Sometimes just reframing your tasks or attitude is enough to tackle unpleasant parts of your job -- or even your entire job. One worker made a list of what she liked and didn't like about her job and focused energy on the positive, which was coaching employees, and another worker set a two-year deadline for staying in a job instead of always looking for something better.

Disputes in the office may arise from a disagreement over rules, the behavior of others or feeling slighted by a leader or teammate, writes Christina Lattimer, who suggests that leaders create clear rules and boundaries and inspire teams to work together for a common, higher goal. "When you place your higher self in charge, you approach conflict from a place of kindness, respect and care for everyone involved," Lattimer writes.

HR leaders should focus on a strong employee recognition strategy that highlights individual contributions and shows people they're valued, says Hannah Yardley, chief people and culture officer at Achievers Workforce Institute. "Recognition is something that is frequently top of mind and impacting employee feelings of belonging, inclusion, connectivity -- and therefore retention," Yardley says.

Skills development, hybrid work arrangements, pay transparency and an emphasis on mental health will be among this year's workplace trends, writes Robert Boersma, Talent.com's vice president of operations in North America. "Non-traditional benefits such as access to fertility treatments, financial wellness programs, and pet insurance won't be uncommon benefits in the year ahead," Boersma writes.

Workers have been job-hopping, which increases the cost of doing business as employers are having to train new workers, which decreases productivity. "I think it will be healthy, but not immediately," says John Haltiwanger, a University of Maryland economist. "There's a long-term payoff to this, but it could literally take years, not months, for this to kick in."

Forming new routines can be tricky, but habit tracker apps can help with with work and lifestyle changes such better sleep, reaching goals or eliminating caffeine. The Flora app can be used to track time management, Fabulous can track several life changes at the same time, and HabitShare lets you see how friends and others are doing on their goals.

Cats use their tails for balance and as counterweights, but computer modeling suggests dogs' tails are used primarily for communication and warding off pests. When jumping or doing agility moves, research shows a dog's tail has little to no effect on movement.

I am Janet Connor Kahler, editor of Your Career. I have been with SmartBrief for 13 years in a variety of jobs, including my current job as content production manager. I have experience in hiring, training and managing workers and have taught college courses that include resume writing and job interviewing. I don't set big goals, but I do track tasks using colored index cards.