Youre not going to feel motivated every single day. Try focusing on this

Youre not going to feel motivated every single day. Try focusing on thisYoure not going to feel motivated every single day. Try focusing on thisIts taken me a long time to learn that motivation isnt an external source of inspiration.Its an inner quiet you have to practice listening to.People get unmotivated when they expect to always be filled with motivation.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWe talk about Motivation like its this fiery, relentless, never-ending source of rampaging drive that is as addictive as any drug, as warm as any love, and as uncontrollable and brilliant as any creator that has come before us.We think its supposed to never end, and when it does, we suddenly wonder and feel very confused as to why we are unmotivated.Thats not how motivation works.Motivation is the little voice inside your head that reminds you of what really matters.Its the struggleto sit thr ough an entire movie without pulling out a notepad to jot down an idea.Its the feelingguilty for going out with your friends when you know youre so close to finishing a project youve been working on for a while now.Its why you wake upevery morning and go to sleep every night thinking about what you want to create.You might not wake up gung-ho and leaping towards your desk to get to work, and you might not be an insomniac obsessing about your ideas at night - you might fall asleep in seconds and not think twice about it.This doesnt mean you are unmotivated.Motivation is the fact that you think about it and ultimately do something about it every singleday.Very rarely do I have 100% days.A 100% day is when I wake up, shower, and get dressed in 15 minutes.I meditate for 15 minutes and actually enter a calm state of meditation.I listen to a TedTalk while I make breakfast and prepare my meals for the day.I read a book - usually dense Russian literature - before I get to work.I work wit hout ADDing on social media, and I dig, really dig into tough, tough tasks without procrastinating or avoiding them.I eat and then go to the gym and have a fantastic lift.I either make dinner or meet my girlfriend or a friend for dinner, come home, and then write for 2 hours.I turn the lights out, reflect on the day, and fall asleep.Thats a 100%day.And every once in a while, I have one.When I fall asleep for the night, I feel amazing. I feel like Ive just conquered the world. I know in my heart of hearts that today, this day, I grew as much as I possibly could and couldnt have done anything else. 100%. I gave it my all, every moment.I was extremely motivated.And then other days, I do 1/10th ofthat.I barely watch a full TedTalk.I listen to music or scroll through social media instead of reading.I ADD a lot during the day.I get some stuff done, but I didnt really push myself.I go to the gym, but my lift ismeh.I come home. Im tired.I write in my journal for 10 minutes and then I go to bed.And thatsOK.Motivation is the fact that even though I have some 100% days and some 10% days, I dont stop trying to have 100%days.I dont stop moving towards my ultimate goal.I dont give up completely.Ive learned not to expect 100% days from myself every single day.Its unreasonable and although a good goal, Im not perfect.Some days I need to let my brain rest. Some days I need to be lazy. Some days I need to not push myself to the edge so that I can recoup some energy.When we talk about Motivation, we think of it as asprint.How can I stay motivated the entiretime?You cant.And youre not supposed to - not in that sense.Thats not what Motivation is.Motivation is your ability to head towards the saatkorn goal over a long period oftime.This article was originally published on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedul e that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

How to Put Flexible Work Experience on Your Resume

How to Put Flexible Work Experience on Your ResumeHow to Put Flexible Work Experience on Your Resume44The biggest obstacle you face is that the hiring manager will see all of the short-term positions youve held and assume there is a problem with your work ethic thats prohibiting you from maintaining long-term employment.For most of you, that isnt the case at all.The job market has been increasingly tough, and with a slow economy, a lot of employers resorted to hiring employees for short contracts. In other cases, temporary jobs may have been a better fit for your lifestyle- whether you were caring for family members or traveling the world.To ease your resume-writing pain, we are going to let you in on a few industry tricks to help portray your flexible work experience on your resume in a positive light.Temporary Placements Have you been hired for multiple roles through a temporary staffing agency? When listing these roles on your resume, you should not list the agency as your employe r. Instead, list each role on its own with the position title you held, the name of the company, and your start and end date. We also recommend removing any roles that were less than six months in duration, as they are too short to keep on the resume.The trick here is to release yourself from the stigma of working as a temporary employee, and instead outline your resume as a candidate who has progressed through various roles in the last five to ten years.Small Independent Projects If youve spent the last few years taking on various projects and odd jobs for individuals and companies, you should list your work experience under the title Freelancer, and put the full time period from when you received your first project to your last.List the different types of projects you completed and include any notable companies that the hiring manager may recognize. The hiring manager will see that you gained valuable work experience and will understand your freelance experience as a time period w here you were self-employed.Sporadic Contracts with the Same Companies Were you called back to work with the same companies when assistance welches required, but never brought on board as a full-time team member? Then you should list your work experience as a Consultant. This way you can list your full time period, from the first short-term contract you obtained to the last.Then list each company you worked for as a consultant under Notable Clients and outline the projects and tasks you completed for each.There are three key points to remember1) You need to make your timeline as easy to follow as possible. Do not leave large gaps in your work experience, and avoid showing multiple overlaps between roles. You want a clean and easy-to-follow timeline, particularly in your work experience section, so the hiring manager has a clear view of what youve been doing in the last five to ten years.2) Include company names and quantifiable achievements wherever possible. Although you may have b een hired through an employment agency, include the names of the companies you were placed with. If you were technically self-employed, still include the names of the companies you completed work for. The more details you can provide, the more viable your experience becomes.3) Be honest. If you took time off to stay home or to travel, just be honest about it. Include this as a note in your titel letter so the hiring manager isnt left questioning why there is a gap or a period of time where you held many short-term positions.Are you unsure of how to portray your flexible work experience on your resume? Tell us your situation in the comments and well be happy to help.ResumeTarget.com provides professional resume writing services for clients of all career levels across North America. We are the only resume writing company that offers a professionally written resume coupled with the guidance of recruiters, to guarantee that your resume will get results. Tweet us with any resume question s you have at www.twitter.com/ResumeTarget, were here to help

