High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 13 Practical Ways to Find Joy in Your Work

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!

• 13 Ways to Find Joy in Your Work: "I keep a journal of everything that I do at work so that when I am feeling drained or bored, I can use it as a reference to spark new ideas."

• The Elements of Good Judgment: "leaders with good judgment tend to be good listeners and readers—able to hear what other people actually mean, and thus able to see patterns that others do not."

• The One Question to Ask Before Setting a New Year's Goal: "Reaching your current goals isn’t the endpoint; it’s just the point where you’ll need to set new ones."

• 50 Inspirational Quotes to Motivate You: "I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do."
• The Upward Spiral of Doing the Right Thing:"The vast majority of us want to make a positive contribution to the world through our work, whether by improving a single person’s day or making a system more equitable."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 15 New Ideas for Your LinkedIn Profile

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!

• 15 New Ideas for Your LinkedIn Profile: "On LinkedIn, you’ve got more room to maneuver and more space for adding keywords. You can provide more information than you can on your CV. Amplify the things that matter most."

• Do You Have Determination?: "Perhaps you’ve resigned yourself to things being one way. But you shouldn’t give up hope. Enlist a partner who may have a different perspective and energy to get back on track."

• 3 Tips for Re-Engineering Your Office: "An elegantly elevated desk best enhances an employee’s output when it’s surrounded by the right stuff. If that stuff is other desks, consider their arrangement."

• How to Make Gratitude a Way of Life: "There are many ways to cultivate a disposition of thankfulness. One is to make a habit of giving thanks regularly—at the beginning of the day, at meals and the like, and at day’s end."
• 5 Inspiring Books to Give Businesswomen This Holiday:"Among my favorite gifts to give (or receive) are books. And below is a list of inspiring books, many of which I have given or plan to give to the women whose support I can't imaging doing business (or life) without."

5 Go-To Resources When You Need Motivation & Inspiration

If you spend much time on social media or following the lives of “successful” people, you might wonder if you’re the only person experiencing times of self-doubt or suffering from lack of confidence.

Fortunately, many of the “successful” people are vulnerable enough to share their own insecurities and doubts but it can be easy to dismiss this: sure, it’s easy to acknowledge you once doubted when you’re at the top.

We all—even the highly successful—experience periods of self-doubt and times when we know longer feel inspired. It’s important to have strategies for dealing with these times and it’s also good to have go-to inspirational quotes to turn to when you’re struggling.

There are no one-size-fits-all inspirational quotes. What might move and motivate me might make you yawn. And vice versa. So here, instead, are five lists (along with one quote from each list) you can look over and create your own playlist of motivational hit quotes.

17 Motivational Quotes to Inspire You to Be Successful: “Do something today that your future self will thank you for.”

Best Motivational Quotes to Prepare You for Any Challenges in Life: “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.”

56 Inspirational Quotes for Success in Life: “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

43 Motivational Quotes to Start Your Day: "I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done." – Lucille Ball

100 Motivational Quotes That Will Help You Succeed: "Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." – Winston Churchill

Where do you turn for inspiration when you need it?

5 TED Talks to Inspire You in Your Career

Staying motivated in your career and developing your knowledge require you to apply some specific practices and habits. One of those habits should be regularly viewing inspiring and educational videos and listening to books and podcasts that can expand your knowledge.

There are many inspiring TED talks to view but check out the five career-related TED talks below to get you started.

It's never too late to reinvent yourself. Take it from Paul Tasner -- after working continuously for other people for 40 years, he founded his own start-up at age 66, pairing his idea for a business with his experience and passion.

What do you want to be when you grow up? Well, if you're not sure you want to do just one thing for the rest of your life, you're not alone.

Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership -- starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?"

What makes work satisfying? Apart from a paycheck, there are intangible values that, Barry Schwartz suggests, our current way of thinking about work simply ignores.

TED Fellow and Brazilian entrepreneur Bel Pesce breaks down five easy-to-believe myths that ensure your dream projects will never come to fruition.

High 5 Career Transitions Roundup: Inspiring Quotes to Help You Get Through Your Work Day

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!

• Inspiring Quotes to Help You Get Through Your Work Day: "If you find yourself in a little mid-week or mid-day slump, take a few moments to re-energize yourself with these inspiring quotes from some of the world’s greatest thinkers."

