(Almost) every Friday, I curate the best links on how to find work that you love, be excellent at what you do, and unlock any door that stands in your way. Here’s your list for today!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

FIND WORK YOU LOVE

Is life “harder” now than it was for your parents…at least in terms of finding great work? Is the economy affecting our “spiritual self-confidence?” This NY Times columnist has an intriguing perspective.

Feeling adrift? Here are 100 fascinating questions to help you remember who you are…and what you’re amazing at doing. Here’s my fav: If a mysterious benefactor wrote you a check for $5,000 and said, “Help me solve a problem — any problem!”…what would you do with him or her?

Oprah visited the Stanford Business School and had a few things to say on career, life and leadership. I love this up close and personal video interview with Lady O.

BE YOUR OWN BOSS

Got a million things on your to-do list? Don’t even know where to begin? Here is the complete guide to structuring your ideal workday (including tips on when, exactly, to suck down that first cup of coffee!)

Renting a house or apartment? It’s tough to figure out how much you can afford…when you’re not sure how much you’re going to be earning, each month! If your income is not-so-consistent, here are some smart tips on how to sort out your budget.

Still drowning in debt? Here are 3 really smart money-management tips. (I have to say “I second that emotion!” to #3. A tough one to accept, especially for boot-strapping types like myself.)

NEAT TOOLS AND INVENTIONS

Speaking of expenses…before you budget for food, check out the new non-food sensation: Soylent. Cooking is overrated anyway, right?

More popular than Monopoly? Apparently, old-school board games are having a comeback. If you’ve ever dreamed about designing your own game, now’s the perfect time!

Is Chrome your favorite web browser? Here are 13 extensions and apps that you won’t believe you ever survived without.

LIFE LESSONS

A thought provoking TED talk on “failure” by Sarah Lewis. Turns out coming in “second place” might give us more motivation than winning the blue ribbon.

Nobody wanted to believe that a “mere kid” could invent something so groundbreaking. But even after 199 rejection letters and 1 “maybe,” he still kept going…and diagnosing pancreatic cancer will never be the same.

Heart-wrenching spoken word poetry from the always-brilliant Sarah Kay. If you have a daughter, sister or a mother, share this with them.

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

Visiting New York? Need a caffeine fix? Here are the best places to go.

Want to take a vacation this summer … but still need to buy plane tickets? Here are three mobile apps that can help you book flights with supersonic ease.

I love this multi-generational exchange project that pairs students in Brazil with Americans living in a retirement home. (The seniors help the kids with their English. The kids help the seniors feel more connected to the world. A win-win!)

Find great work. Do great work. And have a great weekend!

—Ellen

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Images: Paul Strand and Carolyn Allen Photography.

(Almost) every Friday, I curate the best links on how to find work that you love, be excellent at what you do, and unlock any door that stands in your way. Here’s your list for today!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

FIND WORK YOU LOVE

Going for a job interview? Sometimes what you don’t say is more powerful than what you do.

Feel like your resume is getting lost in the shuffle? Here are 45 quick changes you can make to get yourself noticed.

How to score a coveted job at Google – part one and part two. (It’s really not about your grades!)

BE YOUR OWN BOSS

Feeling unimportant? Here are 10 famous rejection letters that got doled out to people who eventually succeeded, big-time.

This man walked away from Wall Street and founded an amazing non-profit. (Moral of the story: it’s never about the money. Even in business.)

Six women who created their own unconventional career paths. (If they can do it, so can you!)

NEAT TOOLS + INVENTIONS

Alexandra Franzen shares 100 questions to inspire self-discovery. Go through this list — you won’t believe how much you will learn about yourself!

15 productivity secrets from highly prolific writers. Don’t try this one at home: Sir Walter Scott preferred to write in motion, often while riding his horse!

Now you can follow other people’s dreams, stories, ideas and visions on your iPhone. (Way more fascinating than checking Facebook. Again.)

LIFE LESSONS

Stay at home this weekend with a bucket of popcorn and 10 films every entrepreneur should watch. (These classic — and educational — films are a great excuse to be a couch potato!)

