All About Wolfberries

These tiny seeds are packed with health benefits. By SHAWNA TANG

Wolfberries, or gouqi in Chinese, are exotic-looking red seeds found in the hillsides of northern China and Europe. They grow in pretty bunches on a perennial shrub. When ripe, the berry turns juicy red and has a dull sweet taste.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the wolfberry is said to balance the yin and yang of the body, as well as fortify qi or life force, and has been used by the Chinese for over 5,000 years. The fruit is native to a part of Inner Mongolia where the poeple, who eat it daily, are said to have life expectancies of over 100 years and seldom suffer from arthritis, cancer or diabetes.

There is no scientific proof but wolfberries are commonly believed to improve eyesight. Traditional mothers often include these fruit in soups which they regularly feed to their children, especially during exam time, to prevent eye strain.

Modern scientists have broken the berry into its constituent elements to prove that these seeds contain 18 types of amino acids, 21 trace minerals, 29 kinds of fatty acids, including vitamin A amounts similar to that of a carrot, vitamin C dosages higher than in oranges, many categories of the vitamin B and grand quantities of antioxidants found in vitamin E. They're your natural multi-vitamin!


WOLFBERRIES HELP

• strengthen a weak immune system
• prevent ageing symptoms such as fatigue and sexual impotence
• improve vision
• reduce the risk of prostrate, lung and stomach cancer
• strengthen the kidneys and liver
• reduce high blood pressure
• control diabetes

WAYS TO ENJOY WOLFBERRIES

• Boil in soup: Add wolfberries to any of your favourite Chinese soups.
• Brew in wine: Soak 200g of the fruit into 1 litre of Chinese white wine. Let it stand for 10 days before consuming.
• Add to cereal: Mix 15g of wolfberries with cereal for a healthy breakfast.
• Bake in a muffin: Instead of raisins, use wolfberries for cakes or muffins.

tip!

TCM practitioners recommend a daily intake of 20-40g of wolfberries, the equivalent of three to four tablespoons. Here's one way to get your daily dose:

Here's a Great Skin...

Wolfberries & Chrysanthemum Tea

(serves 4)

4 cups water
4 tsp wolfberries
60g chrysanthemum
70g sugar

1 Combine all the ingredients in a pot.
2 Bring to boil for 2 minutes, turn off the heat.
3 Cover and infuse tea for 15 minutes before serving.

Extracted from Simply Her

How to Motivate Others Toward Peak Performance

The Psychology Factor—What is going on in the minds of people determines success and productivity. The application of mind (not technology) and thus management is the key. The fundamental basis for successful thinking is the Self-Concept.

The Self-Concept—people have them, companies have them, countries have them. Three parts to it.

A. The Self-Ideal: who you want to be most like. The characteristics and qualities that make up your ideal. How you, as a leader, act, think, behave will determine, to a large extent, how people around you act, think, behave. We do not have the luxury to be moody, depressed, negative.

B. The Self-Image: how you see yourself. You perform consistent with it. It comes, in large part, from our parents. You have one for many areas of your life (as a student, worker, parent, child, athlete, driver, organizer). How you treat people around you, will impact their self-image and thus their performance and productivity. Boost their self-image by smiling at them, listening, giving praise, etc.

C. The Self-Esteem: how you feel about yourself and whether you like yourself. It develops early in life. Two experiences have had big impacts on our self-esteem. One is the negative criticism we received as a child. We received, on average, eight criticisms to every praising we received. The child develops two negative habit patterns:

• The Fear of Failure--"I can't" is conditioned into the psyche. We are afraid we will be told no or punished if we try.
• The Compulsive negative habit pattern, The Fear of Disapproval--"You better or else". Parents using performance of the child to decide if the child should get love. The child feels "I have to" in order to get love. This is the inhibitive negative habit pattern. These two determine the boundaries of our Comfort Zone.

People around you are afraid of making mistakes and of being disapproved of by you. This explains 90 to 95% of all the problems you have as a leader or manager. Added to these two sensitivities (fear of failure and fear of disapproval) are two needs:

• Autonomy needs, to stand out, to be an individual and be recognized as unique and
• Dependency needs, to belong and be part of the team. The human psyche is complex. Great leaders take more of these factors into account when working with people. They are more sensitive. Woman are better at this than man, generally.

People don't like to be taught, told, or talked down to, because we are a free people and believe in equality. We don't want to be told what to do. To get more than average performance from people, leaders must treat people with the utmost respect and be sensitive to their psychology needs.

The vast majority of stress comes from a bad relationship with our boss. The way you ask an employee to do something, the way you look at them, will communicate how you feel about them. They will sense how you feel about them, no matter how you try to hide your true feelings.

Dr. David McCellan, from Harvard, says that our children will largely turnout the way we expect them to. We set expectations of our children.

Here are 21 ideas to build morale in the office,
but first, four key factors in motivation:

• Organization Climate—is it a high performance environment or a chicken outfit? Sometimes we feel we can't make a difference. Remember the star fish story.
• The Nature of the Work—interesting, challenging work is what people want first at work.
• The Reward System—reward for results. Reward commensurate with performance.
• Leadership Style—it's the easiest to change and get results with.

21 ideas to build morale are:

1. Careful selection of employees. Go after people who select themselves and want to work for you and the company. Give them an excellent understanding of what is required and the climate and culture of the team and organization. Once they come on board, give them the resources and tools to be successful immediately. Hire people who want training and want support to advance. Hire people who are nice, who you would want to socialize with, who have your values and who would be in harmony with the work place and others. If you mis-hired, then de-hire immediately.
   
2. Hands on, initial training, i.e., task relevant maturity. When a person starts, they have low task relevant maturity--they need a lot of help and support. Use the buddy system, to team the new hire with a veteran who can show them the ropes. Do this until they are competent and confident to do the job.
   
3. Clear expectations of the results they are responsible for. Change them as the job changes (which it does weekly and monthly). The number one problem for most employees is not being clear of what is expected of them. Constantly review and remind people why they are on the payroll. This way people can be promoted and given raises and be praised.
   
4. Participative Management--the most powerful tool for increasing performance, output, productivity, and profits. How much people participate in the decisions that affect their work and how involved and committed they are in caring out those decisions. Participative means discussions (not democratic decisions) about decisions. There are three levels of participation in management:
   I. Consensus decision--everybody decides. Democracy rules.
   II. Consultative decision. I want your input and I will decide.
   III. Command decision--you make them by yourself.
   
5. Three R's: Recognition, Reinforcement, and Rewards. Lack of recognition is the number two de-motivator in the workplace. Catch people doing something right. Use one minute praises. Continuous reinforcement will start the new behavior. Once it is established, then intermittent reinforcement will maintain the behavior. Rewards based on performance. Thomas J. Watson, Sr., of IBM, gave bonuses, rather than raising salaries.
   
6. Management by Values--the reasons why. By being a standard bearer of values, you lead. Fairness is a key value.
   
7. Management by Objectives--set the objective and let them determine how to do it, if that person or team has demonstrated the right level of competence.
   
8. Management by Exception--give the person the job and tell them to come back if they need help, otherwise your expect it is getting done as expected. This avoids time to check. It's 100% delegation.
   
9. The Pareto Principle--make sure they are working on the 20% of the tasks that will produce 80% of the results you need.
   
10. Self-Concept Building Behaviors on the part of managers:
    1. Give people challenging work that causes them to work full blast. Stretch them.
    2. Freedom--give them room to be autonomous to work.
    3. Check on the work on a regular basis. Just checking says you care. Always inspect what you expect.
    4. Respect for their opinions. Always delay, and think before deciding, when you can. Just being able to talk to the boss is a big motivator.
    5. Warmth--just a little personal interest in them.
    6. Success experiences--give them little jobs first, so they can be successful to start.
    7. Positive expectations--tell them you believe in them and know they will do well.
    
11. Zero-Defects Approach--set as standard, zero-defects. People are motivated to be excellent, not average. Give praise publicly and counsel privately. Set an example in your own work. Be on time. Do excellent work.
    
12. Quality Circles--get groups together one hour per week to discuss how to improve things. This is a great motivator. Use peers, with no management. Give them a specific objective and come up with ideas and suggestions.
    
13. Brainstorming--conduct regular brainstorming sessions with your people. Use a specific question to be answered. Example: how can we deliver on our shipping deadline promises? Go for quantity of ideas at first.
    
14. The Winning Edge Concept--winning companies are 1 or 2% better than most, not 100% better. There are critical areas that make the difference. Find those and be better by just a few percent than the competition and you will win.
    
15. Training and Education--continuous training and education is a big motivator because it gives people growth. Encourage people to not only get technical training but personal development training.
    
16. Mentoring--be a guide and counselor to one or two people. We grow to the degree to which we help others up the ladder. As they take advise, keep helping them.
    
17. Regular Feedback on Performance--tell people how it worked out. Focus on the results, not who they are. Be extremely specific, not vague.
    
18. Encourage Innovation and Ideas on How to Improve--when they come to you with ideas, give them a chance to implement them. Encourage experimentation.
    
