5 Books to Inspire a Better Career and Life

Books are a great resource for career development and to improve your life and so we're recommending five recently published books to inspire you to excel in your career and life.

Happy reading!

1. Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits--to Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life by Gretchen Rubin--Many habit experts offer one-size-fits-all solutions. But as we all know through hard experience, no magic formula exists. The secret, Rubin explains, is to pinpoint the specific strategies will work for us. From finding the right time to begin a new habit, to setting up a counter-intuitive system of reward, to using the pleasure of treats to strengthen our good habits, Rubin identifies the 21 strategies that will allow every reader to find an effective, individual fit.

2. Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg--Productivity relies on making certain choices. The way we frame our daily decisions; the big ambitions we embrace and the easy goals we ignore; the cultures we establish as leaders to drive innovation; the way we interact with data: These are the things that separate the merely busy from the genuinely productive.

3. #AskGaryVee: One Entrepreneur's Take on Leadership, Social Media, and Self-Awareness by Gary Vaynerchuk--#AskGaryVee is the product of over a year’s worth of answering questions on business, entrepreneurship, social media, leadership and more on a YouTube show.

4. Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant--Originals is about how to champion new ideas and fight groupthink. Using surprising studies and stories spanning business, politics, sports, and entertainment, Grant explores how to recognize a good idea, speak up without getting silenced, build a coalition of allies, choose the right time to act, and manage fear and doubt.

5. How to Be Alive: A Guide to the Kind of Happiness That Helps the World by Colin Beavan--In this breakthrough book, Beavan extends a hand to those seeking more meaning and joy in life even as they engage in addressing our various world crises. How to Be Alive nudges the unfulfilled toward creating their own version of the Good Life—a life where feeling good and doing good intersect.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: How to Switch Careers Later in 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.

In the Forbes video below Kerry Hannon offers some steps to take to find a new vocation with meaning, before you retire from your old job.

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."

5 Tips to Develop a Reputation for Kind and Generous Communication Skills

Based on the current political environment you might be mistaken for thinking the best way to become a success in your life and career is to belittle those who stand in your way, and speak rudely of the so-called competition.

However, you'll find true success when you develop a reputation for kindness and generosity in the way you communicate with others.

1. Say thank you. Be gracious toward others for their time and generosity. If someone takes the time to interview you for a new position or if someone provides a reference for you, be sure to thank them for their time and effort.

2. Apologize. We all make mistakes and we all sometimes treat people in ways we wish that we hadn't. In those circumstances we need to be sure to apologize to those we've hurt and offended.

3. Promote the accomplishments of others. Give credit where credit is due. Don't hog all the credit for your successes and accomplishments. You did not succeed only on your own efforts. Be sure to acknowledge those who have contributed to your success. And also promote the successes of others, even when it has nothing to do with you. Making the effort to support others will help diminish a tendency toward jealousy.

4. Speak kindly of your enemies. Many people have burned a few bridges along the way, or been fired from a job, or argued with a previous employer. Train yourself to speak kindly of those who might have treated you poorly. It's a small world and you might find yourself working with them again so work to think and speak well of others, even those you did not get along with.

5. Encourage others. Be known as one who encourages the best in others rather than one who tears others down or belittles them. When you focus on the positive and encourage others you bring out the best in them and in yourself.

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Follow Your Fear

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 Marie Forleo suggests that instead of following your passion or your bliss, you follow your fear.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: How to Practice Mindfulness Throughout 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!

• How to Practice Mindfulness Throughout Your Work Day: "When you get to the office, take 10 minutes at your desk or in your car to boost your brain with a short mindfulness practice before you dive into activity."
• 7 Tips to Build a Business While Working a Day Job: "Read your vision aloud every morning and evening, focusing completely on the end result -- your vibrant, flourishing business."
• 12 Habits of the Most Productive People: "People who are highly productive have established clear goals and a vision for what they want to achieve long term."
• 7 Things Successful People Do on Monday Mornings: "Start with these tips and see that Monday can be your best friend and biggest motivator—if you let it."
• 10 Items to Ban from Your Resume: "Résumé objectives never help and often hurt. Not only do they feel antiquated, but they're all about what you want."

Why (and How) You Might Benefit from a Reverse Mentor

We've talked about mentors before and the importance of finding a mentor to move forward in your career and life but perhaps you haven't considered the idea of a reverse mentor. What is a reverse mentor?

A reverse mentor is someone younger than you who can help mentor and train you on modern trends and technologies.

The world and the world of work changes quickly and it can be difficult to stay up on current trends and new technologies. A reverse mentor can bring you up to speed and ensure you can talk and work confidently among those skilled in these areas.

What are some trends or technologies you might consider identifying a reverse mentor for?

1. Social media: the most effective uses of twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and others.

2. Productivity: using services and apps to more effectively manage your time and schedule.

3. Understanding millennial perspectives on specific industry trends.

A reverse mentor can provide the edge you need to move forward with confidence in your career.