High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Balance Work and 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 Balance Work and the Holidays: "Check if your company offers an employee assistance program. If you need to take time off to just recalibrate, that is perfectly okay."

• 10 Commitments to Live a Truly Accountable Life: "If you develop a strong personal belief in the importance of these commitments, and if you begin acting on those beliefs, you will benefit from them."

• 11 Ways to Be More Productive: "The restaurant business can be unrelenting, especially when you’re shuttling between five of them. Nonetheless, the chef, restaurant owner, and cookbook author says that the experience has an upside: It makes you an excellent problem solver."

• 7 Tips for Successful Delegating: "View it as a means to free up valuable time -- more hours you can use to act on your big ideas, grow your business and achieve greater success."
• 5 Steps to Turn Experience (and Failure) Into Wisdom:"They recognize that by knowing what they did to produce a great outcome, they can repeat the actions and duplicate the result. That’s wisdom too."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Stay Positive in the Midst of a Company Crisis

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 Stay Positive in the Midst of a Company Crisis: "People with high optimism generally have better overall health, and people with an aptitude for emotional resilience are better protected from overwhelm and suffering."

• 13 Hacks for When You Need a Boost of Creativity: "Studies have shown that walking increases creativity rapidly. Every time I catch myself in a slump, I take a 20-30 minute walk near the office without trying to force anything to happen. You’ll slowly ponder on whatever problem you’re trying to solve and are likely to come up with a unique angle."

• What to Say When Your Employee Makes a Mistake: "Emotional courage is the willingness to tolerate all feelings. It’s entirely developable, and developing it increases your ability to lead effectively, get business results, communicate in a way that inspires others, and make the impact you’re trying to make."

• A Small Change to Your Morning Routine to Increase Productivity: "Taking time to reattach to work helps our work goals to become more salient, which energizes us to focus. When we consider how to achieve our goals, we become more aware of our autonomy to accomplish them, as well as the resources and people we have supporting us."
• How to Host an Excellent Event:"In a world where we connect via technology in an instant, relationships are still best built in person... Hosting events, for work and for pleasure, has huge benefits, that last a lifetime."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Make Work Fun Again

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!

• Make Work Fun Again: "Gamification takes mundane tasks and adds play elements, like point scoring. For me, crossing off to-do list items gives me a hit of the 'doing' hormone dopamine that’s as strong as a triple shot of espresso."

• To Be Happier at Work, Invest in Relationships: "People whose work is mundane or demanding are just as likely to feel satisfied and fulfilled as those with fun or inspiring jobs if they proactively invest in relationships that nourish them and create a sense of purpose."

• How to Deal With the Pitfalls of Remote Work: "It’s one thing if a remote team member is working late because they took advantage of their job flexibility to take care of something else in the afternoon. But there might be a problem if it happens regularly."

• 36 Insanely Useful Productivity Hacks: "When it comes to getting off to a productive start each day, 57 percent of the (extremely productive) have a morning routine to make this happen."
• 5 Reasons Personal Finance Should Be Taught in School:"People’s attitudes around money can be instrumental in shaping their character, plus promotes the desire to give back."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Design a To-do List

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 Fast Company provides strategies for developing a highly effective to-do list, starting with dividing your list up. Check out the video to learn more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Lessons from a World War II General

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!

• Leadership Lessons from a World War II General: "Next time your team is in dire straits, demonstrate fierce optimism in the face of overwhelming odds and gauge its effect. I bet that you will be surprised by how contagious optimistic leadership can be and by the incredible influence it can have on a team."

• We Need to Change the Conversation Around Motherhood & Work: "To make significant progress, we have to work together and change the conversation. That means seeing mothers as more than just mothers, and acknowledging that their identity outside of being a parent is just as important."

• A Simple Technique to Improve Your Communication: "Subheads are words or short phrases that help to group paragraphs together and introduce new pieces of information. They also visually break up large pieces of text, helping your reader digest information."

• 14 Morning Routine Hacks to Boost Productivity: "The good news is that some morning "best practices" have been shown to help successful business moguls and entrepreneurs make the most of their time and energy."
• The Need to Become More Collaborative in Business:"A truly connected value chain means businesses can innovate more quickly and provide better – and more ethical – products and services to increasingly demanding customers."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: The Productivity Superpower You Didn't Know You Had

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 Tim Ferriss, host of the TV show Fear{less}, relates tips from experts for getting your best work done in one quick burst. 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."

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."

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.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The 3 Best Ways to Avoid Career Burnout

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!

• The 3 Best Ways to Avoid Career Burnout:"I've seen many high-potential individuals burn out in a flame of glory because they couldn't pace themselves. Don't be that person! Your hard work and long hours are only worth it if you can enjoy yourself throughout the process."

• 9 CEOs Share Their Favorite Productivity Hacks: "Here are nine tricks successful CEOs use to squeeze more productivity out of themselves and their employees."