19. Be a Good Listener--be patient. Listening builds trust and self-esteem.
    
20. Appreciate People--thank people for their performance and contributions. You can’t thank people too often.
    
21. Consideration, Caring, Courtesy--treat your employees like partners and family members. They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Everything you do to increase others self-esteem, increases your own.

Extracted from Milestones Inc.

Motivate Others: Motivate Yourself

By Peter Urs Bender

Air Canada is in receivership. SARS has kicked the heck out of Toronto's economy. Out west, Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. are struggling to maintain their beef industry. Things are not looking good for anyone, and morale is down.

Let's face it. In times like this, it's really difficult to motivate employees. But it's really easy to de-motivate them. In fact, it's far easier to turn them off, than it is to turn them on.

Take the situation where an employee comes to you with an idea. You think, after reflection, it's a good one. You authorize the employee to go ahead. But you can't resist stage-managing him or her every step of the way. Pretty soon your employee begins to get the idea that he's not trusted very far. What do you think that does to the employee's morale? To his feeling of motivation?

To motivate an employee you have to understand that motivation is an unfulfilled need. What do I mean by that?

You've just been to lunch, and stuffed yourself. You've eaten far more than you should have and couldn't eat another thing to save yourself. Then someone asks you what you'd like for dinner tonight. Dinner!? Your need for food is fulfilled.

The trick is to find the needs in your employees that are unfulfilled. What are they hungry for? Then look for something in the corporate environment that will encourage them to move forward.

One great motivator is helping employees to reach their own goals. Help them set their goals, both business and at home, and give them a hand to meet those goals. Watch for skills with languages, with words, with numbers, with computers, with systems. When you spot them, encourage your employee to use one of these skills to the fullest. It all depends on what your company needs.

A good way to determine your employees' skills and unfulfilled needs is to ask them what they do for fun. What are their hobbies and interests? More often than not you will find a match in your business for those skills. Then just stand back and watch that employee bloom.

The ability of a manager to motivate employees is important in another way. It means that while you are a member of the corporate team, you have to stand a little apart. Great leaders have always had the common touch. They're part of the group, but they're different.

In a nutshell, it's very important to be a member of the group, but that doesn't mean you have to go out with your employees every night. Mingle, but separate yourself from them. You will eventually need that space because when push comes to shove you are the one that has to make the sometimes-hard “final” decisions.

Your employees know that, and may or may not understand it. Being part of the team will help you to bond with your people and they want you to do that. But they also want you to be different.

Another aspect of teamworking is that though you are the senior manager, you may not always wish to be the “leader.” In fact, it may be to your great advantage to delegate the role to someone else on a project basis. That way you develop the natural leadership abilities that are always present in your employees. This will stand you in good stead if you should suddenly become ill, or have to leave the day-to-day running of the business to go on an extended trip. The wise leader always works to replace him or herself in the long run.

It should come as no surprise that employees are not motivated by money alone. Of course, if you're rich you can say that money isn't everything. If you're not, money is everything. Compensation must be adequate for a person to be able to reach maximum potential. But beyond that, many employees would probably say that being trusted with responsibility in the enterprise is their greatest reward and an outstanding motivator.

When it comes right down to it, the toughest part of being a senior manager is motivating yourself to do what you have to do. There are days when you won't want to get out of bed. But you have to. In the final analysis, your business depends on you.

So how do you motivate yourself?

First, set sensible goals. Don't make them airy-fairy or impossible. Think hard about them and write them down. Then prioritize them.

Suppose you want to expand your company, take it into new markets. Planned growth is the only way to go. Don't let yourself get caught in the trap of uncontrolled expansion. That can overextend any company. If you want to tackle a new market, that's fine. But make sure you've got the market you're already in under control. Remember: underpromise and overdeliver.

Read good books. Those of you who read are already aware of the value of reading, and the influence it can have on both you and your company. Select business books that are of value to you, and that will help you to get where you want to go. In my own book, Leadership from Within, you'll find a lot of information to guide you. Or pick up one of the all-time business classics, such as Stephen Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly EffectivePeople.

Watch good movies. You might be surprised at the impact a good movie will have on self-motivation. There are lots of them around. Watch them critically. Don't just let them go by you. Try to select those you think will help you – but don't be afraid to take motivation where it occurs, no matter how unlikely the source.

Watch good TV programs. There is a series from Edmonton on Canadian Learning TV (find it at www.AccessLearning.com) that offers a wide range of courses – which includes business courses – that you will find interesting. Check it out. There will be something there for you, no question.

Look after your body. It should go without saying that good health is a requisite for proper functioning. If you feel unwell all the time, you can hardly feel the thrill of motivation, or expect to motivate others. Set yourself a reasonable realistic exercise program, and follow it every day, or at least a couple of times a week. Try to make exercise fun. Don't just do the grind. Set it up so you can enjoy it.

Work at rewarding projects. Without question the most useful self-motivator is to set up programs you enjoy working at. They can be personal, corporate, or externally oriented.

The point is to look for something that will bring you personal satisfaction, and then pursue it at whatever speed you feel comfortable at.

Don't worry, though, if you don't feel personally motivated all the time. Most of us have periods of slight depression from time to time.

One of the best ways of dealing with a 'downer' is to try to help someone else. In fact, if you can't think of a personal or corporate project that will bring you satisfaction, think about getting involved in something charitable. There are so many causes that have such a great need for volunteers and leaders that they will welcome you with open arms. And one thing is certain. Charitable work often gives back tenfold what you put into it. You have less time to worry about yourself when you're concerned with others.

The main thing is not to de-motivate others by laying your problems on them. Just leave them at home when you deal with your employees. That's part of your job at the top.



Peter Urs Bender is one of Canada's most dynamic and entertaining business speakers. He lives and works out of Toronto. He is the author of five best-selling business books: Leadership from Within, Secrets of Power Presentations, Secrets of Power Marketing, Secrets of Face-to-Face Communication, and Gutfeeling. To read excerpts from his books visit www.PeterUrsBender.com.

10 Body Mysteries Explained

YANNI TAN gets doctors to answer those inane, everyday questions you never thought to ask.

1. Why do I have earwax?
"It's an accumulation of dead skin, mixed with secretions from the external ear canal. The external ear canal is the body's only skin-lined 'cul-de-sac' and has a special mechanism to clear dead skin - skin migrates slowly out of the ear, carrying ear wax with it. It is only a problem if it blocks hearing. Using cotton buds to clear ears may impact the wax and cause infection, so allow nature to do its job or seek help from a doctor to clear the wax safely."
- Dr David Lau, consultant otolaryngologist, Singapore General Hospital

2. I sometimes feel my body jerk while sleeping. Why?
"Myoclonus - sudden, involuntary jerking of a muscle or group of muscles - is usually caused by sudden muscle contraction or by muscle relaxation."

"Few people are bothered or need treatment for the condition -many even sleep through it. However, those with more complex and disturbing sleep disorders, such as restless legs syndrome, may require treatment."
- Dr Charles Siow, consultant neurologist, National Neuroscience Institute

3. Why do I get a strange sensation when I hit my elbow?
"Inside your elbow, there is a bony protrusion called the medial epicondyle. Your ulnar nerve runs behind the medial epicondyle, and continues downwards to supply the inner part of your forearm, down to your fourth and fifth finger. If you flick the ulnar nerve against the medial epicondyle with your fingers, or if you knock the medial epicondyle against something hard, you'll stimulate your ulnar nerve, giving you that shooting sensation down to your fingers."
- Dr Benedict Tan, head and consultant sports physician, Changi Sports Medicine Centre

4. What causes hiccups?
"Hiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm. As it contracts repeatedly, the opening between the vocal cords snap shut to check the inflow of air, causing hiccups. Although cancer, chest infections, heart attack, kidney failure or neck tumours may cause hiccups, there's often no clear reason."

"Consult a doctor if they become chronic and persistent (more than three hours), affect sleep or interfere with eating. Usually, encouraging carbon dioxide build-up in the blood (eg holding your breath) is sufficient to stop the hiccups."
- Dr Steven J Mesenas, consultant gastroenterologist, Singapore General Hospital

5. Why do I snore when I'm exhausted?
"During sleep, our muscles are relaxed and tissues at the back of the throat become floppy and can vibrate, causing snoring. Extreme tiredness and the intake of alcohol can reduce muscle tone making us more prone to snoring. Being overweight can accentuate the problem as there is more floppy fatty tissue that can collapse and vibrate. Snoring may be a health risk if it interferes with normal breathing during sleep."
- Dr David Lau

6. Why do I get stitches when I run?
"A popular theory is that stitches are caused by air trapped in the intestines. This may interfere with peristalsis - the bands of constriction that move down the gut, pushing the intestinal contents through - and explains why exercising after a heavy meal increases the chances of getting stitches."

"Another theory says that stitches are caused by spasms of the diaphragm caused, for example, by heavy breathing during exercise."
- Dr Benedict Tan

7. Why do I get the runs before an important presentation?
"The 'runs' - or excessive bowel movements - are a common symptom of anxiety. When we are anxious, the brain trigger the body to release several neurochemicals, such as adrenaline, which primes us for a 'fight or flight' response. These neurochemicals affect various organs, causing a faster heartbeat, quicker and shallower breathing and crampy sensations in our guts."

