One of the many things I enjoy about working for myself is the ability to create my own schedule. While I do sometimes find myself working in the wee hours of the morning or late into the evening, a flexible schedule also allows me to make time for interests outside of career coaching.

In 2022, by complete happenstance, I was presented with the opportunity to serve as a volunteer coach for a local high school girls’ track and cross-country team—and I sprinted toward the chance (pun intended). I’ve been a runner for most of my life, and a coach for as long as I have been experienced enough to hold the title. This opportunity felt incredibly aligned. Even though I had just started working for myself full-time, I knew I wanted to find a way to make it work—and I did.

Since then, the athletes on my team have brought me joy every single day I’m with them. They are interesting, strong, joyful, and genuine. I love learning from them and hearing about their college aspirations, running goals, academic accomplishments, TikTok dances, and yes—even boy problems.

I’m not really into New Year’s resolutions, but I do try to adopt a mantra or guiding focus each year. In 2023, I asked my athletes if I could share my mantra with them as a way to hold myself accountable and truly live it out. They were 100% on board, so I shared it during a core workout after intervals (because of course I did). That year, my mantra was: “You are stronger than you think you are.”

I explained to my girls that being stronger than you think you are doesn’t mean having a killer workout every day or running a personal best in every race. It’s about recognizing where you are on any given day and encouraging yourself to push past the limits you feel in that specific moment.

The year 2025 was a struggle for me as a business owner—and for many of my clients as well. As we enter 2026, I’ve decided to re-adopt my mantra from 2023 because I need it now more than ever, and so do the job seekers I work with. Searching for a new job can feel exhausting, isolating, and discouraging—especially when results don’t come as quickly as you hoped. Building job search resilience is essential for staying motivated, protecting your confidence, and continuing to move forward even when the process feels overwhelming.  Below are a few ways you can be stronger than you think you are during your job search this year. Coincidentally (or maybe not), these are also principles of running that I often share with my athletes when they’re feeling “stuck” in their training.

Try to Be Patient During Your Job Search

Patience takes strength. I’ve made patience my New Year’s mantra more times than I can count—mostly because it does not come naturally to me—but I know how important it is.

If your job search is taking longer than expected (and most do), remind yourself to practice patience. Try reframing the “no’s” as signs that those roles would not have made you happy, even if you had received an offer. Since the right opportunity hasn’t presented itself yet, let’s rely on our old friend patience while we wait to see what 2026 has in store.

Be Persistent Even When Progress Feels Slow

Do something for your job search every single day. When you can’t see the results of your effort right away, it takes real strength to keep going.

I often encourage my clients to aim to apply to five jobs per week, post on LinkedIn once per week, reach out to ten networking contacts per month, and schedule two informational interviews each month. The job search is long and arduous—very similar to training for a marathon. That said, if hitting those metrics isn’t realistic for you in a given week or month, that’s okay. Find the strength to do whatever you can.

Anything you have the capacity to do that supports your job search is enough. Just don’t quit.

A Little Positivity Goes a Long Way

In 2024, my husband and I purchased our first home—and to say the experience was a dumpster fire would be an understatement. I have

 never been so stressed by a single event in my life.

During a long run, I shared a (high-school-appropriate) summary of my stress with one of my athletes. She listened patiently and then said, “Remember, Coach—you are stronger than you think you are. All of this must be happening for a reason, or your offer on the house wouldn’t have been accepted. Everything will work out one day…just not today.”

I was struck by her response for two reasons. First, it showed that she had truly been listening to me. Second, she was absolutely right. I needed to shift my mindset so I could see the light at the end of the tunnel—and recognize the gift of a home that had been given to me, even if it came with a little baggage. I needed to believe that my struggle was temporary and that it would ultimately lead to something good. I needed positivity to carry me through.

Your job search will end—and it will end with a job you love. Keep going. There’s a reason you started this process in the first place. Focus on the parts of that reason that excite and motivate you, and let them propel you across the finish line.

If you’re feeling stuck in your job search or struggling to stay motivated, I invite you to visit my website to learn more about my career coaching practice and schedule a consultation. Together, we’ll explore possibilities that align with your strengths, values, and long-term goals 😊