• Making Time for Networking as a Working Parent: "being a working parent doesn’t mean the end of a thriving network, it just means you have to get a bit more creative and deliberate."

• 12 Things Successful People Never Reveal About Themselves at Work: "Bosses are quick to catch on to naysayers who drag down morale, and they know that there are always enthusiastic replacements waiting just around the corner."

• 6 Harsh Truths That Will Make You a Better Leader: "As a leader, you don't automatically have followers, only subordinates. It's your behavior as a leader that determines whether or not those subordinates ever turn into followers."
• Bored at Work? Science Says That's a Good Thing: "In the absence of boredom, one would remain trapped in unfulfilling situations, and miss out on many emotionally, cognitively, and socially rewarding experiences."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: It's Not Too Late to Start Something

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.

In the video below Gary Vaynerchuk encourages and challengers viewers to realize it's not too late to start something big, to change careers, or to become an entrepreneur. The time to start is today.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 4 Resume Tips for Career Changers

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!

• 4 Resume Tips for Career Changers: "We call these 'transferable skills' – a term that refers to the skills you've obtained and used in your existing experience and which you would also be able to leverage in your new career."
• Reboot Your Heart and Mind: "The question of how to achieve continual improvement in one’s career and with one’s team should be front and center for every serious adult."
• 6 Inspiring Commencement Speeches: "What I wish for all of you—the bad as well as the good. Fall down. Make a mess. Break something occasionally. Know that your mistakes are your own unique way of getting to where you need to be."
• 50 Thoughts That Can Motivate You to Do Anything: "The next time you feel unmotivated, use any of these 50 positive thoughts to reenergize yourself. Really: They work!"
• These are the Best Places to Work for New Fathers: "Millennials have been more vocal in demanding to be part of their children’s first months, and the industry has responded with extended benefits in order to attract these hires."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 3 Ways to Inspire Your Employees or Co-Workers

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!

• 3 Ways to Inspire Your Employees or Co-Workers: "If you would like your team to feel more excited about their job, get to work on time, meet deadlines, participate at meetings, etc., you have to do those things first. It's hard to motivate others to do something you aren't doing yourself."
• Improve Your Resume By Turning Bullet Points into Stories: "Tell compelling before-and-after stories. What were your previous places of employment like when you started there? What were their biggest challenges, and how did you help meet them? How are those organizations better because of you?"
• Why Mindfulness is the Ultimate Habit for Success: "In any moment when we are being mindful, our mind functions optimally because we can see our thinking objectively. The reactive thoughts that arise in any given moment no longer control us."
• Three Pieces of Advice to Building Confidence for Public Speaking: "The single biggest reason people are concerned about public speaking is because they worry what other people think of them. The quicker you start learning how to fix that issue and be comfortable with yourself, you become a much better public speaker."
• Four Myths Most Bosses Believe About Employee Engagement: "In the vast majority of cases, engaged employees are happy, and happy employees are engaged."

5 Ways to Strengthen Your Career Over the Holidays

With the holidays fast approaching you are likely looking forward to some time off and some time away from the job. Use this time away wisely and you can do some simple things to strengthen your career and feel good about getting off to a great start in 2016.

Here are 5 ways to strengthen your career over the holidays:

1. Read a good book. It doesn't have to be a business book or a career-related book but there are many good ones out there. You might simply read a book that inspires you to think about the world or a particular problem in a different way. This can help you apply some creative thinking to your job.

2. Take time to dream. Think about your future and where you want to be and how to get there. Think about what motivates you and what your passions are. Connect your passions and these future dreams to a career path and set it in motion for next year.

3. Rest and recharge. Be sure to take some time to simply rest and relax and avoid thinking about the stresses of your job and career. Do fun things you enjoy.

4. Set goals. Take a few minutes to consider some goals for 2016. Don't spend all day on this but identify one to three goals that would propel your career and life forward in an exciting way.

5. Connect with people who inspire you. Meet up with an old friend over coffee or take that former colleague to lunch. Spend time with others who motivate you and inspire you to be your best.

And enjoy the holidays!

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Make Friends Not Contacts

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!