"Feeling nervous or anxious before stressful events is normal. Stress management techniques can help a person gain mastery over these symptoms."
- Dr Adrian Wang, consultant psychiatrist, Dr Adrian Wang Psychiatric & Conselling Centre

8. Why do my joints crack?
"The cracking sound is thought to be due to negative pressure in the joint when the joint is 'pulled' or bent. The joints are enclosed in a capsule and the negative pressure suddenly 'sucks' the capsule towards the centre of the joint, causing the cracking sound."

"Imagine sucking the air out of a plastic bottle - as the pressure in the bottle drop, the bottle will suddenly collapse inwards, creating a crushing sound. Habitual cracking may eventually caused accelerated wear and tear (as in the joints widening), but I doubt any studies prove this."
- Dr Benedict Tan

9. Why do I dream?
"No one really knows exactly why. It is likely that dreams reflect our thoughts, emotions and memories, so if you experience an intense emotional experience, you may dream about it. Some people look for hidden psychological meanings in dreams but there is no strong scientific proof or proven technique behind dream analysis. Other scientists believe that dreaming is how our brain releases emotional energy from our daily activities. In essence, dreams happen because our minds are still churning events in our brains while we sleep."
- Dr Adrian Wang

10. Why do I get goose bumps?
"Goose bumps develop when one is cold or frightened. They are actually hair follicles being elevated above the skin and this is brought about by contraction of the small muscles at the base of the hairs, in response to an external stimulus. When the hair stands on end, it traps air and forms a layer of insulation. However, this only applies to individuals who are hairy. It is therefore uncertain what the exact role of goose bumps is."
- Dr Cheong Wai Kwong, consultant dermatologist, Specialist Skin Clinic



Extracted from Simply Her / May 2006

Ways to Nurture Healthy Self-Esteem

1. Accept Yourself and Stop Comparing
It is one thing to recognise out flaws, but another to be undermined by our internal nit picker. Sometimes you need to fire your inner critic.

The next time you are about to judge yourself harshly, ask yourself what you would say to a friend who comes to you feeling inferior to her peers.

If you would treat her kindly and with encouragement, don't practice double standards by being more harsh on yourself. Honour the unique person you are, appreciate yourself and celebrate your personal triumphs.

For us to be truly happy, we need to make an honest assessment of ourselves and acknowledge our imperfections. If you have a zit, a weight issue or a personality challenge, face it. Learning to deal with obstacles will empower you and improve your self-esteem, whereas running away from your problems will only leave you feeling out of control.

Is your fourth finger more valuable than your thumb? You may think this question is absurd, but many people set ridiculous standards for themselves, constantly compare themselves with others and belittle themselves. Each of us has our place and purpose.

2. Know Yourself and Your Purpose
A lack of self-understanding and direction can lead to emotional stress and a sense of losing control over your life. When we feel that our life is being steered by external circumstances most of the time, our self-esteem starts to dip and we feel that we have little control in our own life.

Imagine yourself as a pilot of a plane. If you have a no destination or a map and are just wandering aimlessly in the sky, you will soon run out of fuel and be unable to carry on.

Having a sense of purpose and knowing what you want to achieve lets you draw healthy boundaries. Have you ever felt swamped by requests?

You set out to complete a task but people start making last minute demands on you, and your own plans get bumped off your list. If you have a defined objective, you will draw boundaries and stay away from activities which do not contribute to your goals.

How do you see yourself? Do you believe in the labels that people create for you or, are you able to detach yourself from others' opinions?

Sometimes others can enlighten us by pointing out our blind spots; but on the other hand, you can't allow your self-worth to be taken for a roller-coaster ride by allowing yourself to be swayed by every comment.

To know yourself better, set aside a time to be still, alone. Be honest with yourself and get to know your abilities, fears, dreams and disappointments.

A person with healthy self-esteem is not one who has problems, but one who is aware of her purpose and learns to cut through the clutter in her life to walk consistently towards her own finishing line.

3. Seek Progression, Not Perfection
A sure way to crush positive self-esteem is to pursue perfection. Unrealistic expectations just set you up for disappointment.

Everyone gets their share of rainy days and challenges. Just as you do not expect a newborn to walk immediately, give yourself time and space to grow.

Regularly review your goals and reclaim your life by taking frequent time-outs.

Step out of your routine and take a candid look at the way you spent your day. Do not always blame yourself if things go wrong.

If you need to make an adjustment, plan it and follow through. Enjoy the progress you have made and remember that the word "perfect" only exists in the dictionary.

Appreciate the bigger picture. Set long-term goals and see short-term obstacles in perspective.

Remember, every single person has challenges, just like you.

4. Dare To Venture
Taking risks and small steps towards our goals expand self-esteem because we become less imprisoned by our own fears we venture forward.

We gain a higher level of confidence every time we dare to take a step out of our comfort zone.

Big changes come with small choices. Don't be unduly stressed if you do not seem to be anywhere near your goal yet.

Even Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, went through thousands of experiments before he could get the first bulb to light up properly. Even so, he said that he had not failed, but found 10, 000 ways that did not work.

When you worry, ask yourself what is the worst thing that could happen? You may well discover that the uncertainties you imagined are not as frightening once you take a positive step towards your plans.

The more you endeavour in life, the bolder you become. you also gain more skills and experience more success.

Everyone makes blunders , so a mistake does not make you a failure. See a mistake as a chance to know yourself better, an opportunity to gain knowledge and identify your areas of growth. Your self-esteem is defined internally, it must not depend on external approval.

Be comfortable in your own skin, in your own personality and have fun. Someone with a healthy sense of self is a person who believes she is valuable, who respects herself and enjoys being who she is every day.



Extracted from Simply Her / April 2005

You Don't Have To Be Superwoman

It's a woman's disease but you don't have to live with it. KATE GOH gives 10 tips for freeing yourself from guilt.

"Show me a woman who doesn't feel guilty and I"ll show you a man," author Erica Kong once wrote. She might have been describing how many women feel, like Angela Tan who rushes her kids to school in the morning before hurrying into her office to gulp down a cup of coffee. By 7pm the kids need their dinner and then she has to go through their homework with them. Even in bed Angela's mind wanders off to her unread office e-mails.

Like Angela, many of us feel we're shortchanging those around us because we want to (but can't seem to) do it all - be successful at work, raise our children well, take care of our parents and keep our men happy.

Are you suffering from "Superwoman Syndrome"? If so it's time to step back from the steady drumbeat of office work, household chores and kids' demands. You can ditch the guilt and learn to handle your multiple roles better.

1. Set Yourself Goals Be Clear about your vision for the next 10 years, or even the next year. It's the most important thing you can do to eliminate guilt, says personal and executive life coach Denise Wright. "Once you know what you're aiming for, your actions will be in line with your vision and that empowers you," adds Denise. This way, your choices aren't surrounded by guilt because you know your decisions are based on the big picture of how you choose to live. Get a "not to do" list to remove time-wasters.


2. List All Your Roles List the various roles you have in your life. Think about the key roles you would like to focus on, one to five years from now. There may be some new roles you would like to add on or take out from your list. Some roles may move higher or lower in priority. When you spend your time in line with your priorities, you will feel more positive about yourself.


3. Look At Your Career Long Term If you need a flexible work arrangement but your company can't provide it, do some research by talking to job consultants to find out which organisations can support both your career and family needs. Understand what your ideal job requires of you and how you can find the right balance. Find out a bit about the culture of companies you may want to work for.


4. Combine Your Interests You need to merge the "big pieces" in your life to maximise your time. This might mean learning something new with your partner, children or friends or shaping your career in line with interests you're passionate about. This way you can combine family or office time with pursuing your hobbies and you won't feel you're shortchanging anyone. Mabel Cheng, a mother of one, shares this tip: "Don't overbook the kids' schedule with tuition or classes. Set aside time alone with them." Don't feel bad about not being able to do everything. No one can or should do it all.


5. Learn To Delegate Partnerships are important so get your spouse to take on some of the load. Also, train your children to do as much as they can. Teach them to dress themselves and gradually assign them housework as they grow older so the workload is shared by the whole family and you all work as a team. It's not alwasy easy but if you're feeling overwhelmed in the office, try asking for help and delegate where you can.


6. Buy All The Help You Can Get cleaners, babysitters or tutors for your kids. This way, you can play with your kids while the housework is being done. Christina Lim, a project manager in her 30s, says her maid who's been with her family for 10 years, lets her go on business trips knowing her kids are well taken care of.


7. Make "Me Time" It's a necessity, not a luxury. Schedule some personal time for yourself daily. Tell your family that the first 20 minutes when you're home belong to you and you'd like some time alone. Use the time to change into more comfortable clothes, do some stretching and listen to your favourite music. Enjoy moments alone before you begin your second full-time job.


