Why you should see your career as an art, not a science

Get a better read on people to enhance communication and connection by watching for emotional cues in their body language -- if they fidget or cross their arms -- using empathy to understand their point of view and asking open-ended questions to learn more about them, writes Steve Keating. Check your own biases and preconceptions and stay open-minded in all your interactions, Keating advises.

Put it into practice: Connect more effectively with others by actively listening when they speak, look for patterns in their behavior and ask for clarification if you need help understanding them, Keating advises. "It is not a skill that should be used to manipulate people. It is about gathering information and understanding others more deeply."

Leadership expert Julie Winkle Giulioni learned early in her life that coloring outside the lines can get you in trouble, but as a career choice, charting your own path, taking risks, learning from failure and being creative can be good rules to follow. Become a "career artist" by evaluating your current job and finding ways to add your own unique flair through special projects, mentoring or taking on new challenges, Winkle Giulioni advises.

Put it into practice: Being a "career artist" may mean charting a non-linear path in your career, writes Winkle Giulioni, by taking a traditionally "lower" position or moving laterally for new experiences. "Combined with a sense of directional freedom, these broader strokes or definitions of success allow career artists to use the biggest possible canvas to create the development and satisfaction they desire."

Sometimes, we all need to vent about our job, writes Robyn McLeod, who recommends finding an ally either in your office or outside of work and setting aside time to complain, coupled with time to brainstorm solutions. Other pressure-relieving activities include taking a walk or other form of exercise, journaling or hiring a coach, McLeod advises.

Put it into practice: If you're working in an office environment, you can relieve stress by simply closing your door and taking time for yourself, McLeod writes. If you don't have a door, take a short stroll around the block "so that you can clear your head, regroup, and get yourself back on the right path," McLeod suggests.

Typical tips to help you get more and better sleep include avoiding screens or exercising before bed or using white or brown noise to aid slumber. All have nuances that need to be heeded for them to be effective, say experts. It's not the blue light from screens but the activity we do on them that may energize us; the same goes for exercise (so light yoga or tai chi is cool, but maybe not aerobics) and "colored" noises aren't proven to help sleep, but experts say use it if it helps.

People sometimes conclude that cats are unfriendly, unwilling to learn or domineering, but their characteristics have origins in their evolution and continue to be influenced by how humans treat them, say veterinarians. "There are so many misconceptions that cats are spiteful, or cats are being jerks, that they're being aloof or asocial," says cat behaviorist Luke Hollenbeck, "but cats are trying to communicate with us all the time, and people have to be really good at understanding that."

I wrote a whole song about how I want to be more like my dog because he's just happy sniffing and running around, while my cat "pushes everything away, to see the law of gravity obey." At the end of the song, I sing, "I don't want to be more like my cat because he's a real jerk."

Even though the song is funny, it's nice to know that my cat isn't being a jerk on purpose. Instead, as the researchers note, we've paid more attention to our dogs and have yet to try as much to understand our feline companions.

I've had cats who have created solid bonds of affection with me and others who haven't. My current stable of three cats could be more affectionate. One wants to be in my lap but will bite if touched. His chosen form of affection is head-butting, so that's how we bond. Another will be on my lap for a short time but prefers to simply be nearby. The female calico prefers to be outside and isn't much on affection.

We've decided the best course of action is to let them be who they are without labeling them, though everyone seems to understand when I sing my song about cats being jerks.

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