Pamela Vaughan has been able to expand her role at HubSpot while taking on higher profile projects, proving that you don't have to manage others in order to progress in your career. "While I wasn't a leader in the sense of team management, my colleagues would seek me out to pick my brain about optimization and get my perspective on the projects they were working on, and I started getting invited to speak at industry conferences and events," she writes.

Planning strategically means identifying the desired outcome as part of your action plan, writes Susan Mazza. "The truth is that most action plans are not strategic, and that may be costing you and your team or organization more time, money and satisfaction than you realize," Mazza argues.

Respond immediately to an email if the sender requests quick feedback, if the subject is urgent or if the email is from an important person in your organization, Alyse Kalish writes. Most other replies can wait a day or longer, especially if a message requires a lengthy response.

Sixty-eight percent of large US companies use an auto-enrollment feature in their 401(k) plans, up 10 percentage points from two years ago, according to a survey from Alight Solutions. The report also shows the number of plans offering accounts managed by outside vendors increased from 11% to 58% during the past 10 years.

Consider perks such as working outside regularly when looking for a job, especially if the thought of being cooped up inside all day makes you uneasy. If a listing mentions working outside, ask to shadow an employee or talk to someone who does similar work to make sure it's a good fit for you, Leigh Anderson writes.

A European bidder paid $1.56 million for a handwritten note Albert Einstein gave a hotel bellhop in Tokyo in 1922. "A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness," the note reads.