8. Meet Your Friends Spend time developing your relationships, not only with your spouse but also your friends, because they're the ones who provide you with support during tough times. "Sharing our needs and struggles helps me to release stress," says Geri Lim who enjoys monthly gatherings with her church group while her mother-in-law helps to take care of her baby daughter. Just being able to share in others' lives grounds you and keeps you in touch with the world around you.


9. Bless The Mess Instead of keeping your home spick-and-span, once in a while just bless the mess and take care of yourself instead. Prioritise and focus on the important tasks rather than being sidetracked by the trivial. and don't over commit yourself. Scheduling your business and personal activities on the same calendar will stop you overbooking. Don't be on call 24 hours unless your job definitely requires it. Life is like running a marathon and not a short sprint, so pace yourself well.


10. Get Real! Accept the fact that you can't do everything. Chuck the guilt because it is a waste of your energy. There will always be a never-ending list of tasks to do at work and at home, and it's impossible to satisfy them all. Whenever you feel guilt creeping up on you, focus on what you've achieved, not what you need to do. Fortuna Tan who has two grown-up children sums it up perfectly: "Take a step at a time. Not everything is achievable at the same time."

Extracted from Simply Her / September 2005

Six Ways To Get Motivated

By Keith Harrell

Your attitude is one of the first things people notice about you - and while you may not be able to change your height or body type, you can change your attitude. With proper training, a positive attitude can be acquired. If your attitude is bad, it can be better; if it's good, it can be even greater. When was the last time you had an attitude tune-up? If you haven't been getting what you want out of life, it could be you need one. Here are six tools to use in taking control of your approach to life and to make you more successful in reaching your goals.

1. Use Affirmations

When I entered secondary school, my teacher told me I had to go to speech therapy. For most of my life I'd had a stutter, but I thought I'd outgrown it. On my way to the class I gave myself a pep talk. I'm not going to stutter any more. I'm through with it. I speak clearly now. I didn't think of these words as affirmations, but looking back, they fitted the self-motivation. And they worked.

I walked into the room, looked the therapist in the eye and told him I didn't stutter any more. And I got through my little speech without stuttering! The therapist responded by asking me to read the class a passage from a book. As he talked, I kept repeating my affirmation. Then I took the book, and the words flowed out of my mouth - my confidence growing as I read. I proved I'd outgrown my stuttering, and I also discovered the power of affirmations.

Affirmations, repeated over and over, can reprogramme you to positive thinking. Don't just listen to me. Remember Muhammad Ali? He told everyone, "I'm the greatest!" And few would disagree. Do you know Nike? Their slogan, "Just Do It!" has become a favourite affirmation of athletes around the world.

2. Find Your Purpose

Relying on outside motivation is like listening to a marching band. While it's playing, the music will get you on your feet, but once the music stops, you sit down.

The strongest form of motivation is internal. You need to discover the things inside you that inspire passion. Once you find them, share your purpose with those who might help you. Write down what you want to do, and for whom. Make a chart of how you intend to pursue your vision.

Vanda, a single mother, was motivated by her daughter. As a child Vanda had had trouble in school, especially in maths. Kids laughed at her and she was called stupid. She graduated from secondary school, but drifted from one unchallenging job to another.

But after she became a mother, everything changed. Vanda enrolled in a remedial maths course because she loved her daughter and feared she wouldn't be able to help her with homework. Vanda earned an A, which inspired her to set a higher goal. She decided to go to university, where she ended up tutoring other students in maths. She graduated with a degree specialising in computer science and was hired by a high-tech firm.

Because of her love for her daughter, Vanda put her attitude into action, overcame her fear of failure and created a better life for her family.

3. Harness the Power of Visualisation
Professional athletes spend a lot of time on their mental training. They not only visualise their goals, they also imagine exactly how their bodies will feel when they are performing most effectively. Research shows we can learn from this type of mental visualisation. Phil Jackson, coach of the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, is a dedicated believer in the power of visualisation. In his book, Sacred Hoops, Jackson said he does 45 minutes of visualisations at home before each game to prepare his mind.

Nelson Mandela has also written about how visualisation helped him maintain a positive attitude during his decades in prison. "I thought continually of the day when I would walk free. Over and over, I fantasised about what I would like to do," he wrote in his autobiography.

Why is it we don't feel odd when we visualise failure? How often have you worried about failing... and gone out and done it? How many negative messages do you send to yourself every day? "What a dumb mistake!" "I'm not smart enough for that job." "I knew I wasn't good enough for the promotion."

It takes the same amount of effort to create positive visualisations and affirmations as it does to create negative ones. But the negative ones hold you back, while the positive ones move you forward.

4. Connect With a Positive Greeting
There is power in words, and that's why I urge you to use words that life up your attitude and the attitudes of those around you. Too often people greet each other with no energy. When asked how we are, we say, "I'm OK,"or "I'll survive."

But you can have a positive impact on another person's life with just a few encouraging words. I was alone in an airport terminal one night when I heard someone whistling a cheerful tune that lightened my mood. I saw the happy whistler was a cleaning lady emptying rubbish bins. I smiled and asked her how she was doing.

"Brand new!" she chirped. "Every day I wake up in a brand new day for me, and for you too."

I was struck by her enthusiasm and her obvious sense of pride in the job she was doing. It wasn't the job that made her feel so great. It was her attitude. And she brightened my day simply with a positive greeting.

Most people enjoy working and living with people who try to view life for what it is: a beautiful gift. I recall one person in the audience when I gave a talk on using positive responses. "I don't mean to sound negative," he said, " but how can you tell people that you feel super fantastic every day? That's impossible!"

I smiled and said, " I don't have to feel super fantastic every day. All I have to do is feel it today! If you don't feel it, you tell people how you want to feel, and it won't be long before you do."

5. Tap into Your Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm makes you able to apply your gifts more effectively. When I talk about enthusiasm in my seminars, I divide attendees into groups and challenge them to make noise, to let out their enthusiasm.

I turn it into a contest, telling them the loudest group will win a prize. Who do you think makes the most noise? The last group. If there are three groups, the second groupis louder than the first, and the third is always the best. Why is it that adults wait to compete before giving their best? After the exercise, most adults want another chance - but I remind them that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. When I give this same exercise to children, there is no difference between the groups. The first group is just as loud as the last group. Children don't care who is watching. They love to let it go.

Enthusiasm means sharing what you have inside with others. It keeps you working on a project after you're ready to quit. It gives you the courage to take the risks needed for success. It's the fire in the belly that says, "Don't wait!"

6. Lighten Up With Humour
Humour is a great producer of positive energy. When I was at IBM, where I worked to get an appointment with the office-equipment manager at a grain company. He was always busy or out of the office. I even tried cold-calling him, but I could never get past the receptionist.

So one day my friend Ralph Bianco and I made a cold call to the grain company, and we switched coats ahead of time. Ralph's arms were lost in the sleeves of my coat (I'm about 30 centimetres taller than he is), while I looked like a badly dressed goalpost. When the receptionist saw us, she exploded in laughter. Suddenly she was on the phone, then telling us, "You guys go on in - I want everyone to see this!"

For more than a year, I'd been the polite, nicely dressed IBM salesman, and I could never get through the door. Now we were in. Ralph and I played it straight, we didn't even smile until we walked through the door of the vice president, who greeted us with a grin. "If you guys have the guts to walk in here dressed like that," he said, "the least I can do is listen to your pitch."

Our sight gag enabled us to establish a key relationship with the company. So learn to lighten up: it's an important step to staying motivated - because remeber, motivation is not permanent. You need to do something every day to maintain your energy, your focus and your enthusiasm.

For your "Six Ways to Get Motivated" tip sheet, visit rdasia.com. Simply print it out, post it on your fridge, and change your attitude today!

FROM "ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING." © 2000, 2003 BY KEITH HARRELL, PUBLISHED BY HARPERBUSINESS, AN IMPRINT OF HARPERCOLLINS, NEW YORK

Extracted from Reader's Digest / August 2004

How to Get Lucky

Scientific proof that you make your own breaks
By Richard Wiseman

For centuries, people have recognised the power of luck and have done whatever they could to try seizing it. Take knocking on wood, thought to date back to pagan rituals aimed at eliciting help from powerful tree gods. We still do it today, though few, if any, of us worship pagan tree gods. So why do we pass this and other superstitions down from generation to generation? The answer lies in the power of luck.

Live a Charmed Life
To investigate scientifically why some people are consistently lucky and others aren't, I advertised in national periodicals for volunteers of both varieties. Four hundred men and women from all walks of life - age 18 to 84 - responded.

Over a ten-year period, I interviewed these volunteers, asked them to complete diaries, personality questionaires and IQ tests, and invited them to my laboratory for experiments. Lucky people, I found, get that way via some basic principles - seizing chance opportunities; creating self-fulfilling prophecies through positive expectations; and adopting a resilient attitude that turns bad luck around.

Open Your Mind
Consider chance opportunities: Lucky people regularly have them; unlucky people don't. To determine why, I gave lucky and unlucky people a newspaper, and asked them to tell me how many photos were inside. On average, unlucky people spent about two minutes on this exercise; lucky people spent seconds. Why? Because on the paper's second page - om big type - was the message "Stop counting: There are 43 photographes in this newspaper." Lucky people tended to spot the message. Unlucky ones didn't. I put a second one halfway through the paper: "Stop counting, tell the experimenter you have seen this and win $250." Again, the unlucky people missed it.