Prefer the written word? Read the 21 best books for twenty-somethings. (Turns out: whatever you’re feeling, right now? You are not alone.)

Your body language doesn’t just affect how other people see you — it also impacts the way you see yourself.

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

Constantly running late? Here are 4 habits of punctual people. (Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everybody on earth read this post, today?)

Here is a house so tiny that you have no choice but to leave…once in a while. Talk about cozy!

Easy conversation starters for networking events. (And a few tips on how to make a graceful “exit.”)

 

Find great work. Do great work. And have a great weekend!

—Ellen

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Images: Paul Strand and Carolyn Allen Photography.

Every week, I curate the best links on how to find work that you love, be excellent at what you do, and unlock any door that stands in your way. Here’s your list for today!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

FIND WORK YOU LOVE

Got a job interview coming up? Feeling unsure about what to say? How to act? What to wear? What time to show up? Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about acing an interview.

Applying for a creative job — say, in the design industry? Make your presentation come alive with these brilliant tips from the iconic design firm, IDEO.

Some people have elevated “job hunting” into an art form. Here are the eight secrets of the world’s best job hunters. (#5 is my personal favorite. So true!)

BE YOUR OWN BOSS

Got blogger’s block? Queen of the Internet Gala Darling is here to share 50 ways to unlock creativity (and get those words flowing!)

Got a to-do list that stretches from here to the moon? Here’s a thoughtful article by award-winning journalist Brigid Schulte on how she deals with feeling overloaded.

In this incredibly concise nine-sentence piece, author + entrepreneur Seth Godin writes about the bottomless pit of pleasing strangers.

NEAT TOOLS + INVENTIONS

At Story Corps, their mission is simple: to inspire people to record each other’s stories. (I love that!) Here’s their list of the greatest questions of all time to ask friends, family and even clients…so you can start to capture their stories, too.

80% of Americans in their 30s and 40s say that a “personal robot servant” is the futuristic invention they’d love to own, most. What about you? How do you see the future?

Walking home alone down a dark city street? Meeting up with someone from the Internet for a blind date? A brilliant app called Kitestring automatically checks in to make sure you’re OK — and that you’ve made it home safe.

LIFE LESSONS

Struggling to finish a big project? Maybe you don’t need more “motivation” — but rather, a dose of compassion.

Having a hard day? Listen to Brother David Steindl Rast’s amazing TED talk on happiness + gratitude.

We’ve all heard that “failure” is necessary for growth. But Joshua Foer says that failing isn’t enough: you’ve got to study how you fail. (P.S. Read his book, Moonwalking with Einstein. It’s great!)

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

If you find yourself near Oslo, Norway, check out the Nobel Peace Center’s new photo exhibit: Hungry Planet. Can you find the family that uses 175 teabags in a week? Where does the family that puts muskox and walrus on the dinner table live?

Can’t swing a trip to Oslo? Go visit the Gates Foundation Visitor’s Center in Seattle. Find out how the Foundation is tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges, from malaria to malnutrition. Interactive and SO inspiring!

Whew! After all those exhibits, you’ll probably be parched. If it’s a pub-crawl you’re after, check out this one in Osaka, Japan — home of some of the world’s best craft beers.

Find great work. Do great work. And have a great weekend!

—Ellen

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Images: Magnus Klackenstam and Claptone.

Every Friday, I curate the best links on how to find work that you love, be excellent at what you do, and unlock any door that stands in your way. Here’s your list for today!

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

FIND WORK YOU LOVE

How to write a cover letter that your future employers will actually read (and love).

An interview with Zen teacher Sharon Salzberg about her new book: Real Happiness at Work: Meditations for Accomplishment, Achievement and Peace.

Want a bigger paycheck? How about more vacation time? A flexible schedule? Here’s a list of 5 things to negotiate, besides just your salary — and how to get your boss to say “yes.”

BE YOUR OWN BOSS

You probably won’t find this tip in any “business development” book, but it works: a 30-second habit that will make you better at everything you do.

Think running a profitable business is all about having the “smartest” ideas? Not true. In this TED talk, psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth describes how determination and grit are the best predictors of success.

