High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 14 Ways to Commit to Lifelong Learning

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!

• 14 Ways to Commit to Lifelong Learning: "There is no better way to grasp new ideas and educate yourself than to be in new places, meeting new people and experiencing new cultures. Traveling may not give you book smarts, but it will give you an education you can’t get in a classroom ."

• 10 Tips for Consistent Personal Growth: "Know that the success of the people around you is vital to the team’s success, and their success is largely dependent on you. Make it a personal goal to read at least one leadership book per quarter."

• How to Stay Focused on Your Goals: "By seeking out people who practice self-discipline, you’ll likely be surrounding yourself with people who are more successful than you."

• A System to Achieve Inbox Zero Every Day: "Clearing out my inbox at set times isn’t enough. I needed to automate a portion of the volume and know at a glance what needs my attention."
• A Guide to Taking a Gap Year or Gap Time in Midlife:"A handful of academic programs can serve as gap-year transitions, moving from one career to a new challenge."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 12 Changes That Will Upgrade Your Life & Career

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 The Financial Diet, Chelsea Fagan describes 12 changes you can make to upgrade your entire life and career. Check out the video to learn more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself to Align Personal & Career Goals

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 Questions to Ask Yourself to Align Personal & Career Goals: "At times, you do have to choose between your career goals and personal goals in order to accomplish one....The key is to take the time to reflect, and ask yourself some questions before you make the decision. Here’s where to start."

• 4 Reasons Good Employees Lose Their Motivation: "With each of these four motivation traps, the trick is to think more comprehensively about what stops employees from initiating, persisting, and putting in mental effort."

• 5 Principles to Follow to Make Your Mark on the World: "People with different backgrounds and skill sets. If you're looking at an opportunity or challenge and you have five ways to look at it versus one, you'll see each other's blind spots."

• 25 Best Habits to Have in Life: "Focus on these 25 habits, consistently making efforts to instill them into your daily routine, and in time, your progress and momentum towards your goals will skyrocket."
• The 5 Principles of Building Trust:"Talk is educational and edifying; but actions are evidence. Provide iconic tangible evidence that what you are claiming can be trusted."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How a Journal Can Help Change Your Mindset

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 a Journal Can Help Change Your Mindset: "How we think ultimately influences how we behave. Getting to the truth about our mindset can help us shift our beliefs and take action to make important changes to our life."

• How to Talk to an Employee Who Isn't Meeting Their Goals: "Start by asking your employee how they think they’re doing on their goals. In addition to an overall assessment, ask them to list key metrics and examples by which they measure their performance."

• 5 Ways to Make a Steady Freelance Income: "Keep reading to learn about five different freelance jobs that offer competitive compensation, and find out how to train yourself to thrive in each position."

• What Separates High Achievers from Mere Dreamers?: "That would be the person who is generous, honest, and who gave credit to other people for their own ideas."
• Why Great Leaders Need to Be Their Best Selves:"Your best self is who you authentically are at your core. Your best self is wise, fearless, and leads you towards what is best for your life."

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.

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: How to Become the Best Version of Yourself

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 Goalcast, James Lawrence, known as The Iron Cowboy, shares a story of hitting rock bottom and how it triggered the shift he needed to become the best version of himself, giving him the determination to conquer 50 Iron Mans in 50 days.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Do This Ritual at the End of Each Week to Become More Productive

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!

• Do This Ritual at the End of Each Week to Become More Productive: "They keep a sacred, non-negotiable meeting with themselves every week to re-sync, get current, and align their daily work and projects with their priorities."

• 10 Happiness Practices From Around the World: "It is based on the observation that harboring resentment toward others mostly harms ourselves. Instead, it’s wiser to take a deep breath and figure out your own feelings before discussing them with someone you feel has done you wrong."

• How to Be Brave Enough to Change: "Here are three ways to build your courage, so you and your colleagues can move successfully to the new reality."

• 5 Ways to Build Resilience: "A growth mindset entails maintaining the belief that we can grow our strengths and talents through hard work. It attributes growth to the investment of time and energy, not the idea that growth is given to us as an innate gift."
• A Practical Guide to Achieving Any Goal and Living Beyond Fear: "if you're willing to do the hard interior work of living a life of trust and emotional freedom, there are absolutely no limits to your growth and potential."

5 Career Benefits from Journaling

A daily practice of journaling is one habit you might consider adding to your life to see some immediate improvements to your career and work life.