The lesson: Unlucky people miss chance opportunities because they're too busy looking for something else. Lucky people see what is there rather than just what they're looking for.

This is only part of the story. Many of my lucky participants tried hard to add variety to their lives. Before making important decisions, one altered his route to work. Another described a way of meeting people. He noticed that at parties he usually talked to the same type of person. To change this, he thought of a colour and then spoke only to guests wearing that colour - women in red, say, or men in black.

Does this technique work? Well, imagine living in the centre of an apple orchard. Each day you must collect a basket of apples. At first, it won't matter where you look. Gradually, it becomes harder to find apples in places you've visited before. If you go to new parts of the orchard each time, the odds of finding apples will increase dramatically. It is exactly the same with luck.

Relish the Upside
Another important principle revolved around the way in which lucky and unlucky people deal with misfortune. Imagine representing your country in the Olympics. You compete, do well, and win a bronze medal. Now imagine a second Olympics. This time you do even better and win a silver medal. How happy do you think you'd feel? Most of us think we'd be happier after winning the silver medal.

But research suggests athletes who win bronze models are actually happier. This is because silver medalists think that if they'd performed slightly better, they might have won a gold medal. In contrast, bronze medalists focus on how if they'd performed slightly worse, they wouldn't have won anything. Psychologists call this ability to imagine what might have happened, rather than what actually happened, "counter-factual" thinking.

To find out if lucky people use counter-factual thinking to ease the impact of misfortune, I asked my subjects to imagine being in a bank. Suddenly, an armed robber enters and fires a shot that hits them in the arm. Unlucky people tended to say this would be their bad luck to be in the bank during the robbery. Lucky people said it could have been worse: "You could have been shot in the head." This kind of thinking makes people feel better about themselves, keeps expectations high and increases the likelihood of continuing to live a lucky life.

Learn to Be Lucky
Finally, I created a series of experiments examining whether thought and behaviour can enhance good fortune.

First came one-on-one meetings, during which participants completed questionnaires that measured their luck and satisfaction with six key areas of their lives. I then outlined the main principles of luck, and described techniques designed to help participants react like lucky people. For instance, they were taught how to be more open to opportunities around them, how to break routines and how to deal with bad luck by imagining things being worse. They were asked to carry out specific exercises for a month and then report back to me.

The results were dramatic: 80 per cent of participants were happier and more satisfied with their lives - and luckier. One unlucky subject said that after adjusting her attitude - expecting food fortune, not dwelling on the negative - her bad luck had vanished. One day, she went shopping and found a dress she liked. But she didn't buy it, and when she returned to the store a week, it was gone. Instead of slinking away disappointed, she looked around and found a better dress - for less. Events liket his made her a much happier person.

Her experience shows how thoughts and behaviour affect the good and bad fortune we encounter. It proves that the most elusive of holy grails - an effective way of taking advantages of the power of luck - is available to us all.



Extracted from Reader's Digest / August 2004 issue.

Keep Meeting Short

Prepare, be realistic, remain firm.

Planning ahead ensures that every meeting is relevant, doesn't overrun and isn't held back by uninformed, boring or disinterested people attending it. It takes discipline and organisation to make sure the meeting remains within the timeframe - usually an hour.

Leading presentation coach Deborah Torres Patel says: "Communication in advance that you are only available for the scheduled meeting time and politely excuse yourself if the meeting runs overtime. It is your right to leave."

Meetings that end on time do not happen by accident. Planning begins before the meeting starts and takes into account the agenda, the participants and possible distractions.

PREPARE

• Identify the aim of your meeting.
• Put the most important item first.
• Establish a clear outcome for each point.
• Ask yourself, "Who should attend?" "Should they be present for all or just part of the meeting?"
• Place controversial points towards the end so the early part of the meeting can flow smoothly.

INFORM

• Send out the agenda at least one week before the meeting.
• When circulating the agenda, state that the meeting will start and end on time. This will set the tone for an efficient meeting. Obviously, the chairperson must stick to the timeline.

THE MEETING DAY

• Rehearse your presentation (if applicable)
• Arrive early and double-check equipment.
• Avoid giving all handouts at the beginning because you'll find people leafing through the paperwork instead of being attentive.
• If speakers are long-winded, the moderator can interrupt with "May we address the next item on our agenda?" or "Can the people involved go over the details later?"
• If an argument or unresolved item prolongs a meeting, call the formal part of the meeting to close and organise a seperate meeting to address that particular issue.
• Before ending the meeting, specify who will be doing what and why.

Deborah Torres Patel is a leading voice, speech and presentation coach. For the last 20 years, she has worked in over 60 countries teaching people to speak, sing and communicate with more confidence using a unique commincation training system she created called Expressing You!®

Extracted from Simply Her / April 2005 issue.

Charm Them With Your Voice

It can engage anyone listening, so why not train it to work for you? By SNG-FUN POH YOKE

Everyone can be a good communicator. If you are not, it may be you don't understand how your voice is created. Or you're not aware of the impact it has on others/

You may have prepared a powerful powerpoint presentation but the m ore important thing is: Are you conveying conviction and honesty to the listener?

Research shows that when it comes to impactful communication, 7% comes from content, 38% from sound and 55% from body language. Says voice coach Rebecca Low: "Communication is more than just a business transaction. It becomes a work of art, and your masterpiece, when it engages and expresses the language of your heart."

To bring your voice to full bloom, you need to renewed perspective of what your voice is and what it can do.

voice is sensual You have to feel every sound you make, every breath, every syllable, every expression.

voice is sexual You need to feel attractive yourself before you can attract your listener. Lengthen your vowels (a, e, i, o, u) for a more fluid sound - it's charming and feminine.

it has spirit Confidence backed by conviction is the spirit theat moves mountains. Sharpen your consonants (eg the letters, d, s and t) and you will sound more authoritative.

move your vowels Singaporeans tend to be very staccato in their speech. This can be grating on the ears. Lengthening your vowels adds body to your words. They sound nice to the ear and make people feel happy.

feel your words Use vocal variety in your voice to increase the impact of the words. Say this aloud:
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I.
But when the trees
bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.

act the part Communicating effectively is a form of acting. Every actors learns the importance of facial expression and body movements. They learn how to use their voice and dress the part.

Articulate Clearly
To speak properly, you have to learn to breathe properly.

• Breathe from the belly, ie the diaphragm. To re-discover what proper breathing is, watch a baby breathe while he is asleep. That's the right way to breathe, the one which we have forgotten as we succumb to work and stress.
• Feel your breath deep down in your body.
• Open up your chest and relax your back.
• Use vocal variety to add rich expression.
• Breathe before you speak and speak at the top of your breath.

Breathing Exercise

(Repeat this sentence in one breath)

Hello, I am here and breathing correctly and so glad to be alive. Isn't it great that I could do it in one breath and not run out of air?

"Touch" the Heart
To win your listener over, you need to appeal to the emotions.

Use imagery Think in pictures and use descriptive words your listener will remember.
Give clarity Use clear, simple language your listener will understand.
Personalise your words Use clear, simple language your listener can identify with.

Rebecca Low, founder of Vocal Charisma, was a broadcast journalist before becoming a corporate trainer in voice, motivation and learning for Media Academy, the training arm of MediaCorp. She studied voice with a Hollywood coach and also at The Esalen Institute sw well as Summer Institutes at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Extracted from Simply Her / March 2005 issue.

Make Your Mark

Hit a high note in your career by playing on your strong personal brand.


What do Sir Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods, Anita Roddick and Madonna all have in common?

The answer: They have all spent time, effort and energy in creating their unique personal brand.

And so can you. You do not have to be a billionaire, golf champion or celebrity to reap the career rewards of personal branding.

A personal brand creates a point of difference. It helps you stand out from the crowd.

What are the benefits of having a strong personal brand for both employers and employees?

For starters, potential employees can command a higher salary. They can do this because their unique personal brand will add value to the organisation.

Also, and importantly for employers, it reduces the perception of risk in hiring the person because a strong personal brand is built by having a good reputation.

Branding in today's competitive, crowded and noisy marketplace needs to focus on three levels:

• the corporate brand for capital markets, customers and external stakeholders,
• the internal brand to attract and retain the best employees, and
• the personal brand of the chief executive officer as a leader and influencer.

Successful leaders with high levels of power, influence and charisma are able to align their personal brand with that of the company to add shareholder value.

The brand values of the ambitious, hardworking and determined worker appeal to many employers. Brands help keep products or services fresh in the minds of consumers, and the introduction of a new personal brand to a company can bring new energy to an organisation.

Personal branding operates on three levels:

1. The first, or most inner and authentic, level is your core personal brand shaped by your upbringing, family, values, beliefs, personality and attitudes.
2. The second, or middle, level is your created personal brand. This is a planned process of self-development that builds yur knowledge, specialisation and expert power to create and define who you are.
3. The third, or outer, level is your perceived personal brand. You can shape perceptions simply by managing how others see you and presenting yourself in a compelling, visible and persuasive manner.

