Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 12 Smart Habits to Save Time & Increase Productivity

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 discusses 12 habits to increase productivity and save time, starting with putting a cap on your work week and the amount of time you devote to a specific task. Check out the video to learn more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Protecting Time at Work by Setting Boundaries

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!

• Protect Your Time at Work by Setting Better Boundaries: "As a time management coach, I’ve seen a variety of ways in which people have successfully set boundaries with their colleagues.... here are some examples of boundaries you can set and strategies for communicating them to others."

• How Hiring Has Changed in the Last Decade: "Love it or hate it, Glassdoor has fundamentally changed the job search process by providing a platform for employees, candidates, and companies to share their thoughts and views on a company."

• 50 Best US Cities for Starting a Business in 2020: "In the following dispatches, you'll find a road map for turning forgotten ZIP codes into boomtowns--or simply for answering the age-old question: Where should you go next?."

• 4 Ways You Benefit from Serving Others: "You’ll see more money in your pocket and create a thriving business if you serve others, but what’s the point of wealth if you’re not happy? Good news: Science confirms that serving others makes you feel great."
• 7 Quick Reads to Keep You Motivated:"Whether you’re coming back from a relaxing getaway or just craving some new motivation, you’ll get a little brain food to fuel the next phase of your career."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 8 Steps to Have Your Best Week (and Life)

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 Ryan Holiday and Daily Stoic discusses 8 ways to have your best week and life, starting with guarding your time. Check out the video to learn more.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 10 Time Management Tips That 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!

• 10 Time Management Tips That Work: "The good news is that real time is mental. It exists between your ears. You create it. Anything you create, you can manage."

• How to Create a Tight-Knit Company Culture: "To scale culture successfully, you can't just rely on senior leadership or the founders to push it from the top down. Culture is co-owned by leadership and your on-the-ground culture teams to make sure it's bottom up, too."

• Why You Should Always Ask For More Money: "Experts say it’s essential to always ask for more money because when you don’t negotiate, you signal to the company that you don’t value your own worth."

• How to Earn Loyalty as a Leader: "We earn loyalty when we take ownership for what should be done. We don’t simply give people what they ask for; instead, we own the goals and outcome for our customers and colleagues."
• How Successful People Handle Toxic People:"If you set boundaries and decide when and where you’ll engage a difficult person, you can control much of the chaos."

High Five Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 8 Paradoxical Habits of Successful People

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!

• 8 Paradoxical Habits of Successful People: "Successful people are passionate about their work, but they don’t let it skew their thinking. They have the ability to step back and look at their work with a critical eye and to accept their mistakes."

• A Revolutionary New Approach to Time Management: "When stress rises, the need to feel in control rises too. Often that leads to reaching for the time management tools to cram more in to already loaded to-do lists. Which only leaves you feeling more depleted."

• Why Women Are Still Making So Much Less Than Men: "The idea that I could ask for more, that my skills and talent were worth more, never crossed my mind."

• 5 Skills Critical for Success & Career Advancement: "In fully committing to choices which serve your career advancement first, your personal brand will start to take shape. You’ll start being deemed as someone to watch and follow."
• How to Talk With a Coworker Who's Having a Tough Time:"For as long as negative emotions show up at work (which is probably forever), you’ll be better off if you have some strategies to help your colleagues through it."

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.

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."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Start a Business When You Don't Have Time

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 Business Insider, career expert and Growth Lab CEO Ramit Sethi shares some ideas for building a business when you have little time.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 6 Ways to Prevent Work 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!

• 6 Ways to Prevent Work Burnout: "The signs of burnout and stress can include aches and pains, feeling drowsy, lack of focus and difficulty sleeping, just to name a few. Taking care of yourself can help prevent burnout before it happens."

• 5 Tips for Using Your Time Wisely: "Don’t be so eager to please everybody else. Appreciate your own limits. You don’t have to fill up every second of the day; take time to appreciate what you’ve accomplished."

• 3 Essentials for Making a Big Splash at Your New Job: "There’s nothing better than a plan of action to keep you on track as new duties, pressures and requirements are getting thrown at you left and right."

