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This is the latest news and information for workers and managers from across the Web universe, brought to you by Monday Morning Manager writer Harvey Schachter. Follow us on Twitter @Globe_Careers or join our Linked In group.
Don't slack off in December
Consultant Susan Mazza will make time each day in December for personal development, usually at the start of the day. Yes, it's a busy month, but that's even more reason to end the year strongly by reading a book or delving into a self-improvement program to make you better for 2016. Random Acts of Leadership Blog
Use dead time around meetings
Often there is five to 10 minutes of dead time before a meeting starts. You can use it productively, consultant Jason Womack says, by writing the name of an issue or project that is bugging you on a sheet of paper and taking that time to list next steps to pursue. JasonWomackBlog.com
Rethink thumbnail shots on mobile
Should you use thumbnail images when listing items for sale to mobile users? Not if the image is too small to help in the decision, tech expert Aurora Bedford says, pointing to thumbnails of tea leaves on Teavana's site that might be replaced by information about taste or caffeine levels. Nielsen Norman Group
Think you're done? Not by a long shot
Entrepreneur Jesse Itzler, who invited a Navy Seal to live with him for a month, learned this rule on mental toughness: When your mind tells you that you are done in some effort, you are in fact only 40 per cent of the way there. Don't stop; instead, expand your horizons. Lifehacker.com
Track your sleep to plan your day
The National Sleep Foundation's downloadable sleep diary offers a template for reviewing your patterns of sleep and how it (as well as caffeine and food intake, medications, exercise and naps) might be affecting your mood and productivity. FastCompany.com
Harvey Schachter is a Battersea, Ont.-based writer specializing in management issues. He writes Monday Morning Manager and management book reviews for the print edition of Report on Business and an online work-life column Balance. E-mail Harvey Schachter
Harvey Schachter