The most effective way of doing this is through assuming a leadership role (such as the president of a community group or industry organisation), networking, writing, speaking and being quoted in the media.

To be successful, a personal brand must be seen over and over again.

Visibility creates the presumption of quality. People assume because they see a person all the time, he must be superior to others offering the same product or service.

Do this in a constant, consistent and congruent way, and you will create an effective - and lucrative - personal brand. But remember that while strong personal brands take years to build up, they can also be destroyed in seconds.

Five reasons why personal branding is important

• It sets you apart from your competitors,
• It reflects your core values, personality, talent and skill set,
• It increases your credibility, especially if you can harness the power of the media,
• It establishes your expertise, authority and value, and
• It creates a success sprial that can boost your health, wealth and career.

Article contributed by award-winning author, broadcaster and international business speaker Thomas Murrell, who will be running a brand excellence programme in Singapore on Wednesday, May 24. For details and bookings, go to the Times Management Institute website at www.tes.edu.sg

Extracted from The Straits Times CATS Recruit Thursday, May 11, 2006.

5 Qualities of Effective, Motivated People (5Rs)

Find out how to take ownership of your job with the 5Rs, in the second part of this two-parter.

5Rs are tools that will help you see yourself not as a mere employee, but an owner of the business you are in.

R1. Responsibility
Learn to take responsibility for the actions that you do. Responsibility comes from the root word "response". This means you should respond to a situation rather than react to it. Taking responsibility will define you as a person of high integrity and conviction, and this in turn will make others look up to you.

You can develop this quality by volunteering when you know you can do a certain task rather than waiting to be asked. Sometimes, people wait to be asked, as they feel more important. You do not have to feel this way. You can throw yourself into your work with passion and give it your all. Do this consistently and people will take notice. Taking responsibility also makes you a more confident person and boosts your self-esteem.

R2. Reliability
When you are reliable, you become your own boss. you become an indispensable asset to your organisation, someone whom the organisation feels can help drive it.

You can become reliable by maximising your strengths and minimising your weaknesses. Identify those aspects of your life where you think you are good and develop these further. Be truthful to yourself by being able to identify the weaknesses that you possess and see how you can overcome them. This is not possible overnight, but make a concerted effort and you can achieve it.

Set measurable goals in your life and give yourself deadlines to achieve them. This way, you develop more confidence in your personal ability. Go to work every day with the attitude that you are the most important person your organisation has ever had and work to achieve that level of trust from your organisation. How? Say what you mean and mean what you say.

R3. Resoluteness
Being resolute ensures that you are not easily swayed by what others are saying about you or your organisation. Learn to be open to constructive criticism that allows you to analyse yourself and improve where you need to. However, do not fall prey to "emotional vampires" in your organisation who sap your sense of self-regard and make you feel as if you are wasting your time. It is easy to be swayed by others if you are unclear about what you really want.

Be clear about your goals and synchronise them with that of your organisation's . If you are unable to do this, it might be a good idea to move on.

R4. Resourcefulness
Sometimes you lose sight of your goals and purpose in life because you feel you are in a rut. You can change these negative feelings by becoming resourceful. Learn how to work within limitations and maximise your productivity. You need to exploit the resources available at your disposal to the maximum benefit of your organisation. This is where you can learn to think creatively. When you are resourceful, you make sure that whatever you have works for you.

R5. Re-Learning and Re-Thinking
Learning is a continuous process, and sometimes involves re-learning. Develop the habit of letting go of outdated ideas and work methods and learn to embrace new technology and new ways of doing things. When things do not work as they should, you need to re-think the situation and come up with a different way of doing things. Remember, nothing fails like success. What worked once may not work the same again.

Albert Einstein said: "The world we have made as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far creates problems we cannot solve at the same level of thinking at which we created them."

We are confronted daily with problems. Instead of trying to avoid them, see themas apporturnities for you to re-learn and re-think what you are doing. You do not have to re-invent the wheel but you can certainly improve on the quality of the wheel and make it more durable.

Make it a point every day to learn something new or do something different. Try to think of something that whether you can refine the process, perhaps shorten the time to do it or make it more efficient. do not start thinking only when things go wrong. Be proactive. Being constantly on the look out for how you can change things will make you more efficient and motivated.

Article contributed by D. Theyagu, and adjunct lecturer with the Nanyang Technologies University, who also runs his own consultancy firm called Lateral Solutions Consultancy which designs and conducts competency-based training for organisations.

Email: dtheyagu@singnet.com.sg; www.lateralsolutionsconsult.com; Fax: 6752-2160

Extracted from The Straits Times CATS Recruit

Going Green (Your Health Matters with Barbara Koh)

Wheatgrass juice, the latest health drink, gives more than just an energy boost

Instead of reaching for a java boost, the health-conscious now have a wheatgrass shot. Popular at juice bars, this energy booster is also rich in healthy compounds.

Gerald Koh, founder and chief executive of Viands, which started the Juice Zone franchise, says, "Customers who know of the goodness of wheatgrass either ask for the shots or have them in juices. We see mostly women ordering it, probably for its detoxifying properties."

People who've experienced first-hand or seen its benefits are now buying their own wheatgrass machines. Christopher Seah, co-founder of Fit for Life Centre which sells such machines, says, "The machine crushes the juice from the fibre, and as you're drinking it fresh, the enzymes aren't destroyed. Wheatgrass is available at supermarkets."

Chlorophyll Power

Wheatgrass is the young grass stage of grain plants, taken just before they sprout. It found its way to fame in 1958, when Dr Ann Wigmore conducted tests on various weeds and grasses in Boston. Wheatgrass was her favourite due to its nutritional content and she's since written books on the healing powers of fresh wheatgrass, expounding its ability to nourish and rid the body of toxins. She also believes it's especially beneficial to those suffering from illness or pain.

Wheatgrass contains 70 per cent chlorophyll, over 20 amino acids, several hundred enzymes not found in other foods, and other vitamins and minerals. The most significant is chlorophyll. Made up primarily of carbon, magnesium, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, studies have shown the structure of chlorophyll to be similar to haemoglobin in our blood - which may explain why it's easily absorbed by the body. Dr Wigmore says the high chlorophyll content of wheatgrass acts as a "magnet" in drawing out toxins from the body.

Wheatgrass is also rich in free radical-fighting B vitamins, carotene and vitamins C and E, said to delay degeneration of the immune system and ageing. It also contains amino acids which help in the process of self-renewal and rejuvenation. A good source of iron and protein, just one 30ml shot of the juice is said to have the nutritional value of 1.5 or 2 kg of most leafy green veggies.

Balance is Key

Christopher says, "Wheatgrass is tonic for anyone wanting an immune system boost. After two to three weeks of regular intake, you're more alert and revitalised."

One problem is its bitter-sweet aftertaste; so juice bars like Juice Zone serve a wedge of orange with its shots. If you own a juicer, you can make a juice or smoothie and add wheatgrass powder, like Greens+ at $79 from Fit For Life Centre (Tel: 62918080). Or try Marigold's new Non Fat Fruits & Vegetables with Wheatgrass yoghurt drink, at $2.50 (1 litre).

Wheatgrass has its benefits, but you can't rely on it solely to cure ailments or to supplement an unhealthy diet. Alexandra Hospital's chief dietitian Gladys Wong stresses the importance of a well-balanced diet - eating a "variety of foods, both raw and cooked".

Types of Grass

Besides wheatgrass, other good greens that are getting fashionable at health food stores include:

Barley Grass
It's said to help improve stamina, clarity of thought and skin texture. According to Dr Howard Lutz, Director of the Institute of Preventative Medicine in Washington, it can help preserve your youthful appearance and also improve sexual energy.

Spirulina
Rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins, selenium, zinc, iron, B-group vitamins and vitamin E, spirulina is usually recommended for those feeling rundown, stressed or are iron deficient. Said to help increase energy and vitality.

Klamath Algae
This blue-green algae, only found in Klamath Lake in Oregon in the US, is rich in betacarotene and chlorophyll. The secret behind this algae is the mineral-rich lake from which it comes. Klamath is said to help boost energy, increase concentration and improve mood.


Extracted from The Singapore Women's Weekly - April 2005 issue.

Mango Madness

This highly popular tropical fruit is prized for its juicy sweetness. Here are some surprising facts about it:

• Mangoes are related to poison ivy, poison oak, cashew nuts and pistachios.
• They originated in India and have been cultivated for more than 4000 years.
  
• The top producers of mangoes are India, China and Mexico. OTher exporters are Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, South America and some parts of Africa.
• Mangoes are loaded with beta carotene, vitamin C, soluble fibre, vitamin E and antioxidants. Half an average-sized mango has 70 calories.
• To ripen mangoes, place them in a paper bag at a cool room temperature for a few days. They ripen faster if stored together.

Extracted from CLEO Magazine January 2006 issue.

