High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Live a Longer, Happier & More Productive Life

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 Live a Longer, Happier & More Productive Life: "If you’re worrying, you’re not working. Many people waste energy worrying instead of focusing on the immediate problem and potential solutions -- which is much more beneficial."

• 4 Ways to Attract & Hire Your Company's Next Leaders: "Millennials recognize that leadership skills are critical to professional growth, but believe that businesses are not doing enough to build the next generation of leadership. If businesses would do more to develop leaders, Millennials would be more loyal."

• 7 Simple Ways to Spread Kindness: "Acting generously not only heightens your happiness, it also releases nearly 50 percent more of oxytocin—the feel-good chemical in your brain—and boosts creativity, resilience and problem-solving skills."

• Why New Hires Should Start on Friday: "No matter how much you love your job, Mondays come with stress. There are meetings to prepare for, schedules to plan and a whole week of deadlines looming over you. Suffice to say this isn’t the optimal environment to help a new hire settle in."
• How to Avoid Hiring Toxic Employees: "The more team members who interview a candidate, the better. Each candidate that begins the interview process with your company should be introduced to a well-rounded roster of current employees who will be calibrating the candidate for the role."

What to Do When You've Accepted the Wrong Job

Decisions, decisions.

Being wanted can be a difficult thing, especially when you are left with some difficult choices. When confronted with multiple opportunities or job offers there is always the risk of making the wrong decision.

Of course, the office is always greener on the other aisle and we have a tendency to long for what we don't have. But what if you're right? What do you do if you have accepted the wrong job?

Here is your list of dos and don'ts:

Don't panic and make a rash decision. Making a quick decision that you've made the wrong decision will only demonstrate to others, including potential employers, that you are not an effective decision maker. An impetuous decision about your job might leave you unemployed for an extended period of time.

Speaking of time, do give it some. Time, that is. Be patient and get to know your new supervisor and colleagues, along with the main responsibilities of the job. Perhaps the job will grow on you and you'll find it suits you well. If not, give the job enough time that you can make a move within your own company without appearing reckless, or you have an opportunity to take another job with a new employer.

Do dive in. Even if the job isn't right for you be sure to give it your best while you are there. Meet as many people as possible, and learn as much as you can about the employer and the job. You never know where your career fortunes might lead, or when your path might cross with your colleagues or even see you return to the same employer.

Don't burn bridges. The above might be true so leave on good terms to the best of your ability. Don't speak ill of your colleagues, your boss, or your employer and attempt to take responsibility for the match not being a good fit.

Hopefully, you'll only make a bad career choice once.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Make Your Voice Heard at Work

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 Entrepreneur discusses three things to know about how to more effectively ensure that your voice is heard at work. Watch the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 7 Tips to Achieve What You Want in Life

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!

• 7 Tips to Achieve What You Really Want in Life: "Answering the question, 'Why are you here?', is the solution to your life. Unfortunately, only you can find the answer. Fortunately, when you do, everything else falls into place."

• 7 Practical Tips to Achieve a Positive Mindset: "Almost invariably, you’re going to encounter obstacles throughout the day—there’s no such thing as a perfect day. When you encounter such a challenge, focus on the benefits, no matter how slight or unimportant they seem"

• 3 Ways for Women to Rethink Office Politics & Wield More Influence: "I have made it my mission to show up with confidence and to be my true self. I have found that influence and authenticity are inextricably linked. Only by being truly self-confident can we influence others to follow us."

• How to Deal with Anxiety & Depression on the Job: "The cover up is worse than the crime. All of the things we do to try to prove to the world that we're fine is what causes all of these problems, and it feeds on itself."
• Toxic Corporate Culture: 10 Warning Signs to Watch For: "Employees reporting anxiety, lack of motivation and dissatisfaction at work across the organization are likely influenced by the environment created at work."

5 Ways to Get Unstuck in Your Career

The alarm goes off and you lie there. Perhaps you reach for the snooze button, once, twice. Again? Your job has lost its luster and you have little desire to go into work. Perhaps you’re feeling stuck.

It’s not uncommon to feel stuck at various times in our career and you’ve likely implemented various strategies to get unstuck at those times.

But there’s something interesting about when we’re stuck. We tend to forget what we’ve done in the past and our ability to think creatively is hampered. Try the following five ways to get unstuck and that snooze button might become a thing of the past.

Take on a new project. When we’re stuck we tend to hide. We might spend more time hunkered down in our cubicle or keep our head low, but these avoidance strategies just reinforce our feelings of being stuck. Instead, volunteer for a new project, or to lead a cross-functional team effort, or to test out a new product. Getting out of your comfort zone and doing something new can be a first step in getting unstuck. 

  

Brainstorm your ideal job. What do you want to do? If you could do anything, what would you choose? Take some time today and write down every job or career path that would be interesting to you. Don’t think too much about it and don’t judge your responses. Just write and then read your responses. You just might find a path forward there, either through an opportunity at your current job or you might come to realize that it’s time to move on.

Upgrade your image. Sometimes when we feel unmotivated we let some things slide, such as our appearance. We might not take care of ourselves the way we have in the past. Consider how you look and feel. If you’re low on energy perhaps you need to start a new fitness regime. Grab a quick bike ride or swim in the morning before work. Or change up your image by making some strategic new additions to your wardrobe. Who knows? Perhaps a new hairstyle will do the trick. The point here is to make an effort to look and feel your best and even a minor change to our lifestyle can make a big difference.