• How Building Relationships Helps Build Business: "A big part of building successful relationships in the workplace is hiring the right people, but even more important—and often more challenging—is being able to surrender control over every aspect of the business."

• 5 Tweaks to Your Daily Routine to Double Energy & Productivity: "If you desire to create more energy and become more productive, start with addressing the tiny and everyday habits before adding more complex tactics to your life."
• 9 Bad Habits That Can Lead to Unhappiness: "Changing your habits in the name of greater happiness is one of the best things that you can do for yourself. But it’s also important for another reason—taking control of your happiness makes everyone around you happier, too."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: To Be More Productive Eliminate These 7 Habits

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 Practical Psychology describes 7 habits that you should eliminate from your life in order to be more productive, starting with "multitasking". Watch the video below for more.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 9 Life Hacks to be More Productive

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 Practical Psychology provides 9 life hacks or tips to increase productivity, including implementing the Pomodoro technique. Don't know the Pomodoro technique? Take a look.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How To Spend Your Working Day Wisely And Actually Get Things Done

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 shares great habits from a number of successful people to help you be productive and use your time more wisely. Take a look.

5 Design Elements of a Productive Workspace

Have you ever wandered over to a co-worker’s desk and wondered how they could possibly get anything done? Papers are stacked everywhere, there’s a banana peel on the corner of the desk that looks like it’s been there for days, and their office chair squeaks annoyingly.

Of course, the company likely provides the work space but that doesn’t mean we can’t make adjustments in order to be more effective and productive in our job.

Consider how you can improve the following elements in your workspace to improve your work experience.

Privacy. Though you might be in a small cubicle surrounded by co-workers there are still some steps you can take to afford you more privacy. Add sound-absorbing materials like foam or a fabric to your cubicle walls or add some book shelves to decrease sound. You might also use noise cancelling headphones while working or play some soft music.

   

Organized. It’s difficult to be productive when you can’t find what you’re looking for. Keep your desk in order and develop an effective filing system for your print (and electronic) documents.

Light. Office spaces often have insufficient lighting which can cause eye strain and headaches. Look into adding some personal lighting by adding a desk lamp or attachable light to your computer. If you have windows, open them up.

View. Speaking of windows, a view of nature and the outdoors has been shown to support health and increase productivity, so sit near the windows, draw the blinds, and enjoy the view. If you don’t have a beautiful view bring in photos of some of your favorite nature shots and add a plant or two to your desk. The plant will also aid in air quality, keeping you healthier.

Comfortable seating. If you’re not comfortable in your space it will be difficult to get focused and accomplish the work required of you. Be sure to have a chair that works for you, while also ensuring that your desk is at an appropriate height. If you move to a new work area makes the changes necessary to be comfortable. Developing leg or back pain is a sure way to decrease productivity and enjoyment of your work.

Take advantage of the areas you control to ensure that you design a work space that allows you to work comfortably, productively, and enthusiastically.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 8 Productivity Tips You've Never Heard Of

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, Ben Angel discusses eight productivity tips to help increase focus and reduce stress. Take a look.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 7 Productive Daily Habits

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 shares seven daily habits to help you be more productive, including planning your activity around your energy levels rather than around time. Take a look.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Signs it's Time to Quit Your Job

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 Signs it's Time to Quit Your Job:"The following exercises will help you shift your thinking so that your exit strategy can become a powerful experience rather than a slow motion trainwreck."

• The Simple Productivity-Boosting Method You're Probably Overlooking: "The National Safety Council has estimated that fatigued employees cost employers about $136 billion a year in lost productivity."

• Should You Take That New Job or the Promotion?: "Which of the two companies can give you better long-term opportunities in which you can make a difference? A difference maker is someone who can see the impact of his or her work on the organization."

• 5 Strategies for Enjoying Your Workday: "
  Your company might provide snacks, board games and holiday parties, but it doesn’t hurt to customize your workday for a happier you
  ."
• 4 Easy Ways to Recognize How Your Work is Meaningful: "these are all ways that your work – and the money you earn - is meaningful to you and your family."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 3 Ways to Be 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!

• 3 Ways to Be More Productive:"When you apply an essentialist framework to tasks, you’ll quickly find that the anxiety surrounding its perceived complexity melts away."

• How to Help Your Spouse Cope With Work Stress: "Develop calming end-of-the-workday habits and rituals. You both need time to decompress."

• 101 Time Management Tips to Boost Productivity: "Double-check your work so that you don’t spend the time going back and correcting your mistakes."

• 15 Traits That Set Influential People Apart: "Influential people move through life with purpose, conscious of their actions and of how others may perceive them."
• 15 Podcasts You Should Be Listening To Every Week: "Here's a list of the podcasts I find most valuable as a leader, entrepreneur, and human being....Together, this holistic list will help you expand as a professional and as a person."