• Try this scare tactic to motivate yourself
  A clear mission statement should be posted somewhere in your workplace, but if that isn't enough to keep you motivated, try this alternative approach: envision what your future will be like if you never win any promotions, says Joseph Greeny, author of "The Power to Change Anything." U.S. News & World Report/On Careers (1/4)      

• How to impress a new boss
  Establish positive relations with a new boss by helping her learn the ropes of the job and by finding out the best way to communicate with her, says George Bradt, a career expert. "If you don't want to help a new leader do well, then you won't do well. And you're going to fail before she does," he says. USA Today (1/6)      

• Why others don't want to help you
  Don't wait until you're desperate for help before networking because by then people won't be interested in connecting with you, Ilana Greene of Salary.com writes. Make gradual investments in your social capital by offering to help others, she advises. Houston Chronicle (1/1)      

• U.S. unemployment holds at 7.8%
  Employers in the U.S. hired 155,000 workers in December, but the national unemployment rate remained at 7.8%, the Labor Department said. Workers who previously dropped out of the workforce returning to the job hunt kept the unemployment rate steady. Workers with jobs worked more hours and benefited from faster wage growth. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (1/4), Brookings Institution (Washington, D.C.)/Up Front blog (1/4), Chicago Tribune (tiered subscription model) (1/4)      

• U.S. economy on steady but uninspiring course
  The picture of the U.S. economy that's emerging at this late date in the recovery is one of 2% annual growth in both gross domestic product and wages, and not enough job growth to make much progress on those fronts. This is the new normal for at least the first half of the year, economists predict, but the second half might see some improvement. MarketWatch (1/6)      

• Mistakes that bug job interviewers
  It's often simple mistakes that lose you the job, such as having a résumé that's more than one page, Angela Quinn writes. Also, don't be too effusive with your praise for the employer. "Come on, I know my company isn’t 'the most amazing organization in the entire world.'" she writes. TheDailyMuse.com (1/4)      

Position Title Company Name Location Customer service Representative/Bookkeeper Duval Art Couture Nationwide, United States Click here to view more job listings.

• Don't tackle work-life balance issues alone
  Ask others for advice on how to reduce stress and enhance work-life balance, says Raul Valdes-Perez author of "Advice is for Winners." In particular, seek advice from people who are discreet, calm, experienced and good listeners. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (tiered subscription model) (1/4)      

Top five news stories selected by SmartBrief on Your Career readers in the past week.

• Your alarm clock is trying to kill you (SmithsonianMag.com)

• 5 career tips to embrace next year (The Globe and Mail (Toronto) (tiered subscription model))

• Sneaky tactics for being more persuasive (The Wall Street Journal)

• How to scrub your online image before a job interview (CBS MoneyWatch)

• 2 simple steps to greater productivity (Lifehacker)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

• The 57 sins of Isaac Newton
  In 1662, a teenaged Isaac Newton kept a coded journal -- and hundreds of years later, modern code-breakers finally deciphered his notes. The notebook turned out to be a list of Newton's many "sins," which apparently included eating apples in church, making mousetraps on Sunday and stealing a friend's bath towel "to spare my own." MentalFloss.com (1/3)      

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." --Mahatma Gandhi, Indian lawyer and activist       Have a favorite famous quote? Share it and we may publish it here!