• The Happiest Cities to Work in Right Now: "To gauge happiness, the survey covered topics like compensation, work environment and employees’ relationships with their managers."
• Make Learning a Lifelong Habit: "with all the disruptions in the modern economy, particularly technology, ongoing skill acquisition is critical to persistent professional relevance."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Make Your First 90 Days at a New Company Count

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 Make Your First 90 Days at a New Company Count: "Regardless of your experience, title or level of authority, you have a lot to learn about your new role and organization. Tap into the wisdom of those who’ve been there for a while as well as those who may be somewhat new."

• Got 15 Spare Minutes? Here's How to Make it Count: "You can use small pockets of time to catch up on social media and scan emails, but your ultimate goal should be to help you, your client, or your team move forward."

• 10 Unmistakable Habits of Utterly Authentic People: "Authentic people, on the other hand, are accountable. They understand that they -- and no one else -- are responsible for their own lives, so there’s no point in complaining."

• To Succeed as a First-Time Leader, Relax: "Evidence-based mindfulness strategies, such as meditation and controlled breathing, can empower new managers to navigate challenges including delivering a critical presentation, running a contentious meeting, or making a high-stakes strategic decision."
• Ready for a New Job?: "Although it is more strategic to start with outlining your ideal position, the reality is we all invest an inordinate amount of energy into thinking about what we don't like."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Say No in Order to Achieve 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.

In the video below from Entrepreneur, Emily Richett shares some tools to help you learn to say no and properly budget your time and energy.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: 3 Ways to Master Your Time

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 Entrepreneur Network partner, Daniel Ally identifies 3 time-optimizing tips:

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 8 Tips to Fast-Track 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!

• 8 Tips to Fast-Track Your Career: "Know where your organization/industry is going and understand what you can contribute to making your team more successful. Make sure your supervisor sees you as an asset."
• 5 Ways to Tackle Job Insecurity: "If you've been neglecting your network for a while, now is the time to reconnect. Don't wait until you need to call in a favor. It's also a good idea to expand your network by attending events or joining a professional association."
• 13 Time Management Tips for Success: "One of the biggest mistakes is just doing whatever comes your way instead of having exact times when you will do certain things in your week. Discipline and planning is required if you want to achieve your career goals."
• 7 Interview Questions That Determine Emotional Intelligence: "Curiosity and the desire to learn are vital signs that a prospective employee wants to get better at something."
• How to Dress for Your Next Job Interview: "Whether you like it or not, your appearance is the first thing people notice about you–and the hiring managers first impression may play a big part in his or her hiring decision."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: One Time Management Rule for Increased Productivity

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

In the video below business coach Craig Ballantyne from Early to Rise shares a simple time management rule that can help you become more productive.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 6 Rituals to Reach Your Potential

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

• 6 Simple Rituals to Reach Your Potential Every Day: "Solo-task and do more faster by working in 50/10 increments. Use a timer to work for 50 minutes on only one important task with 10 minute breaks in between."


• 15 Ways to Make Your Life Better This Summer: "If you have dreams of being an entrepreneur but aren’t yet ready to jump in with both feet, try a summer experiment and see what works. .... See what resonates, learn and then decide if it’s the start of a hobby or a career change."


• Why Stress and Anxiety are Your Best Friends: "Anxiety is an inevitable part of life, and success typically requires embracing it (or at least tolerating it) rather than avoiding it."


• Enjoy that Vacation and Avoid Work Stress: "To maximize the relaxing benefits of your vacation, have a good re-entry plan. This can include arriving home a day early — or at least earlier in the day — so that you have some time to unpack, do laundry, and get a good night’s sleep."


• 3 Steps to Stop Procrastinating: "Take a baby step on an unwanted task by working on it immediately and then planning to finish the task by breaking it up into manageable amounts."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

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

• The Top 10 Things Every College Senior Needs to Do Right Now: "Attend or join professional associations or groups. Investigate the professional groups associated with your desired job or industry."


• The 8 Networking Rules You Should Never Break: "Never come unprepared to a networking event, a conference, or even a phone call with a potential connection. The more information you have about a person, the better you’ll be able to relate to him or her."