Travel. If you’ve been driving the same route to work every day and staring at the same four walls for months or even years, it’s time to change things up. Take the scenic route to work. Switch up the décor in your office or workplace. And then request a vacation and travel to somewhere new.  Experiencing a new place can help you gain a new perspective.

Expand your network. Similar to the change in perspective you can gain from travel and experiencing a new place, is the benefit that comes from meeting new people, developing additional contacts, and expanding your network. Check out some local business meetups or conferences coming up and register.  Perhaps someone you meet can help put you on the path to the ideal job you brainstormed earlier.

Feeling stuck is not fun but there are steps you can take to get unstuck every day. Try one or more of the above, or come up with some strategies that work best for you, but make the effort today.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Make a Vision Board

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 from Modern Health Monk, Alex Heyne discusses the importance of having a vision and focus for your future and shares a plan for creating a vision board. Watch the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Daily Exercises That Build Self-Discipline

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 Daily Exercises That Build Self-Discipline: "Do this before your morning cold shower and you will have shown more discipline before 8 a.m. than most people do ALL day."

• 5 Signs That Show You're Manager Material: "You’re interested in stepping up into a management role with your current company, but there’s just one question that keeps nagging at you: Are you ready?"

• 6 Things Successful People Do Before 9 am: "In the morning, you’re at your most energized and refreshed, and best prepared to take on a difficult task or project. You’ll be amazed at how much lighter it makes you feel for the rest of the day."

• 9 Qualities That Are the Essence of Truly Great Leadership: "The very best leaders are a source of positive energy. They communicate easily. They are intrinsically helpful and genuinely concerned for other people's welfare."
• 11 Pieces of Fatherly Advice on Life & Living it Well: "My father taught me a good lesson: Don't get too low when things go wrong. And don't get too high when things are good."

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.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Designing Your Life for Discipline Rather Than Distraction

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 Brendon Burchard discusses designing your life to avoid distraction and allow time for focusing on important projects. Watch the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Why You Shouldn't Be Afraid to Take Risks

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!

• Why You Shouldn't be Afraid of Making Mistakes: "A leader must have Initiative—the courage to make decisions, to act, and the willingness and strength to risk failure."

• 8 Surprising Strategies for Unstoppable Focus: "Get clear on precisely what you want, then move past any doubts or fears through massive, urgent action. Doing this is a mental game for me: I keep score on how well I've done each day."

• 5 Management Lessons That Being a Parent Taught Me: "The same goes for your employees. If they know you have their back, they’ll take more risks and produce better work."

• 5 Ways to Project Confidence in Front of an Audience: "Using simple words doesn’t imply dumbing down your message. You gain credibility and respect when you’re able to articulate complex ideas in simple language."
• An Entrepreneurs Letter to His Son: "The happiest people I’ve ever encountered draw their happiness not from what they’ve obtained, but rather from the inner joy that comes from being at peace."

5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Job

Maybe you've been on the job for fifteen years or only 15 minutes. Or you leave the house with energy and enthusiasm or you're like a zombie at work, or operating your career on auto-pilot.

Wherever you happen to be at this moment in your career you should be constantly evaluating your situation and asking yourself a series of questions.

Below are five questions you should ask yourself about your job at least monthly.

Am I challenged in my work? To be satisfied in your work there needs to be some difficulty and some challenge involved. If a job is without a challenge it will become boring, making it unlikely for you to experience growth.

Do I have opportunities to advance at my workplace? Speaking of growth, a dynamic career is one that involves change, development, and opportunities to move up and advance. 

What conferences or workshops should I attend to develop my skills? A great way to gain new skills and knowledge in your field is by attending regular conferences and training sessions. These also provide important networking opportunities that should be cultivated regularly.

Do I experience joy in my job? An underappreciated byproduct of our work is the experience of joy. Work does not have to be (and should not) feel like drudgery. The work can be hard, difficult, and challenging and also provide a great sense of joy. In fact, perhaps the most joy-filled work experience requires difficulty and challenge.

Do I feel a sense of purpose at work? The most successful people, and those who feel happiest in their lives and careers, have a clear sense of their purpose and how their current work fits into that purpose. If you don't have a clear sense of what your purpose or "calling" is, then take some time in the next week to examine this. You will feel a greater sense of engagement, energy, and enthusiasm in your career when your job integrates your purpose with your strengths and skills.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Laziness, Motivation, and Energy

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 Alex Heyne from Modern Health Monk discusses laziness and motivation and the connection between motivation and energy. Watch the video for more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Deal with Failure & Avoid Blame

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 Deal with Failure & Avoid Blame: "When you blame others, you prevent yourself from being able to do proper self-evaluation, which is critical to self-improvement. The leader who doesn’t blame others has his office in the solutions department, not the excuses department."

• The Right Way to Respond to Negative Feedback: "We can’t act on feedback until we truly understand it. Especially when we hear something new, it’s usually a good idea to ask a few trustworthy sources whether they’ve noticed the same behavior."

• 3 Signs Your Diet is Hurting Your Career: "You’re not able to be as present and engaged with your co-workers as you would be if your body were adequately nourished."

• 9 Simple Ways to Delegate Better: "It is time to begin delegating if you haven't started already, or refine how you delegate if you have, by following these steps."
• How to Stay Focused When You Have a Flexible Schedule: "Maintaining a daily routine helps us to establish a foundation that helps us achieve productive goals, like getting our work done or starting by a certain time."