Hate asking for money? Even when it’s for a good cause? Get over it. This researcher knows that fundraising can be fun! And he proves it. With science.

NEAT TOOLS + INVENTIONS

Life coach Jenny Blake shares a mother lode of 90+ tech tools to help manage your life. (Now I just need a tool to help me figure out how to manage all of these amazing tools!)

Can’t jet off to Maui? Here are 5 apps that will calm you during your hectic workday. Ah, serenity.

For the bloggers out there: here are 26 blogging tools used by the pros!

LIFE LESSONS

Ever gotten paralyzed at the grocery store, amidst all the different options? (A whole aisle of cereal? What?!). If you were to guess, do you think we are happier with more options or less?

Legendary philosopher Henry David Thoreau on defining your own success. My favorite quote: “If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy, and life emits a fragrance like flowers and sweet-scented herbs, is more elastic, more starry, more immortal — that is your success.”

In this piece, author Steven Pressfield riffs about the interior life of an artist, writer or entrepreneur. Like all of his work, it’s simple, profound and beautiful. (His book The War of Art is a classic.)

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

Dinner at a museum…as a date night? Art museums around the country are starting to woo a new generation of patrons: Millennials. (That means you!)

Working (or job-hunting) from home, all day long? Starting to go a little bonkers? Here’s one person’s take on co-working spaces. (Spoiler alert: for him, the benefits of daily human connection outweigh the small quibbles).

There’s nothing like getting out of town to refresh and revitalize your outlook. Don’t have the money? Go camping. Or rent an elf hut in the forest.

Find great work. Do great work. And have a great weekend!

—Ellen

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Images: Magnus Klackenstam and Claptone.

Every Friday, I curate the best links on how to find work that you love, be excellent at what you do, and unlock any door that stands in your way. Here’s your list for today!

  

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

  

FIND WORK YOU LOVE

Writing your resume is just half the battle. Next step? Making it spiffy and stylish, so it pops out from the pack! Here are 41 of the best resume templates. Ever.

Trying to figure out your next career move? Here are 7 myths that you need to ditch.

Still feeling stuck? Get inspired by these 5 people who made seemingly “crazy” career changes, because they refused to settle for a “just okay” kinda life.

  

BE YOUR OWN BOSS

Jonathan Fields, a seasoned entrepreneur, speaks out about the importance of being “naked and silent.” Translation: being open to receiving advice.

Think you’re “too old” (or “too young”) to start your own business? Here’s a list of 100 amazing things that have been achieved by people at every age.

It’s a tricky, emotional question: “How should I decide what to charge for my skills?” Take this short master-class by Ramit Sethi to figure it out.

  

NEAT TOOLS + INVENTIONS

Not great at detecting what people are (really) feeling? Not to worry. Soon, your phone will read people’s emotions better than you ever could!

Parched for inspiration? See how a disposable coffee cup inspired this person to invent a housing solution for families displaced by natural disasters.

It feels like there’s a new app every minute! Here’s a list of must-have apps
from a man who has sifted through thousands, in search of the BEST.

  

LIFE LESSONS

Gloria Steinem permanently changed the career landscape for women. In honor of her 80th birthday, here are 25 ways she taught us to be better women — and human beings.

Reality check: life never turns out exactly the way we expect. Writer Dani Shapiro offers a few beautiful pointers on the art of letting go.

Eat, Pray, Love author Elizabeth Gilbert has a secret to share: everyone who has ever delivered a TED Talk was terrified to get up on that stage. No matter how rich, famous, successful or smart. (As an aside, her new book — The Signature of All Things — is a wonderful read.)

  

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

Ready for a break? Here is the ultimate guide to taking a sabbatical. And also: how to prepare before you unplug and check out!

Want to take a trip, but don’t know where to go? Here are 32 surreal places that actually exist (… and these photos were NOT photoshopped!)

You snooze. You lose. Literally. The science of sleep and the trouble with the snooze button. (Just a little more motivation to get up … and on with your day!)

Find great work. Do great work. And have a great weekend!

—Ellen

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Images: Magnus Klackenstam and Claptone.