Looking at 2024 career goals, career coach Sho Dewan says now is the time to "fight for what you are worth" by working with your manager, to jump roles or industries to find a better fit, and to take more risks. "This could be by taking on new projects, volunteering for leadership roles, or pursuing roles that require a skill set that you're working on developing," writes Dewan.

Employees selected for roles in middle management may struggle with a number of factors, including leadership that is too strained to adequately train them and pervasive employee disengagement, writes Alex Frost. Frost recommends infusing support throughout the corporate culture and being more deliberate about expressions of appreciation.

See 24 ideas for improving your business and yourself in 2024 from Rashelle Isip, productivity consultant and time management coach for The Order Expert. Isip's list includes learning meditation for better focus, setting specific times for beginning and ending meetings, ask staff members to plan their time off in advance, review your job description for work that can be shifted to others, and take care of items you've been deflecting.

Instead of looking for passion in your career, focus on using your strengths to feel fulfilled in your job, writes career coach Amy Bracht. "Even if you're not passionate about a specific subject or not yet in the career you desire, the sense of purpose derived from helping others or creating positive change can bring a deep level of fulfillment," writes Bracht.

Wall Street's outlook for 2024 is cautiously optimistic, with major banks and asset managers foreseeing lower growth, a mild recession and a central bank pivot to easier policy. While there are bearish outliers, most experts stress the importance of seeking quality in stocks, diversifying portfolios and exploring opportunities in fixed income as they navigate a year with economic uncertainty and potential challenges.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill that would impose a broad ban on non-compete agreements that was opposed by Wall Street and many of New York's top business groups. Hochul said she would consider legislation that would achieve the "right balance" between the rights of employers and low and moderate-income workers while recognizing the greater negotiating power of higher-paid employees.

Anxiety is a given in leadership, but when it leads you to micromanage or burn out, it can affect your team as well, says consultant and author Morra Aarons-Mele, who recommends leaders be vulnerable, help their team navigate company culture and systems and involve human resources when necessary. "I think it really comes down to setting boundaries, setting clear goals, defining what success is, so people really know what success is and aren't anxiously overworking to try to get there, and reigning things in a little bit," Aarons-Mele says.

How much of Cardi B's net income does her wall full of pricey Birkin handbags comprise, and how much do students need to earn in a year to afford just one or a Rolex or a trip to Disney World? Tonya Clarke, the K-12 math coordinator at Clayton County (Ga.) Public Schools, revealed the start of this culturally relevant lesson at this year's National Council of Teachers of Mathematics convention, noting that this type of problem interests students because "[t]hey're not just calculating finding a ratio for no reason."