How to start in your dream field, when cheating can be a good thing, and more top insights

What’s happening in the world of work: The Saturday edition of the Daily Rundown highlights the business trends, perspectives, and hot topics you need to know to work smarter. Read on and join the conversation.

To achieve your goals, don’t be afraid to cheat. Sticking to a new goal is no small feat — just ask anyone who’s ever made a New Year’s resolution. But your odds will be vastly improved if you build some wiggle room into the plan. Want to get to the gym 15 times a month? Give yourself a few emergency cheat days. Studies suggest that such “low-cost cheating” helps goal-setters avoid discouragement — a goal killer — and stay on track, despite the occasional stumble. ? Share your thoughts: #GoalsCheating

A poker pro on making choices: We tend to assume that if something works out, we’re genius decision-makers. But the outcome of a situation is often down to luck — or information we don’t have, decision strategist and former poker pro Annie Duke tells GQ. All we can do is make the best choice possible given what we know, be prepared to be wrong, and move forward, she advises. “The more you can get comfortable with uncertainty, the better off you are.” ? Share your thoughts: #DecisionUncertainty

Kindness at work isn’t just a “nice to have.” Being kind makes those on the giving and receiving ends more satisfied with their jobs, and it can set off a morale-boosting wave throughout an organization. According to a recent study, people who were treated kindly at work then committed 278% more generous acts to coworkers compared to a control group. Such kindness can improve job performance, lengthen employee tenure, and reduce sick leave, says the University of Wisconsin’s Richard Davidson. ? Share your thoughts: #KindnessBenefits

#YouAsked: “I will be graduating in the fall of 2018. If I don't jump right into my career after I graduate (which is the plan, but I cannot predict the future), what advice would you give an alumni on working their way in their field?” —Kennedy Edwards, Cashier at Target, Kennesaw State University Class of 2018 ? Join the conversation: #YouAsked

• “The No. 1 thing I would encourage you to do is work for the person that you want to be in 20 years. And if that means you have to take little to no money, do it. The 'A players' of the world are the ones that create change. So if you go work for an 'A player' in PR, in video creation, as a writer, or as someone who gets coffee or answers emails, you will be at an advantage. One year later, you will be seven years ahead if your ambition is to be in that world.” — Gary Vaynerchuk
• “You’ve still got a little time before you graduate, so get as much on-the-ground experience as you can. Get an internship, volunteer for free, do whatever it takes to start working in your field. Almost no one cares about your GPA, but they will be very interested in your practical experience.” — Chester Elton and Adrian Gostick
• “You can predict the future. The No. 1 predictor of how much you will earn is how much you learn. In every job, ask yourself, “What am I learning?” As a cashier, you have probably learned a lot about customer service, empathy, communication, and problem-solving, which are very important skills.” — Gary Burnison
• “I've interviewed some of the most badass, successful people in the world, and I found that what they became world-renowned for was not what most of them were doing in their early twenties. What they all had in common was the willingness to jump right into a wide variety of experiences - from traveling, to volunteer work, to hands-on positions that weren’t very sexy but taught them a whole lot.” — Sarah Robb O’Hagan

Looking for career advice from the pros? Submit your questions in the comments with #YouAsked and we’ll take care of the rest.

One last idea:  When considering a job offer, it’s easy to get distracted by a fancy title and an enticing compensation package. But hiring consultant Lou Adler says it’s better to focus on whether that position will give you what you’ll need to grow in the long term. ? Share your thoughts: #JobOfferDecisions

“Recognize that time is your most valuable career asset. Don’t waste it. If you want to get on a faster career trajectory, get out of your comfort zone and take some risk.”

— Scott Olster / Share this using #DailyRundown