All too often we limit ourselves as to the options available to us. We see most options as binary, that is, one or the other. We don't look for imaginative or creative solutions to the "problems" we are presented,or we discount things that interest us as being unable to generate income. Why is that?

I just came back from a trade show today in Greenville, SC, on behalf of a client I'm working with whose story we will feature soon.  After speaking to several of the vendors there, I left very encouraged about the project we are working on, and that her project finally coming to fruition. It's been a long journey for her, and she is starting to see the dream come true after a number of setbacks. What if she had just thrown this idea to the side after she hit her first roadblocks two years ago? She didn't do that and now we believe that early in 2010, she will begin to earn an income from her idea.

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That was the gist of my conversation with a local morning news producer recently. About a week and a half ago, I sent her some information about the upcoming job-search workshop in the Charlotte area and explained how it would be different from any other workshop. She called me back to express her interest in what we're doing and to set up a time to bring me on their show to talk about it.

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Looking for a job these days is more difficult than it has been in decades. Job searches are taking longer than ever before. Losing a job and being out of work for an extended period of time can lead to anger, resentment, guilt, and certainly depression. These feelings, in turn, can sabotage your job search, extending it even longer. So, I'm suggesting that you take these five tips and apply them while you are looking:

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This last week, I was able to catch up with a long-time friend and talk about his situation. In our initial contact email, one of the things he mentioned is a manager who is "a piece of work." This is not an infrequent occurrence in the corporate work environment at all.

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This past weekend, my youngest daughter Melissa traveled with me to visit our friends Steve and Jody a little ways outside Washington, DC. It was a wonderful time to be visiting with another couple pursuing the dream of becoming solopreneurs and taking charge of our lives. Steve and Jody have a plan in place to get their business of 90 Revolutions up and running. With this company, Steve will be pursuing his passion of working with athletes to "train without pain." I totally love Steve's passion and was very inspired by our visit.

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With the Internet and Web 2.0 coming of age, there are new job search strategies available for the job seeker. There is not enough data available to determine the effectiveness of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networking sites, but we do know about other more traditional strategies.

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The job market today is more competitive than ever for the job seeker. There are things you should be doing to help yourself become more competitive if you are looking for a job. You can bypass other job seekers who have more education or work experience when you know how to do an effective job search. The major difference between successful and unsuccessful job-hunters is not skill, education, age, or ability, but the way they go about their job hunt.

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While the government hurriedly announced an end to the recession yesterday, the proof has yet to manifest itself in the NC job market. The unemployment rate for the Charlotte region is currently at around 12.4%, maybe higher. Employment is considered a lagging indicator, as jobs always return later than other recovery indicators. But what does this number really mean?

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I find it interesting to talk to people about their perceptions of their job. This past weekend I was talking to a neighbor while our children were performing at a band show. A little over a year ago, he had changed jobs and gone to work for a competitor because it would provide him better promotional opportunity. He's a high-level manager, so I was somewhat surprised whenafter asking him how his job is going, his response was "It pays the bills." No enthusiasm whatsoever. I do realize that 70% of people dislike their jobs but I'm surprised that people seem to settle for that.

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It never ceases to amaze me that we will accept work in areas that we are not a good fit. Consider the story of Jim Nicholson, teller extraordinaire at Key Bank in Seattle. Jim was fired from his job after stopping a bank robbery and successfully chasing down the thief.

Though he had worked as a teller for two years, Jim let his passions override what he knew to be bank policy regarding bank robberies. According to Jim (not the TV show), "They tell us that we're just supposed to comply, but my instincts kicked in and I did what's best to stop the guy." As a result, Jim was fired from his job.

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