• How to Be a Super-Achiever: The Ten Qualities That Matter: "Star performers know they can’t achieve success on their own. Instead, they must galvanize a group of people around their idea or goal. Teamwork, or having an ecosystem of supporters, turns out to be critically vital for success."


• 10 Life Lessons Guaranteed to Advance Your Career: "Don't brag about yourself; brag about others. Don't try to show how smart or good you are. Usually, it's wise to prioritize making others feel good about themselves."


• How to Tame the Time-Management Beast: "Stop wasting your valuable time. Life is too short. You will be amazed at how much more content your soul is and how much better of a human being, colleague, and employee you become." 

Learning When and How to Say No

I must admit, my initial research of this subject was entirely self-serving. I am guilty of superhero syndrome. You may know it as well. The symptoms are an unrealistic idea that you can take on anything that comes your way and a severe allergy to saying "NO." This inability to say no has led me to lose sleep, neglect taking care of myself and my own priorities, resentment of those that I am helping, and a plate full of stress and frustration.

Let's examine some of my, and many other people's, reasons it is so hard to say "NO." In addition, let's look at how we might politely, gently, and diplomatically say "NO" once in a while.

A genuine interest in helping other people
I am a kind and generous person who genuinely enjoys the opportunity to help other people. However, what I need to work on is not letting someone else's lack of preparation become MY emergency. Here is how I am going to try to respond to this situation.

"It is not a good time for me right now, as I am backed up with other projects. How about if we make an appointment to speak next week, so we can both give the project our full attention and not be rushed."

Fear of missing out on opportunities
For many of us, we fail to say no and over-extend ourselves or agree to something we really don't want to do because of the fear of closing a door. I suggest we analyze the opportunity that is being presented against the cost at which it will come. In the future, if I am presented with an opportunity that has too great a cost for its potential benefit, here is how I will try to respond.

"This sounds like an exciting opportunity and I would love to work with you when my schedule permits. I can not participate, but I hope you will stay in touch so we can work together on future projects."

Fear of being rude
Sometimes, I say yes simply because I do not want to hurt someone's feelings or burn a bridge because of rejection. Saying "NO" does not always mean you are being rude or even disagreeable. There does not always have to be a disagreement, especially when you are honest with the person who is asking. I think next time I will try this response.

"I can't help you at this time because . . . "

Notice that I did not include the words "I'm sorry" in any of my responses. Don't apologize for being busy and having priorities, revel in your success! I will check back in and keep you posted on my progress at saying no. Send me comments about how you go about saying no and avoid over-extending yourself.

Take Control of Your Time in 2012

I was running late.

I knew that I was in trouble after I hopped out of the shower and looked at my cell phone to see it frowning at me, lambasting me for being so slow to get out of bed in the morning. I pulled double time, though, and quickly dressed, gathered my things, and rushed out the door to make my bus before it pulled away. As I sat on the bus, I felt relieved. I was particularly nervous because every time I checked the clock I knew there was a possibility that I wasn't going to be able to make it.

Then it occurred to me: why did I keep checking the clock? What was I accomplishing by doing so?

We are all busy people: there's no debate about that. But there's a difference between what we do that takes up our time and what we do that's important to us. Here are some tips to make 2012 the year that you reclaim your time.

Prioritize what matters: In his book 18 Minutes author and consultant Peter Bregman recommends that you take 18 minutes every day to prioritize what matters to you. To increase the feeling that you have an impact on your world, focus your time on those things that resonate most with your values.

Be honest with your time wasters: Are your time wasters Facebook or CNN.com? Or are you distracted by a television while doing work that you feel "helps you focus" while really distracting you? Perhaps when you're late you keep glancing at the clock in a vain attempt to stay on time but doing so makes you later (*ahem*)? Whatever your time wasters are, get in touch with them and be honest with yourself about how they impact your productivity. Then work to correct them.

Try "Robot Mode": Create a list of your to-do items, and then-as dispassionately and unemotionally as possible-tackle that list with gusto, your only objective to remove the item on the list. Going into Robot Mode will diminish the cognitive dissonance that's associated with creating a list ("Look at how big that list is! I'll never get it done!") and help you get things done.

