LEVEL UP

"I've always had goals, always had visions, always had a plan, always been very strategic." — Pitbull

Fight the Monday blues with these 5 tips Get an early start: Arrive 30 minutes early on Monday morning. Use this time to catch up on emails and review any to-do lists you may have.  Tackle a big task: Aim to complete an important item on your to-do list. Try to make it something you’ve been putting off for a while. It will make you feel more accomplished as you start your week. Set time blocks: Schedule uninterrupted time to accomplish your goals. Program them into your calendar or set alarms for 60- to 90-minute intervals.  Make a plan: Before you start your weekend, make a list of what needs to get doneon Monday. Prioritize your tasks for the week and note loose ends. That way, everything is organized when you walk into the office.  Self-care: Do something that will calm you down before you start off your work week. Pick an activity that’s relaxing and restorative, like spending time in nature or playing sports with friends. LEVEL UP Academy: QUICK MONEY TIP Set aside 10% to 20% of every paycheck for your future. Sounds hard, I know. But that’s often what it takes to fund your post-work life, plus the house or other big purchases you’ll want to be able to afford. — Jennifer Barrett, Founder, Editor-in-Chief of Grow 3 ways to stay focused in a noisy, open-plan office Open-plan offices encourage you to collaborate with your coworkers. But they also expose you to a constant distracting hum of conversation and other background noise. The ability to focus on work without interruption is employees’ top priority, according to an Oxford Economics survey of 600 employees and 600 executives. It ranked above free food and natural light. Millennials were more likely to say noise distracts them from their work. Executives didn’t necessarily realize that. Just 39% of the executives surveyed said that ambient noise affected their workers’ productivity. Here’s how to be a productive worker bee in a buzzing office: Invest in noise-canceling headphones: They can be expensive, with a top-of-the-line model going for $300. The boost to your productivity makes them worth it. Choose your music wisely: We recommend instrumental music that sticks to a specific mood. Escape your noisy environment: Even taking a quick walk outside or checking into a conference room for half an hour can help restore your concentration. One of the best places to live might just be a hole in the ground In the picturesque English village of Holme Holmfirth, amid an acre of rolling hills, an earth-sheltered home is selling for just under $1 million. This 4,000-square-foot abode has four bedrooms, a heated pool with spa-like lounge seating and 12 sliding doors that give the home a 360-degree, panoramic view of the rural surroundings. While the interiors are more modern than Middle-earth, the décor still draws some medieval inspiration with exposed natural stone on the walls. The most hobbit-like touch is the stone vaulted cave – a conical room with stone detailing all around and a rustic peat fire to keep cozy during cold English winters. How does social media impact your working day? Take our survey Do you Facebook message friends when your boss isn’t looking? Do you scroll through Instagram during a meeting? Or are you Snapchatting the ins and outs of office life?

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