• Networking 101: Make Friends Not Contacts: "Check your circle of friends. Surround yourself with people who aspire to do better."
• The Rainn Wilson Guide to Success: "For me, meditation is a great tool that I use in my daily life to ground me, to get me more connected to my soul. To the part of myself that’s beyond my thoughts. To God and to a higher purpose."
• 21 Ways to Unlock Creative Genius: "Consider this list of tricks and strategies your roadmap, all planned out with the benefit of the latest research and expert advice."
• Start Looking for an Internship!: "Interns that show professionalism and demonstrate their creativity gain a network of people who can mentor them, give recommendations, and collaborate on future projects."
• 4 Interview Tips for Veterans: "One of your greatest resources may be other veterans who have landed a job through mastering the interview process."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 12 Things Confident People Do

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!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Taking Your Career to the Next Level: "Only work with inspirational people that you can learn and grow with."


• 12 Things Confident People Do Differently: "People who brim with confidence derive their sense of pleasure and satisfaction from their own accomplishments, as opposed to what other people think of their accomplishments. They know that no matter what anyone says, you’re never as good or bad as people say you are."


• 5 Signs it's Time for a New Job: "If you are stagnated, cruising in autopilot, and could do your job while asleep, then you’re almost certainly underperforming. Sooner or later, this will harm your resume and employability."


• 5 Ways to Spring Clean Your Career: "If you currently have a mentor, how can you tweak this relationship for your biggest advantage? Perhaps meet more often, or meet face to face once a quarter instead of only via the phone or email chats."


• Too Much Mindfulness at Work?: "[His] biggest concern with mindfulness is that it can lead to avoidance in thinking through overwhelming situations and having difficult conversations. Instead of pushing through internal barriers to change thoughts and behavioral patterns, people accept them."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Career Happiness, Music for Work, and More

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

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 10 Ways to Skyrocket Your Career Happiness: "Cultivate relationships with co-workers you like and minimize time with those you don't. Finding a mentor or mentee can help you boost your network, energize your work, and bring more joy to your job."


• 5 of the Toughest Career Lessons You'll Ever Learn: "Instead, assume that you're your own best advocate, and that you'll need to speak up—whether it's asking for more money or tracking your accomplishments throughout the year to raise when your performance review comes around."


• 10 TED Talks to Help You Reimagine Your Business: "Here are 10 amazing TED Talks that have helped me think differently about what business can be, how to be a better leader, and how to become a better global citizen."


• 5 Ways to Ace Your Start-up Informational Interview: "Regardless of who you’re interviewing with—a founder, engineer, recruiter, or customer service rep—you can assume that they’re underpaid and overworked, but incredibly excited by what they do. And that they want to see that same sort of enthusiasm from future employees."


• 21 Songs to Inspire You at Work: "We all love to be inspired at work, and we all love great music. So I asked people I respect what songs inspire them most at the office." 

Five TED Videos to Inspire Your 2012

2011 was a banner year for internet video, with musicians, commercials, and animals making waves. But the best videos aren't necessarily the most popular, and I have compiled five of my favorite TED videos to inspire and guide your 2012.

Trying something new: Matt Cutts, in his short put powerful TED talk, inspires his audience to try something new for 30 days. The lessons he learned changed his life and will inspire you to change yours. What could you do for 30 days that would positively impact your career?

Reframing regret: Kathryn Schulz begins her talk discussing the biggest regret of her life-her tattoo-and ends up confronting her listeners to think about what they regret and how those "bad choices" are actually a springboard for important life-lessons that guide. What have you been regretting that you should now start celebrating?

Passion: This talk features an app developer...who happens to be 12-years-old. Hear his story and reflect on how you are letting your passions drive you in your life. What are you passionate about, and how are you acting on those passions?

Simplicity: How much stuff do you need? Graham Hill challenges his audience to contemplate the nature of their belongings and their desire to consume, consume, consume. How much happier would you be if you ruled your possessions instead of them ruling you?

What matters: Ric Elias was a passenger on US Airways flight 1549 that crashed into the Hudson River in January 2009. Surviving what in many cases would have been certain death, he reflects on the three things he learned through that experience. What truly matters to you in your life, and how are you living based on those beliefs?

Make 2012 the year of you and your career.