Let 2012 be the year that you take control of your time.

Time Management & Organizational Tips

As a post grad, whether you've already found work, are deep into the job hunt, going to graduate school, or simply finding your own way, you need to be organized and use your time well. Here are some organization and time management tips for any post grad (and really anyone!):

1. If you're job hunting, treat the search like a job. Schedule time to look for jobs, head to businesses, and make sure you know when your interviews are. Scheduling your job hunt will help it feel more like a priority and you won't succumb to laziness.

2. To-do lists are your new best friend. It doesn't matter what type of job you have or if you're still looking, to-do lists are always helpful. Keeping track of things you need to do short-term and long-term will keep you focused and you won't be able to forget important tasks or projects.

3. The Internet can be a huge distraction. While you're working online or job hunting, use website tools such as LeechBlock from Firefox that block certain websites at the times you determine. When you need to be focused, block Facebook and other time-wasting sites during the time you need to work.

4. Take a break when you need one! Sitting at your computer for too many hours a day can cause eye strain, back pain and many other health problems. A good rule is to get up and take a break every half an hour to stretch.

5. Keep a diary of how you spend your time. Wasted an hour looking for an important paper? Organize your desk. Wasted two hours watching TV instead of doing your grad school homework? Evaluate what are the biggest time wasters for you and fix it!

6. Organize your life. Some people prefer a mess, but being organized helps you to be more productive. Cleaning your email box and making labels to store important messages is a start. Keeping your finances, your desk, and your life organized and neat will clear your brain and help you get work done faster.

7. Have a planner or use your phone's calendar to remember appointments and tasks. Then actually use it!

No matter what your plans are, keeping track of your time and staying organized are great skills that will take you far in life.

Four Time Management Fundamentals to Tackle Your Job Search

In our information-24/7 society, chock full of career advice, its not uncommon to become more preoccupied with the condition of the trees than the state of the forest. Am I on the right Twitter feeds? Am I using LinkedIn to its fullest? How do I find a job through Facebook? The questions can go on and on, but they are ultimately moot if you do not practice solid fundamentals. Time management is a key component of a job search, one that-I believe-is lost in the bottomless amount of data that assails us every day. Here are four tips to keep you productive and on the straight-and-narrow as you focus on your job search.

You got the job…sorta: I oftentimes see a pattern with those struggling to find a job: they treat it as an afterthought, something to do when all of their “other” work is done. Homework, a job outside their field, hanging out with friends, caring for loved-ones, and other preoccupations are barriers that keep you from landing that job you want. The solution: treat your job search like a full-time job. Make it a priority in your life contract, not an addendum.

Succeed through scheduling: To build upon the last point, whether you use a paper planner or are savvy with Microsoft Outlook or Google Calendar, scheduling time for your job search will make it more real to you. Take a look at your current obligations and set your schedule with undistracted time to focus on your job search. Scheduling it will make it seem more real and prioritized than if you do it “when you have time.” Your intentionality will produce results.

Target your search: When I hear of job applicants that have applied for 300+ positions and are still struggling to find a job, I cringe. What this indicates to me is a lack of planning and strategy. I picture them throwing out their resume to any opportunity, whether it is in their field or not, with the hope of landing something. Since there are only so many jobs out there and your timeline is finite, focus on the jobs that are in your field, fitting with your experience level, and where you would truly want to work. Targeting your application materials to only these jobs, your passion and experience will come through and you’ll be more likely to find a position.

Create goals and track your progress: Most jobs have metrics that you have to meet to show whether or not you are attaining your goals. Why not do the same with your job search? Create goals for yourself (“I’m going to apply for five jobs today, follow up on three positions that I have already applied for, and search for positions for an hour.”) and track those activities using an Excel spreadsheet or a career management tool like JibberJobber.
Tracking will keep you productive and organized as well as allow you to build upon your past successes to keep your job-search momentum going.

Don’t get bogged down in the minutiae of your job search: it’s all about the fundamentals. Follow these time management tips to shorten the length of your job search and better balance your life’s other obligations.