Motivate yourself to complete an unwelcome task by first identifying the primary goal it relates to, writes Jim Steffen. Doing so will help you accept the task as a necessary condition to reaching that goal.

You may have to create your own career opportunities if your current job isn't providing them for you, writes Ximena Vengoechea. Identify your strengths and weaknesses and find projects that take advantage of what you do best.

The phrase "thanks in advance" is the most effective signoff for emails where you're asking for help or hoping for a reply, indicates a study by Boomerang. The signoff generated higher response rates in the study than phrases such as "thanks" and "cheers."

An Uber driver is an independent contractor -- not an employee -- and is not eligible for unemployment benefits, a Florida appellate court has ruled. "Drivers exercise a level of free agency and control over their work different from that of the traditional ... employer-employee relationship," the court said.

Mentors can help your job hunt by suggesting ways to market your strengths and by helping you create a plan for accomplishing goals, writes Miriam Salpeter. Mentors also tend to have valuable connections.

Beatrix Potter's lovable storybook characters, like Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck, were not only beloved children's icons but also the foundation of a strong business, writes Joy Lanzendorfer. Potter learned from an early failure to patent and eventually made as much money licensing her characters as from the books themselves.