5 Smart Ways College Students Can Display Career Conviction

5 Smart Ways College Students Can Display Career Conviction5 Smart Ways College Students Can Display Career ConvictionHiring is about minimizing risk. An employer is reviewing candidates to determine who is the least risky hire and will result in the best return on his hiring investment. Seasoned professionals can convey that they are great investments through their related previous work experience, providing references that can attest to their commitment to their field, listing accomplishments that are applicable to a new opportunity and in general showing a track record of their interest and success in a potential field. For the college student and new graduate who has minimal work experience, the options to monitor that they will be a secure, long-term hire are limited. One of the best ways to mitigate this risk for an employer is to demonstrate passion in your field of choice. Here are five ways to convey your conviction1. Study what you want to pursue. At times, some employers w ill hire entry-level professionals whose degrees were not directly tied to the field of work. To better your chances of making that jump, take a class or two that relates to your target position. It could be an online course regarding software that is prevalent in that industry or a public speaking class if you want to pursue sales opportunities. Taking relevant courses demonstrates that you have thought through a potential career enough to recognize what might be relevant and that you actually took the time to pursue that knowledge. To an employer, this shows that you can identify an opportunity and take advantage of it.2. Take on projects that expand your hands-on experience. Most courses have projects or extra assignments that can further a students classroom education beyond the books. Volunteer for these. At its best, these opportunities enable you to develop rapport with your instructor, deepen the relationship with teammates and provide a more three-dimensional application of theoretical instruction. To an employer, these extra achievements display a commitment to self-development and higher standards.3. Join a group. Campuses and communities are filled with groups and associations that meet to further their knowledge on subjects ranging from marketing, social media, biomedical engineering, technology, sales strategies, fundraising, project management and more. Savvy employers know that students and new graduates who are passionate enough about a profession to spend time in the evenings or weekends learning more about it make driven employees. Your involvement clearly demonstrates that you want more than the average job seeker and that you are willing to use your time accordingly. Employers want those skills in their workplace.4. Volunteer. We all realize that people dont get paid to volunteer. So, why do they give their time to do so? Volunteers are typically passionate about an idea or cause and want to find a way to make a positive impact. They may a lso enjoy being in the company of other like-minded peers. Furthermore, they may recognize the additional benefits of learning new skills, expanding their perspective and creating the networks that often result from volunteer work. Regardless of what is the motivation, volunteer work pays dividends emotionally, socially and professionally. Research supports that employers frequently factor in volunteer experience when hiring. Taking the time to help the cause goes a long way to establishing your ability to commit and contribute.5. Intern. The best way to minimize an employers risk is to show that you have pursued and succeeded in internships that are similar to his or her career position. It does not matter if the role is paid or unpaid, the value comes from actually doing work that is similar to or a direct segue into a targeted profession. In an internship, students and entry-level candidates have an opportunity to learn critical business skills as well as gain valuable exposure t o bro protocol, professional etiquette and rules of the road for interacting with colleagues of all levels. The mistakes made and lessons learned while interning give entry-level job seekers the extra confidence and relevant examples that make the difference when interviewing for a career role.In short, when a candidate who has held a similar role to the one for which he is applying says yes to a career, the employer recognizes that it is a more meaningful yes. The experienced applicant has a deeper understanding of the position and the world of work. Any first-hand knowledge and a track record of educational and extracurricular involvement, makes an unbeatable combination when interviewing.A passionate investment in your future is very desirable to an employer. Whether you take advantage of all five opportunities listed above or only have time to add one, youre giving yourself a key advantage in the hiring process. The best way to ask an employer to invest in your career is to inve st in your future first.Robin Reshwan is the founder of Collegial Services, a consulting/staffing firm that connects college students, recent graduates and the organizations that hire them and a certified Womens Business Enterprise (WBE). She has interviewed, placed and hired thousands of people across a broad spectrum of companies and industries. Her career tips and advice are used by universities, national clubs/associations and businesses. A Certified Professional Rsum Writer, Robin has been honored as a Professional Business Woman of the Year by the American Business Womens Association. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and as a Regents Scholar from University of California, Davis.