Simply setting aside as little as ten minutes each day to write can help bring a focus and clarity to your life and provide several unexpected dividends.

Here are five ways journaling can benefit your career and enhance your life.

Journaling allows you to process your thoughts and feelings. Writing provides an organized way for you to gain some understanding of the events of the day, and the emotions that accompany them. This can aid you in working through situations or circumstances that contribute to difficult emotions--such as fear, anger, or sadness--and can help provide an honest look at factors contributing to success or failure.

Journaling helps you set your focus for the next day. When you take a few minutes at the end of the day to write you can spend some of that time setting your priorities, listing a few of your major tasks for the next day, and enabling you to be more focused and prepared when you awake the following morning.

Journaling helps you recognize your successes and accomplishments. When you commit to a daily practice of writing you have a record of your accomplishments and can look back over time to acknowledge your successes and appreciate your achievements.  

Journaling can be a way to recognize the good in your life. Life is busy and many times we rush through life without taking account of the good we experience and the things we can be grateful for. Journaling is a great opportunity to take stock of the good you encounter daily, and enables you to read again regularly as a reminder.

Journaling helps you retain what you’ve learned. When you take the time to write down some insight or knowledge you’ve gained during the day, you are better able to recall it and apply that knowledge later.

   

You don’t have to be a prolific writer to benefit from journaling. Try spending ten to fifteen minutes a day writing and you’ll likely soon recognize some of the advantages to your life and career noted above.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Techniques to Increase Your Motivation

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 Techniques to Increase Your Motivation: "Without a powerful motive, no goal can withstand misfortune. You can create motive by taking time every day to visualize your goal in detail."

• The Importance of Face-to-Face Networking in a Digital World: "The value of face-to-face networking is being recognized as one of the most powerful tools available for increasing one’s personal exposure, creating meaningful relationships and providing growth opportunities at a personal and professional level."

• 7 Common Words Powerful People Avoid (That You Should Avoid, Too): "The word 'just' diminishes the content that follows this word. It is a “protector” word, a word that softens what you want to achieve."

• 4 Easy Ways to Reboot Your Relationship With Your Boss This Year: "Your manager might not be able to weigh in on every project you tackle, but every boss is on the lookout for people who can think in ways that positively impact the organization, both inside and out."
• What to Do When Your Boss Says No: "A 'no' gives you the opportunity to prove to others that you can find creative solutions to deliver quality work with less."

5 Things to Do On Your Holiday Vacation From Work

The holidays are upon us and with it, if you're fortunate, will be a week or two away from the work place.

You should definitely use that time to unwind and relax, while avoiding any stressful thoughts of work or overdoing it with the eggnog.

However, time away from the job can provide an opportunity to evaluate where you are and where you're headed and prepare you for future success. If you'd like to relax on your holiday vacation and also be productive, here are five things you can do:

1. Work on developing a new habit now. Don't wait until January first to start your new routine, whether you want to do yoga in the morning, or go for a run. Get a jump on it and it will be part of your life by the time you return to work.

2. Read a good book. Check out a great read from your local library, perhaps something in a field you're interested in but no very little. This can help generate your creativity and spark ideas that you can take with you back to the office.

3. Connect with an old friend. It's fine to share Facebook posts or messages on twitter but make an effort to meet up with a friend in person, or over the phone if they live out of state. Reconnecting will boost your spirits, increase your energy, and might even lead to deepening your networking contacts.

4. Get a lot of sleep. This is likely on your agenda but sometimes the busyness of the holidays, with family and social events, can keep us running around and needing a break. Be sure to take some time for yourself. The holidays provide a great opportunity to kick back, sleep in, read a good book, or binge-watch that show you've been missing.

5. Set some goals. What do you want the coming year to look like? Take a look at your life and career situation and consider what changes you need to make in order to have a great year. Refer back to point 1 and implement a new habit now, rather than waiting until January 1st.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 10 Things You Can Do to Boost Self-Confidence

