Recharge your career battery

Career in the doldrums? Don't reach for your resume just yet.

1. Get moving!
Action creates momentum.

2. Do something different.
Even if you just find a new route to walk the dog or drive to work.

3. Rejuenate your fitness program.
Go to the gym three times a week? Ask your trainer for some new routines.
Take up a new sport.

4. Do something fun -- every single day.
A luxurious treat -- anything from hot fudge to hot tubs.

5. Go to a lunch meeting of a professional organization outside your own field. Most organizations welcome guests and the cost will be minimal.

6. Begin brainstorming ways to start your own business. If you have a corporate job, it's not a question of whether you'll be on your own someday. It's a question of "when.":

7. Take a class on a topic that's outside your normal expertise. If you're a lawyer, you might study ceramics. If you're a writer, a study of ancient history might get your brain moving.

8. Limit yourself to one self-help book every three months.

9. Limit your television watching to specials and favorites. Begin watching movies on tape and DVD.

10. Consider hiring a coach or counselor -- but stay away from assessments, tests and projections! Choose resources who understand careers and businesses and begin with one hour at a time.