All About Ginger

Vomiting, coughing, cramped, bloated? Dig into the benefits of ginger! By Shawna Tang

Ginger, native to South Asia, is highly regarded in Asian societies for its healing properties. In ancient India and oriental cultures, ginger is an essential herbal remedy for vomiting, coughing, cramps and bloatedness. In the Middle Ages, it was also believed to have been a "miracle" protection against cholera.

Ginger contains vitamin A, vitamin C and phytochemicals that help soothe an upset tummy, kill harmful microbes, and help clear toxins from the blood. Best of all, you don't need to eat ginger by the kilo to reap its benefits. Studies show that as little as a gram a day - less than a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger - helps protect your system from a number of diseases.

You can consume ginger in a myriad of ways from freshly grated and boiled to pickled, preserved and crystallised. Chewing on a slice gently releases juices to help soothe a bad cough.

fresh is best!

Ginger comes fresh, dried, pickled, preserved, crystallised (or candied), and powdered. Its flavour is spicy, and its aroma pungent. When buying ginger, fresh is best! Avoid those with dry wrinkled skin, mould or soft spots.

Juice from fresh ginger root can be added to iced desserts or incorporated in salad dressings. Try grating it, or use a garlic press for maximum benefits, if you don't want to make your own ginger recipe, there are always ready ginger foods such as herbal "teas", crystallised ginger candies, and gingersnaps made with real ginger.

GINGER GOODNESS

• Nausea: Alleviate symptoms of morning sickness by chewing on crystallised ginger.
• Motion Sickness: Hot ginger tea can help curb motion sickness and prevent vomiting and cold sweats associated with seasickness.
• Rheumatism: Patients suffering from arthritic conditions have ben known to find relief from pain, swelling and stiffness after taking ginger.
• Body Circulation: Powdered ginger helps improve blood flow and counter raised cholestrol.
• Weight Loss: Ginger in foods may help weight loss by burning off bad fats.

Extracted from Simply Her magazine April 2005 issue.

When to take an MC

Believe it or not, some of us do feel bad pulling a sickie. If you're a self-confessed workaholic, keep this taped to your bedside table so you know when you need that MC.

Got a runny nose?
Go to work: If you're not running a fever or if your allergies (like rashes) are not acting up.
Use the MC: If you've got the whole nine yards - fever, blocked nose, dizziness, drowsiness. Not only are you not going to get any work done, you are going to infect your colleagues!

Got a stomachache?
Go to work: If you can hold down what you eat.
Use the MC: If you're vomiting and getting the runs every 15 minutes. You're likely to be suffering from dehydration too, so make sure you drink lots of water.

Got a headache?
Go to work: If you know the pain's caused by a hangover.
Use the MC: If the headache is accompanied by nausea, dizziness or sensitivity to light and sound. If painkillers don't work, seek medical attention as soon as you can.


By Deborah Tan
Extracted from CLEO Magazine January 2005 issue.

Stamp Out Work Stress!

Exhausted? Stress can lead to burnout and health problems like heart disease. Get rid of it in four healthy ways:

1. Take your breaks Don't make it a habit to skip lunch or you might sacrifice efficiency. Recharge with some walking under the sun. November's also the time to plan longer breaks - book a trip early to avoid school-holiday crowds and surcharges.
2. Move your booty Exercise definitely combats stress so get at least 30 minutes of cardio (swim, run or dance) three days a week and two to three days of strength training (weights or yoga)
3. Get organised Piled-up work can drive anyone crazy! Learn to prioritie and manage your time to enjoy less stress and more success. Help yourself by making to-do lists and be sure to meet your deadlines.
4. Keep perspective However, you don't have to bust your butt to get all your tasks done immediately. Be flexible and don't let mistakes or delays get you down. Stay positive!

By Deborah Tan

Extracted from CLEO Magazine November 2005 issue.

4 Tips for a Successful Career

In this age of constant changes - sometimes at breakneck speed - can success in your career be guaranteed? It an be, if you can develop the traits that consistent high performers exhibit, which are:

Positive attitude and mindset
Your attitude can make or break you. In this new age of intensified competition, many people are highly charged emotionally and constantly stretched.

However, this stress can be overcome by simply tweaking your attitude and mindset.

First, recognise that a negative attitude is often the result of frustration. Having a positive attitude is not easy, especially when you constantly face challenges.

But this is when a positive mind-set becomes invaluable. you can consciously develop ways of thinking that put you in control.

Take time off every day to review and reflect on the day. Think about what you did and what you could have done in a more productive and effective way. Think through and map out your strategies so you are better prepared to overcome these challenges the next time.

Everyone feels disheartened at one time or another. It is how you pick yourself up that can make all the difference in the world.

Extraordinary work ethic
All successful professionals realise that this is a major key to success, but what exactly does "extraordinary" mean? It can be defined this way: Do whatever it takes to get the results you want and/or need without compromising your integrity or hurting others.

Doing whatever it takes can mean:

• Starting earlier in the day,
• Devoting time to plan and execute your task,
• Scheduling time for important and urgent things as well those that are not urgent but important,
• Following through on all projects,
  
• Thinking of new ways to become more effective and efficient in the things you do,
  
• Continuing to give your best efforts throughout the day, especially when you hve had success early in the day, and
• Remembering the classic motto, "I will do one more task".

Excellent skill set
Make learning a way of life. If you deem something as important, you will find the time to accomplish it. When people go into a slump, the problem usually starts with straying away from the basics.

Check and re-check your foundational skills, and review your performance from time to time. Do not wait till the end of the year and be shocked by your appraisal. Take an inventory of your skills set and identify what else you need to learn to take you to the next level of performance.

Once you have determined your proficiencies in each area, you can list the skills that need improvement. Discuss them with your manager and your colleagues. Get their recommendations on how to achieve excellence.

Utilise resources that will enable you to stay informed or learn new skills. Use books, audio, video, on-line services and distance-learning opportunities.

There is a whole menu of learning tools available for use. Target at least one resource to keep you up-to-date, and refresh your knowledge on all aspects of your profession.

Successful professionals never think they know it all. They know that excellent foundational skills are critical to their success. They are also eager to learn - from customers, associates, colleagues or self-directed initiatives - and find ways to stay sharp.

All-round knowledge
You should want to know everything about your position and your job. This includes knowing why your job was created, what it entails and how it contributes to the overall functioning of your department and organisation.

When you know this foundational information, you can then analyse and work on crafting out an edge for yourself - what you can do to add value to the job and tasks that you currently do.

Surface knowledge is not enough. Total knowledge gives you the solid foundation to not just perform, but perform at the peak or at the very least, perform at a level that is way above what you are doing now.


Article by Dr. Billy Kueek, a motivational speaker and trainer in leadership and soft skills
Website: www.BiKsolutions.com
E-mail: billy@BillyKueek.com


Extracted from The Straits Times CATS Recruit

Practise Positive Politics

Can't avoid office politics? Our expert tells you how to play it right. By Yanni Tan

Think politics is a dirty word? Think again. Executive coach Mark Holden says to play a game of positive politics at work: "Politics in an organisation is a reality. Everybody's had a bad experience before, and most people view it negatively. On the contrary, positive politics focuses on adding value to relationships within organisations - developing allies, not saboteurs. It is about identifying mutual goals and developing 'I win, you win, the organisation wins' strategies." Want to empower yourself with the right political moves? Here's how:

Always network
Take an active interest in developing contacts and acquaintances throughout organisations and across industries. It's about developing two-way relationships that are mutually beneficial. If you're at a social function, try to establish some common ground by asking questions like "What do you do for a living?" and "Have you belonged to this club/organisation long?" Use the common ground as a starting point for building a relationship.

Market yourself
There are more people out there who are more willing to put you down than sing your praises. If you don't sing your own praises, who will? There is a fine line between self-marketing and blowing your own trumpet, so there is a great value in brushing up the skill of promoting yourself in a positive, non-aggressive way.

Display true-blue professionalism
Perhaps an overused term, but it is important to conduct yourself in a highly professional manner. Do what you do well, always follow through, do what you say you will and don't let your colleagues and contacts down. People have extremely long and vivid memories, so don't make promises you can't keep.

Sow without a view to reap
When it comes to offering information, or giving advice and support, do it freely and with no strings attached. Not everyone for whom you do a favour will necessarily do one in return. But over time, you will accumulate a critical mass of goodwill that will come back to you.

Get noticed for the right reasons
Competence, confidence, credibility and trust not only build a successful career, but also a good reputation and a positive political environment for yourself. Incompetence undermines your credibility on every front and brings into doubt any idea or suggestion you present, regardless of how good or effective they are. Don't stumble around blindly trying to "learn from your mistakes". Go back to school, attend a training course, read.

Avoid career limiting moves
Avoid actions or behaviour that can make you look incompetent, foolish, immature or all three. The worst kind are those of personal grief, embarrassment or which discredit people whom you report to or who can influence your career. Some boo-boos are impersonating the boss or talking about them in derogatory terms, associating with troublemakers, getting angry and expressing your emotions by taking it out on co-workers and burning bridges.