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 Things You Can Do to Boost Self-Confidence: "The best way to overcome fear is to face it head-on. By doing something that scares you every day and gaining confidence from every experience, you will see your self-confidence soar."
• How Writing T0-Do Lists Helps Your Brain (Whether or Not You Finish Them): "Many studies have shown that note taking helps us distill the information we hear and remember it better than we would if we'd just heard or read it."
• How to Ace Your Interview With a Great Story: "The single most effective thing you can do to improve your odds of getting a job offer is to tell a great story in the interview; share a vivid example from your experience that illustrates how you can help them."
• 10 Ways to Be the Best Version of Yourself: "Tackle a challenging goal this week and commit one hour per day until you succeed. Take note of your increased resilience."
• 8 Mistakes You're Making on LinkedIn: "This is your online reputation, so no typos allowed."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 10 Tips to Do More and Be 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 them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 10 Tips to Push Yourself to Do More and Be More: "Start saying your goals out loud. This way, you'll be more likely to manifest your dreams. Begin this habit today."
• 5 Ways to Be a Great Mentor: "That unwavering commitment to excellence provided a clear roadmap for the kind of teacher and manager I wanted to be."
• How to Showcase Your Personal Brand in an Interview: "A personal brand is your distinct talents and what you represent. As it turns out, a strong, appealing personal brand can help job seekers in the interview process."
• The 25 Best Free iPhone Apps for Business: "Incredibly useful apps that can help you run your business a whole lot smarter than ever before."
• 10 Behaviors of Genuinely Successful People: "Their careers, their accomplishments, the success of their companies speak for themselves. You’ll never hear them breath a word about how much money they have or make. They tend to be fairly modest."

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!

5 Steps to Deal with Work or Career Anxiety

Many people experience anxiety or fears related to their work or job situation. For some, there is a generalized anxiety about facing the day, dealing with unexpected occurrences, or communicating with colleagues. Others who are unemployed may find it increasingly difficult to take the necessary steps toward getting a job.

Here a five ways that you can deal with work or career-related anxiety and fears.

1. Acknowledge the anxiety. Recognize that the anxiety and fear is there and is not unique to you. Understand that your anxiety does not have to control and define you and that you can take steps to minimize the impact on your career and job happiness.

2. Meditate. Simply taking 5 minutes in the morning to sit and meditate can bring significant benefits. Meditation has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression and many successful entrepreneurs laud its impact on their success.

3. Set one simple goal. Achieving one goal, even a simple one, can have a ripple effect and enable you to move forward more effectively. Apply for one job, call one friend, attend one networking event, make one proposal, ask one question. It only takes one. And you must do one before you can do two.

4. Accountability. Let at least one other person know about your fears and anxiety and let that person know about the one goal you set. Ask them to hold you accountable and support you in achieving the goal and developing other strategies and plans to help ease your anxieties.

5. Celebrate. It does not matter how simple the goal or how small the achievement. Reward yourself with a celebration for taking a step forward and there will be many more opportunities to celebrate as you move forward and deal with your anxieties and fears. Be sure to include your support person in your celebration!

A final note: If necessary, seek out professional assistance. Many therapists or career counselors can assist with helping to recognize the causes of anxiety and develop effective strategies to help work through the fears.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Job Interviewing Tips and Dealing with Difficulty

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

• Dealing with Difficult Times: "Set small, simple daily goals ... every day and work to achieve them."


• 6 Bad Reasons to Change Jobs: "Feeling unfulfilled in your current role might make you want to take the first opportunity that comes along, but it might not be right for you."


• Things to Stop Doing in 2015: "Stop procrastinating, saving work for tomorrow, and waiting to be inspired to work."


• 6 Ways to be More Likable in the Job Interview: "Think of your interview as a time when you model the behavior you will exhibit after you are hired."


• Questions for the Receptionist While Awaiting the Job Interview: "The time you spend sitting in the waiting room waiting for the interview is a great opportunity to gather up some intel."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Happiness, Dream Boards, and Sustainable Careers

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

• 5 Ways to Form Authentic Connections at Work: "Make sure you’re constantly striving to be a servant leader – a team’s success isn’t your glory moment, but is instead that of the people directly involved."

• How to Be Happy at Work: "We all want a few universal things. We want to make an impact on the world. We want to master what we do and strive for excellence. However, that’s really hard if we’re not on the right path and our job doesn’t bring us to life."                                                      
• Why You Need a Dream Board: "With dreams, you've got to think big. And just when you think you've thought big enough, it may be time to think even bigger. The point isn't to come up with realistic things -- it's to come with big, crazy, huge dreams that you can hope for."


• Craft a Sustainable Career: "Embrace the fact that you are the pilot of your career. No one else has direct access to your ambitions, interests, and values, and no one is going to take you by the hand and help you create a fulfilling career. The more you practice career crafting, the better you get at it."


• 4 Reasons Even Employed People Need to Network: "Continuing to build new relationships and nurture existing contacts after you're employed can be hugely beneficial to you as members of your network grow into the next phases of their career."