Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 15 Everyday Things You Should Do Differently Next Year

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from The Financial Diet describes fifteen things to do differently in 2019 for greater success in your life, including getting the right tools to organize. Check out the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Tips for Managing Stress Over the Holidays

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 5 Tips for Managing Stress Over the Holidays: "You might feel like you have to do everything and be everywhere, especially when technology makes it so easy. But it's just not the case. You might be missed, but your time and energy is limited, so use it wisely."

• 5 Ways to Kickstart Your Side Hustle: "Ask your HR department if they provide access or discounts to premium resources, business management tools or training. Some organizations offer education budgets; use those resources to get ahead."

• How to Help Your Employees Stay Productive Around the Holidays: "closing the office for more days during the holidays has a direct and positive impact on in-office productivity."

• 5 Healthy Resolutions to Make: "This is the easiest of the five, and yet it is so often overlooked, especially by men. An annual checkup is your chance to measure your progress from year to year."
• Why Soul is the Secret to Family Business Success:"when you realize that you're closer to the back end [of life] than the front, you begin to wonder about whether your life has meant something."

6 Ways to Put Your Holiday to Work for Your Career

For many of us the holidays offer an opportunity to take time away from the office to enjoy time with family. We might look at the holidays as a way to think about anything but work.

However, it can also be a great time to consider the new year and prepare to get off to a strong start.

Here are six ways to do just that:

Clean out email. Achieving in-box zero is a lofty goal for many and perhaps one you’ve failed to realize. Take an hour or two, if your email habits warrant it, and clear out as many old emails as possible. You’ll experience less stress and anxiety when you return to the office with a more stream-lined in-box.

Update your wardrobe. If you receive some cash or a gift card or two for a holiday gift, and even if you don’t, pick up an item or two to spruce up your style at work. Improving your appearance at work can instill greater confidence and increase your prospects for that promotion in the new year.

Update your resume. This is a great time of the year to update your resume (and LinkedIn profile) with your work highlights from the past year. Do this while these are still fresh in your mind. You might also rethink and reconsider your career plans and objectives.

Reach out to key contacts. The holidays are always a great time to connect with family and friends and it can also make sense to reach out to some of the important connections in your network with a Christmas card or even a brief email or Facebook message to extend wishes for a happy holiday and happy new year. 

Resolve to make changes. If you’ve taken some time for self-reflection regarding your career, you’ve likely identified some areas you can make improvements or some habits or practices that are holding you back in your career. Resolve to sign up for Toastmasters to improve your public speaking skills, or take that coding class, or new manager training you need to become more effective.

Rest and relaxation. Despite everything mentioned above, do not spend too much time over the holidays focused on your career. Use the time to get away from the daily emails and phone calls. Turn off that mobile and unplug for a few days while you enjoy the holiday with family and friends.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Improve the Odds of Reaching Your Goals

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from The Art of Improvement describes how accountability can help us be more successful in reaching our goals. Check out the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Connecting with People is the Key to Success

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• Connecting with People is the Key to Success: "When you shift your mindset and approach opportunities or new challenges from a state of curiosity, you open doors you didn’t know existed (and meet people you’d never dream of meeting)."

• The Good News About First Impressions: "others don’t have such a frame of reference when they meet us for the first time, and thus are more prone to offering the benefit of the doubt."

• How to Get Your Team Brainstorming Great Ideas: "Any idea that might elsewhere be too wacky could here be essential. Even if it's not viable on its own, that idea could help spark the company's next great innovative product or process."

• 5 Tools to Help Your Team Collaborate Better: "Do some research into what's available and you might just change the way you and your team work with others--for the better."
• To Be Successful You Need Friends, Not Just Goals:"Sharing your goals with others strengthens your commitment to achieving what you said you wanted to achieve."

5 Ways to Widen and Deepen Your Network

An important, and sometimes overlooked aspect to growing your career is the ability to widen and deepen your network. By that we mean increasing the number of individuals who are part of your network and developing those relationships, so they move beyond a superficial level.

This can seem like a daunting task, particularly for introverts, but there are some strategies we can take to become better at developing a meaningful and helpful network.

Make your plans known to your friends and colleagues. Beginning with your current network is the most effective way to start but it’s important to be clear about what you’re looking for. Once you know what you need and what your questions are, take some time to meet with some trusted friends and coworkers. They will likely be able to refer you to someone they know who could be of assistance. Ask for an introduction, too, and that can help break the ice, especially for introverts.

Then follow-up with a meeting. Get in touch with those recommended contacts and invite them to meet you for a coffee. If you haven’t been introduced by your friend or colleague, be sure to name-drop and let them know that “our mutual friend Jim from XYZ Company” suggested we meet up. Be clear about the purpose of your meeting, though, and state an objective: “I’d love to hear your perspective on starting a business now versus pursuing an MBA.”

Offer some value to your new contact. When you meet up, be sure to prepare in advance to be of service. Bring a product sample that might be of interest to the person you’re meeting or be prepared to refer them some business or help build their network by connecting them with a friend or colleague. And leave the meeting with a plan to stay in contact. 

