how to get a higher rating after 1400

I'm just above 1400 is standard chess rating. What are ways for me to excel? Preferably, what have you done to pass the 1400 level?

1400 is basically still "high beginner" level, so just keep doing what you're doing, like studying and practicing tactics and common checkmating pattern recognition.

Seems also like you are from either Chicago or Romania, so do you play OTB? 

Why don't you tell us a little about what you do, chess-wise, how long you've been playing, and how you got to 1400.

Try to play people who are better than you... I.E., when i play in live, my rating options are 200 points higher than me, and 50 points below me, so i'm at least guaranteed equal strength or stronger.  You'll learn more by losing to people better than you than you will by killing 1200 players.  Also, you'll find yourself being forced to play stronger moves, because the better the player you play is, the less likely you'll be to win by sly tactics.  Most of all, you'll get out of chess what you put into it, and remember, aside from the very very few chess prodigies out there, everybody was a bad player when they first started out.  Good luck :)

yeah - i believe in quick-reviewing your games with an engine, if you know how to use it.
i also am not a huge fan of solving a ton of puzzles for that reason, you don't get any flashes "LOL you move and winz!!!1" in real games... though i am kind of alone with this opinion :P

don't try to compare every move, just skim over the game and look for moves which changed the evaluation of the position by like 1.00~1.50 or more, then try to understand why.
these are your bad blunders and missed winning opportunities.

i feel like tactical puzzles haven't really helped me, but what really helped me was learning basic king and pawn endgames, knight vs bishop, rook endgames, how to draw if down in material etc. playing basic endgames will come handy. it's amazing how a seemily lost position can be saved or won with decent endgame technique. for example, if you have a small advantage don't bother with complicated middle games, try to simplify the position by exchanging pieces and it is likely that your small advantage is decisive in the endgame.

Yes, but basically if you know all that stuff, plus are good at tactics, you could easily be 2000+ which is awesome.

If you treat the puzzle like a real game position then I think it should help your real game tactics.  e.g. don't sacrifice unless you see mate or getting back the material.  And when you're shown the solution be upset with yourself if you didn't find the correct defense for the opponent / follow up moves for yourself.  In a real game that often means you lost.  Don't think because you got the first move or two right that you understood the tactic.

And this is more for beginners, but never think your solution also works or is better.  If your solution was not the same it means you didn't find important defensive moves for your opponent and if it had been a real game this often means you lose.

... But maybe some people are having a different problem I don't understand.

I'm a player who has gone from around 1425 to 1600 in a year or so. 

1. Practise your tactics everyday. Do your diagrams from this site or from a book like "Combination Challenge" by Lou Hays and John Hall. 

2. Study the endgame. I've played through three books in the last year and all of them were on the endgame. A great way to start is the 70 page gem "Practical Rook Endings" by Edmar Mednis. This book will tell you how to draw inferior positions and win small advantages.

Have fun,

Daniel