “You need to get hustling. Whether you know how to play or not, the coach wants to see some enthusiasm and spirit,” I continued. Many job seekers are in the same boat. If nobody needs your skills any more, it might be time to learn a new game. People with long stretches of steady employment frequently haven't had to learn anything new for a long time. Programmers, developers, designers, engineers, and managers get so busy in their own little worlds, that they lose track of time. The next thing you know, they're ten years older and still doing the same thing day in and day out. I pointed out to my daughter that the real players were jogging on and off the field, happily retrieving all the balls, and policing up the backstop area, at the end of practice. The rookies and wannabes were all standing around wondering which end was up. I suggested that she join the small group of girls running laps, when everybody else was headed to the parking lot. And, so it is with the job search. Sure the economy stinks. Competition is tough right now. A person can certainly question their own abilities. And, you might have to learn a new game. Given all that, will you swing for the fences or barely get the bat around to meet the ball? Will you dig hard to beat the throw to first? Will you show people you have some hear? So what if you suck in the beginning? What do you have to lose? And, nothing will change, if you don't try. It's time for a little hustle. Start right now, and I promise you'll feel better.