Know thy enemy
People who practise negative politics are motivated by self-interest and only do the deed quietly. However dirty it gets, never allow the politics of a situation to distract you. The best defence is always having an established reputation and ensuring the support of those who matter. For example, to avoid an onslaught during a major presentation, consider all the players involved, identify pockets of resistance and endeavour to win these people over incdluding the potential attacker.



Extracted from Simply Her February 2005 Issue.

Sprucing Up That Résumé and Cover Letter

With the improved economy and the increase in job vacancies, some may seek new opportunities and challenges in other organisations. However, getting your foot into the proverbial door of opportunity may not be that simple as that old résumé and cover letter in your word processor may require updating.

In Today's competitive job market, a well-written résumé is no longer the only factor to landing that perfect position. Increasingly, the cover letter is the first point of contract with a potential employer. The truth is that with several candidates applying for the same position, your application and cover letter must be firstly impressive enough to warrant shortlisting for an interview.

The cover letter is essentially a sales pitch and it needs to be very good to stand out from the hundreds of applications an organisation may get for a plum vacancy. The biggest mistake some people make with a cover letter is to list their qualifications, that is, that task of your curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé.

Many people use the terms CV and résumé interchangeably, even though they are different. A résumé is a one- or two-page document that focuses on work history and experience. Usually when prospective employers ask you to send a CV, what they really want is a résumé.

The purpose of a résumé is to highlight and summarise professional work experience and accomplishments. While there are different styles and formats, the focus and content are generally the same. A CV, on the other hand, is a far more expanded document. It usually runs more than two pages - even as long as 10, depending on the individual. Its purpose is to demonstrate expertise and authority.

Whether you need a CV depends on the industry and position you seek. Usually, CVs are used more in scientific and academic fields. In these sectors, detailed information about other accomplishments like research specialisation, skills levels, and expertise levels are also required.

A good résumé should be able to "sell" an applicant. Kelvin Quek, a recruitment professional turned résumé consultant says: "Imagine you are a prospective employer staring at a huge stack of résumés. A good résumé doesn't just tell a prospective employer what you have done but also sells you to the employer. A résumé is an advertisement, nothing more, nothing less. It shows the specific, direct benefits that the employer will reap if you are hired. It convinces the employer that you have what it takes to be successful in this new position or career."

Quek spent 15 years with an international recruitment agency before starting his own consultancy dealing with business communications. He also runs workshops on résumé writing and "performing" at job interviews. He adds that the main purpose of the résumé is to pass the employer's screening process by fulfilling the requisite educational level, number of years of experience, and to establish your professional standards.

He stresses that it is a mistake to think of résumé as a history of your past employment. "Most résumés focus on job history. But it is important to write from the intention to create interest, to persuade the employer to call you. If you write with that foal, your final product will be very different from just writing to inform or merely listing your job history," he explains.

Types of Résumés

Quek says there are three basic types of résumés. The chronological résumé is more traditional form used. The "Experience" section is the focus of such résumés. Every position held over one's working career is described in some detail, and there usually isn't a major section listing skills or accomplishments.

It is the functional résumé that highlights major skills and accomplishments. It is used by career changers, those with divergent careers, and by those with a wide range of skills who want to make slight shifts in their career direction. "It helps the reader see clearly what an applicant can do for them, rather than having to read throught the job descriptions to find out. It helps target the résumé into a new direction or field, highlighting from all past jobs the key skills and qualifications that show you will be successful in this new direction or field," says Quek. He recommends using functional format if you're changing fields as a skills-oriented format would show off your transferable skills to better advantage.

A combined résumé includes elements of both the chronological and functional formats. This combined approach maximises the advantages of both kinds of résumés, avoiding potential negative effects of either type. One disadvantage though is that it tends to be a longer résumé and that it can be repetitious. For example, accomplishments and skills may have to be repeated in both "functional" section and the "chronological" job descriptions.

Carol Koh, a career consultant with EZ Jobs says that it is common for only one interview to be granted for every 200 applications received by the average employer for professional positions. "Each application is quickly scanned, rather than read. Ten to 20 seconds is all the time you have to persuade a prospective employer to read further. What this implies is that the decision to interview a candidate is usually based on the overall first impression of the cover letter and résumé. That quick screening is all you have to impress the reader and convince them of your suitablility," she adds.

Thus, in order to write an effective résumé, you may have to resort to writing subtle advertising copy designed to sell yourself to a prospective employer. Quek advises job-seekers to focus on the employer's needs rather than their own. He explains: "Look to answering questions like what would make someone the perfect candidates? What does the employer really want? What special abilities would this person have? What would set a truly exceptional candidate apart from a merely good one?"

The trick is to understand what the employer is looking for and what you have to offer before you begin. The idea is to see some connections between what you have done and what the employer is looking for. You need not confine yourself to work-related accomplisments. The point is to cover all possible ways of thinking about and communicating what you do well. Use the résumé to highlight the talents you bring to the market place and what you will have to offer to the prospective employer."

Most résumés make assertions about your qualifications, and professional achievements. If you are applying for different positions, you should adapt your résumé to each one. Koh says: " There is nothing wrong with having several different résumés, each with a different objective, each specifically crafted for a different type of position. you may even want to change some parts for each job you apply for. Always have an objective that is perfectly matched with the job you are applying for."

If you are making a career change or are new to the job market, you have to be especially creative in getting across what makes you stand out. Quek says: "If you have a limited work history or are switching careers, you want the employer to immediately focus on where you are going, rather than where you have been. If you are looking for another job in your present field, it is more important to stress your qualities, achievements, and abilities."

According to Koh, E-résumés are becoming a leading trend in today's job market. Also called the digital résumé, professional recruiting firms, career Web sites, and human resource departments of large companies commonly use them. Those who have applied online through the many employment Web sites would be familiar with their style. They are established not only for recruiter's review, but also for easy storage, organisation, and retrieval by computer systems.

Knowing what a computer system looks for in an E-résumé will help you in setting up your own. Computers are programmed to allow the recruiters to put in a request that asks for certain information called keywords. These are words that either help define the job duties and requirements of the position, or are found in the position description, or are part of the required credentials.

So it is important that you use words commonly found to describe the occupation and required credentials of the position you are seeking. Being creative with words or descriptions could be a mistake if the common and expected words are left out.

Cover Letter

While the résumé is an important document, the cover letter often plays a crucial role in securing the job interview. If you send out a generic form letter, employers will recognise it as such and it will hurt your chances of success. Never address a letter to "To whom it may concern". Find out to whom it should be directed and address it to that specific person with his or her correct title and business address.

As with your résumé, don't include inappropriate personal information or photographs, and never exaggerate or lie. Use polite and professional language. Get to the point. Keep the letter to one A4 page.

There are usually three parts to a cover letter. Begin the letter by explaining why you're writing, the position you're applying for, and your interest in the employer or position.

Quek says: "The first paragraph should focus on the job you are looking for so that the recruiter can associate with which job you are referring to as they may have advertised for more than one job opening. Remember to quote a reference from the newspaper if there is one."

The second paragraph focuses on the employer's needs and highlights the applicant's skills and how they relate to the desired employment position. You should show why the recruiter should shortlist you for an interview. Next, describe those skills or qualifications from your résumé that relate to the job for which you're applying. Don't cut and paste the information in your résumé, expand on it.

The last paragraph usually wraps up the letter by highlighting the applicant's other positive attributes. Close the letter by reiterating your interest in the position and your intent to follow up within a certain time. "The aim is to set yourself apart from the other applicants who will also have similar skills sets. You should highlight skills that other applicants may not have. Use relevant work experience and additional skills to add value," explains Quek.

"The best way to distinguish yourself is to highlight one or two of your accomplishments or abilities that show you are an above-average candidate for this position. You can also gain an extra edge by showing that you have some specific knowledge about the company and the industry," adds Koh. This will help show that you are genuinely interested in the job you are applying for and that you are not blindly sending out your applications. - N Ravindran

Secure that Interview

Cover Letter Tips

Keep in mind the following to increase your chances of securing an interview:

• Write a defferent cover letter for each application. There are bound to be certain variations in terms of abilities and strengths for different positions. You should highlight your suitability in terms of the job requirements to show the sincerity of your applications.
• Explain why you are interested in the position. This will lead you to say things that are different from other applicants and this will vary with applications for different jobs.
• Browse the duties, requirements, and qualifications of the job you are applying to tailor your cover letter so that it can match it well. Always target to the requirements that you are proficient in. For example, if the job requires good report writing skills, highlight that in your current position you have to produce reports for a certain level of readers and the courses you have attended.
• For job listings that are briei uch asa customer service manager, get references from a similar position and state your skills and abilities that are closely associated. For example, check the classifieds for a similar vacancy that lists the required experiences and skills so that you highlight some of the matching requirements and skills that you possess.
• Consider your relevance related to job duties and qualifications. There may be areas that you have performed before. You should write more on these.
• What if your job title doesn't reflect your level of responsibility? When you list it on the résumé, replace it with a more appropriate job title. For example, say "Office Manager" instead of "Administrative Assistant" if that's more realistic. Another option is to use the job title and your descriptive one together, "Administrative Assistant (Office Manager)".

Extracted from Today's Manager Issue April - May 2005.