Reward yourself wisely

After a great workout, we tend to be more hungry or thirsty. This could be due to calorie burnt or maybe dehydration. Let's just say, you are on a particular diet and you had a killer workout and you are now hungry and thirsty, chances are what will happen to you is you would like to indulge. When we indulge there are chances of us consuming at least an extra 250 Calories, which is about 1/2 hour of walking. If we do that means we have to work out more the next time. Which means, you are not getting closer to your goal but actually you are delaying your goals.
So, if you want to get your goals faster, reward yourself wisely.

How to move up the corporate ladder?

I remember people use to tell me that you must move up the corporate ladder. Well, after working for sometime now, I can't seem to fine any ladder. The is no clear, similar height steps to take when you work. Sometimes I feel the so call 'ladder' doesn't exist. I feel it's more like corporate jungle. It's jungle because you path is never on a straight line. It's all over. Sometime you move up and sometime you move down while for some of us we move side ways. While being in the jungle you can take short breaks but then you must decide to move on. You have to respect the bigger forces that controls the dynamic of the environment. Having the endurance to withstand the terrain and oneself is crucial to see we making out well. Similarly you must have the endurance-both mentally and physically to witstand the pressure.
At times, when you are confronted with wild animals, it cause great fear. Similarly when we are up against someone fierce in our company, chances are they will cause us fear.
Some part of the jungle is thick while some are open and easily assessable. Similarly, in organizations you have easy times and you will have to face tough times as well.
So, how then yiu move yhr corporate ladder, well firstly you need to know that you gonna go into a jungle

C = D + E

As I was developing an assertive module for a group of students, I was thinking how do I come up with a self assurance way of affirming confidence to oneself.
Remarkably this formula appeared.
It says, Confidence(C) equals Description(D) with Evaluation(E). That's C = D + E.
So, let's say you tell yourself "I am ok." The description about yourself is generally telling you how you feel however the evaluation sets it apart. So if you say you are ok you will feel ok. However let's say if you say "I am good." Does that feel better. How about, "I am really good." How about "I am great." What about "I am really great"
The more we explore, the better the feeling gets. Well, the next time you want to affirm to yourself, try this Description with Evaluation technique, which says C = D + E.

2 happy employees I met today.

While on the way to my class today I had to drop by a Shell station in Shah Alam. As I was about to get into my car, one of the cleaner at the station greeted me in a very humble manner and he wanted to collect the rubbish that was under my car. Amazingly I actually went down to collect it for him. He was so happy and thanked me for the action. In return I thanked him for being so nice. As he left to clean the other areas of the station, I discovered he was just enjoying his work. He has got his green cap with blue strips on. He also got his ear phone and with his rhythmic working motion he was doing his work and not forgetting smiling along the way. Gosh, it's just so difficult to meet someone like that nowadays. Especially in this current economic situation. Well I'm not sure if he is really happy with whatever he is doing but it definitely shows so.
I then drove off and reached my class. During break I went to the cafeteria and got myself a hot cup of coffee. As I got into the cafe, I bumped into the guy who makes for me my coffee. He was so happy, smiling and asked me energetically 'Bang, minum macam biasa'. The energy transferred to me and I replied happily to him 'Yesss bang, terima kasih (David Arumugam style)'. He was so happy that he made me happy as well. What a great experience.
These 2 happy employees I met today probably might have their own problems, they probably have their own sets of challenges or difficulties that they have to endure but by simply choosing to become happy, they look and feel great and the happiness spilled over to me and I felt happy as well.
What I realize is that happiness is free actually and it's really a matter of choice on what makes you happy. So now the question is that whether it's costly to make yourself happy.
Were you happy today?

A heart attack personality.

Do you get angry often? Do you feel that when you get angry things tend to get done? Do you feel that some people fear you? On one side, it might be giving you the results but on the other side it's putting you at risk of terminal diseases.
By the way, the characteristics demonstrated by an angry person is called aggressiveness. You may be aggressive for a good reason or not so good reason, that will only be known by you and the creator however the toll on your heart will definitely be there. So the terminal disease referred to here is called a cardiac arrest or commonly known as a heart attack.
Individuals who are aggressive or angry in nature tend to put a huge amount of wear and tear on their cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and cognitive systems. The side effect of that is the aging of those cells and a large amount of cortisol secreted in the arteries. The arteries will carry this poison to the whole body. While on the way it will damage the surface of the arteries. When that happens, LDL or also known as bad cholesterol will go and stuck itself to the damage area causing the arteries to be narrowed. Repeated events causes more and more plastering of the LDL.
When the heart is being narrowed, it only takes a medium sized blood clot which also arrises from the cortisol, to get stuck in the narrowed area. This then causes the person to get a heart attack. Studies show that 80% of patients die during the first cardiac arrest therefore your chances of survival is very low.
Most of the time people know that it is harmful but we don't take necessary action because we think we can by pass all of this. Well, thats definitely a wishful thinking.
So, the moral of the story is it comes with a package, if you want to be angry you are then putting your self at risk of a cardiac arrest and yes let's not forget aging as well.

Be a sport.

You may have a goal of running a marathon or trying to look like a season body builder. However, when you look at the mirror it seems otherwise.
Sometimes the problem is the starting block. If you have too big of a goal, it just gets too overwhelming and far fetch that you end up not trying.
In a previous blog, there was a write up on an effective starting goal, which talks about being 1 step better.
While that method might work, there is another successful way to see fast results. It is by joining a sports. It could be an individual or team sports. The idea here is to train and make your way as an athlete in that sports. This method has proven to be very useful in delivering results. Individuals normally experience more than what they have planned to lose. The competitive spirit and will power has shown to be the contributors of this successful plan.
So, what's your sport?

WIIFM

I'm sure you would have heard of Hits FM or Fly FM. They are radio network station. WIIFM is not anything of that sort by the way. It stands for What's In It For Me.
I realize some people's mind is just tuned in to WIIFM. Everything you say or do with them but be centered to them otherwise the discussion is just not meaningful. They must see how they can benefit, primary monetarily.
I don't know about you but I just don't enjoy talking to them however if you don't have a choice, here are 3 ways to do it.
1. Choose not to talk to them even if you have something fun that you want to share with them. This way you keep the respect going in them.
2. Set the tone during the conversation with them by asking questions and go less by answering their questions.
3. Match their tone of voice when talking to them. Be sensitive with their rhythm and pace of voice and follow them but make sure they don't know you are consciously doing it. Matching them may make them be comfortable with you.