Be grateful. Be sure to express appreciation to your friends and colleagues for referring you to their network and thank your new contacts for taking the time to meet with you and for providing you with some guidance and advice.

Finally, develop a plan to stay in touch with your network through regular coffee or lunch meetups, or by connecting through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social platforms.

Expanding your network and deepening the quality of those relationships will benefit your career in the long-term, wherever your career path leads.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 7 Ways You Haven't Tried to Save Money

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from The Financial Diet describes seven ways we might not have considered to save additional money. Check out the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 2 Questions You Must Ask in Every Job Interview

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 2 Questions You Must Ask in Every Job Interview: "Think of someone in the organization who really represents the right attitude for this culture. Could you tell me about a time they did something that really exemplifies having the right attitude?"

• 6 Tips for Balancing a Successful Side Hustle: "This feels counterintuitive when you’re insanely booked and everyone needs something from you. But if you don’t step back, think, consider, plan, and evaluate, you won’t move forward."

• Why You Should Exercise Before Work Every Morning: "If you start your day with a physical activity that gets your blood pumping, your brain active, your mind cleared, your metabolism raised, and your endorphins flowing ... you feel far more awake throughout the rest of day."

• 10 Ways to Be More Productive Working at Home: "No matter what else you do, invest in a good computer, a good phone, and the most comfortable and ergonomically correct chair you can find. When you're uncomfortable, it's hard to stay focused and productive."
• The 10 Best Business Books of 2018:"For the entrepreneurs and executives on your gift list, here are 10 great titles to read by the fire."

5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Job Performance This Year

As the year ends your manager or supervisor should not be the only person evaluating your performance. Feedback is great but it’s also important to take time for self-reflection to consider how the year went in order to set goals for next year.

There are many questions you should ask yourself about your job and career (and ask throughout the year) but here are five to get the self-reflection started.

Did I feel energized and enthusiastic about my work experience this year? No one expects you to love your job at every moment but, in general, you want to work in a place that inspires you to give your best. You’ll likely feel more enthused about your career if you believe in the mission of your company and if you are able to implement your strengths and skills in the job.

What new skills did I gain or have an opportunity to develop? Take a few moments to consider the new expertise you gained, the training sessions you attended, and the skills you were able to develop over the past year. If you have difficulty identifying anything here, you might need to look at the opportunities your workplace offers and have a discussion with your supervisor about how to best develop your skills.

Is this where I hoped my career would be by year-end? If not, why not? If answering this question makes you feel stuck or dissatisfied with where your career is now, you might want to make some changes.

Am I in the job or career that I want to be in next year? There are many reasons we take on a job or pursue a career and we don’t always consider our current stop to be long-term. This is a good time to take another look at your career goals and determine whether your current situation best enables you to reach your goals.

What skills can I develop next year that will best help my career and what is the best way for me to obtain these skills? While you thought about the skills you gained in the past year it’s also important to think ahead to where you want to go and understand the knowledge and skills that will get you there. How can you obtain the knowledge, skills, and experience required? Develop a plan for acquiring the skills you need in the short and long-term.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 7 Habits That Are Destroying Your Motivation

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from TopThink describes seven habits that hinder motivation, including the habit of perfectionism. Check out the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 10 Tips to Make 2019 Your Year

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 10 Tips to Make 2019 Your Year:"In the YouEconomy, expertise is your chief commodity. Take an hour this weekend to list out all your areas of expertise, and brainstorm a few ways you can develop each of them further."

• What to do When You're Struggling to Get Motivated: "Instead, the problem usually boils down to confidence. For one reason or another, people don't believe they'll succeed, so they never get started."

• How to Deal with Office Conflict: "Addressing conflicts and working to find mutual goals, together, is the best way to handle clashes and even find ways to collaborate more deeply."

• 5 Books to Read if You Want to Be More Productive: "Sometimes the obvious solution is also the best: Delete the apps from your phone. If everybody did, we’d reduce an incremental creep that makes it harder and harder to resist social pressure."
• 5 Biggest Misconceptions about Remote Work: "the idea of remote work does not appeal to every individual and corporation, partially due to some persisting misconceptions about this kind of work arrangement."

5 Ways to Benefit from the Holiday Party at Work

It’s that time of year again and you’ve just been invited to your company’s holiday party. Before you hit that RSVP button develop a game plan for the event.

The party might seem to simply be a chance to unwind and relax with colleagues, but it can also be an opportunity to add some value to your career and make some headway at your job.

Go into your work party with few objectives such as the following:

Break out of your clique. As tempting as it can be to hang out with those you know, your closest colleagues, take a risk and get to know others in your company. It’s beneficial to know individuals in other departments or area and you never know when that new contact can come in handy. Also make an effort to interact with a boss, manager, or executive you don’t know well. This introduction can lead to a promotion or job move later.

Limit the cocktails. If you drink, set a limit. Don’t be the drunk one at the holiday party who everyone talks about later. Not only will you have earned a reputation you don’t want, and that can hinder future advancement, but the alcohol might induce you to say some things you might later regret. Stay sober and clear-headed and you just might have the types of conversations that demonstrate your competence and enthusiasm for your work.

Be a team player. If your company party involves games or other group activities be sure to participate and join in on the fun. Staying on the sidelines and avoiding the action can lead others to think you approach your work in a similar way and are not a team player or a leader. And as mentioned above, participate in the activity with some colleagues you’re unfamiliar with.

Get personal. Avoid talking about work at the holiday work party. Don’t talk shop. Get to know your colleagues by asking about their children, their hobbies, or their holiday plans. And be a good listener. Remember what you’ve heard and learned about your co-workers.

Go forth. Show up. Don’t blow off the party and dismiss it as unnecessary to your work or career. Others do notice who attends and it can send a message to your management that you are not fully engaged with your work or the company and that is not a message helpful to your career. So, put on that funky Christmas sweater and go have some fun.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 6 Ways to Make More Money

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from Brian Tracy discusses six ways to make more money in order to take care of your family. Check out the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Identify Your Life Purpose & Leverage it in Your Career

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• Identify Your Life Purpose & Leverage it in Your Career:"each of us can identify a key, over-arching purpose of our lives and live from that knowledge, and doing so is helpful and positive. And I've seen that when we do, we open the door to experiencing more joy, peace, satisfaction and positive energy."

• 7 Ways to Maximize Your Workspace & Productivity: "Now that I’ve fully implemented the formula, I’m much happier and infinitely more productive. My desk is now my oasis. Adopting these seven habits made all the difference."

• How to Be Creative When You're Feeling Stressed: "f you still feel stuck and just can’t come up with something new, then you may want to give your brain more material to work with. This could look like reading on the topic, taking a field trip to a place where you can see other people’s creative solutions to a similar problem, or talking to experts."

• How to Stay Productive When You Travel A Lot: "People overvalue money and undervalue time. I have been willing to spend money to make sure I am fully staffed so that I can leverage my time better."
• 25 Lessons Business School Won't Ever Teach You: "You may learn negotiation strategies in business school, but the act of doing it in real time, in real life, is entirely different."

How to Stay Focused at Work During the Holidays

 © Andrii Klemenchenko | Dreamstime.com

This is the time of the year when our attention turns to family, gifts, food, celebrations, and time away from the office. But if you’re like most, you still have a job to do over the coming weeks. 

It can be tempting to spend valuable work time shopping for the final gift you need to buy for your cousin, and it’s easy to find distractions that prevent us from giving our full attention to the job. 

Implement these steps to help you stay focused on the task at hand. 

Put away the phone. When you get to work put your mobile phone away and turn off notifications. Lock it in a drawer if you can. This will prevent you from checking your personal email, scrolling through Facebook, and making personal phone calls throughout the day. 

Don’t sign up with your work email. You likely enjoy getting deals and so you’ve probably signed up to be emailed coupons and special offers from many of your favorite brands and retailers. This can be a big distraction if you have these sent to your work email address, especially with the increased number of messages sent around the holidays. Use your personal email and review them on your own time and unsubscribe from any of these emails that are coming to your work email address. 

Restrict access to shopping and news sites. If you spend time on a computer at work be sure to avoid sites you find particularly distracting. You might want to consider an app that prevents you from loading sites such as Amazon, Facebook, or CNN from your work computer, particularly if it is difficult for you to manage this on your own. 

Refocus at lunch. You finally have a few minutes in your day to relax and take a break. Feel free to reward a focused morning with some personal time but also use your lunch time to refocus and prioritize the remainder of your day. This can be an important time to reset the goals you have for the day and evaluate your progress. 

Reward your focus. Over the holidays be sure not to overwork and miss out on the fun. The holidays are a great time to reconnect with others and it’s important to reduce stress levels by attending the company’s holiday party and other opportunities to celebrate with your colleagues. 

By taking a few actions to stay focused over the holidays you can enjoy work and experience both the holiday work time and vacation time with reduced stress.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to make Your Life a Success

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career and life development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from Inc. features an interview with author and speaker Simon Sinek on his journey and what leads to a successful life. Check out the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Manage Your Workload During the Holidays

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• How to Manage Your Workload During the Holiday Season:"if you’re concerned about keeping up with your workload in the absence of much of your team, try suggesting to your boss that you hire some temps to help compensate."

• Well-Meaning Career Advice to Avoid: "There are probably just five people in the world who have learned to like–or at least tolerate–the unfiltered version of you, and I doubt your boss is one of them."

• A New Way to Become More Open-Minded: "If openness to experience means you’re willing to try pickle-flavored ice cream, intellectual humility means you’re willing to admit you like it, even if you initially thought you wouldn’t."

• How to Ensure That You Are Constantly Improving: "Hearing others’ stories oftentimes helps me to avoid difficult situations but more importantly motivates me to set goals for myself."
• What Makes Teams Work?: "When we face the fact that none of us is above making a mistake, we create a space where innovation can take place."