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Achieve Your Health And Fitness Goals By Getting SMART

By Gregg Gillies

I’m not sure who was creative enough to make the acronym work, but work it does and it can fit in quite nicely with your fitness goals.

If you want to succeed you need to get SMART about your goals.
SMART is a great way to help you stay on track and achieve
your goals.

The S stands for specific. Be specific about the goals you
want to achieve. Forget things like, “I want to get in shape”, “I want to add muscle”, or “I want to lose weight”, or “I want to increase my bench press.”

Instead try things like “I want to run a 6 minute mile”, “I want to add 10 pounds of muscle”, “I want to lose 20 pounds of fat, or “I want to add 40 pounds to my best bench press.”

The M stands for measurable. This ties in very well with specific. You can’t measure ‘getting in shape”, but you sure can measure ‘running a 6 minute mile’.

With a pair of trusty skin fold calipers, you can also measure pretty accurately adding 10 pounds of muscle or losing 20 pounds of fat.

And of course, you can easily measure the poundage increase on your best bench press.

The specific and measurable aspect can be broken down even more to bring you closer to achieving your goals. For example, if you want to add 10 pounds of muscle, what other specific and measurable things must you do to reach your goal?

One could be that you must eat 6 high protein meals a day.

A second could be that you must eat 3,500 calories and 300 grams of protein every day.

You must train with weights three days per week.

You must add weight to your exercises at least every other workout.

All of these are specific and measurable. The more specifics that you have, the more likely you will add your 10 pounds of muscle as quickly as possible.

You can make a list of your daily, weekly, and monthly goals that you must do in order to meet your top goal of adding 10 pounds of muscle.

Each day, place a check mark next to each measurable and specific goal you achieved that will help you conquer your top goal. Obviously, the more checks you have, the more likely that you will achieve your goal.

In addition to specific and measurable, your goals must be A, or attainable. The R stands for realisitic. As I’ve said before, it’s important to set challenging goals.

Challenging, but attainable, that is. A goal of a 50 pound increase on your bench press max in 12 weeks would be a challenging goal, but also one that is possible.

However, setting a goal of bench pressing 300 pounds in 4 weeks when you currently bench press 75 pounds will do nothing but set you up for failure and frustration.

Obviously, weight loss is on the minds of many people, which is why so many fall victim to promises like “lose 30 pounds in 30 days without getting hungry and without exercising.”

As a reader of this newsletter, you know that the above is neither timely nor realistic. But many people do fall for such things because they want results NOW! They are setting themselves up for failure. Please don’t join them.

The T stands for Timely. If you do everything previously mentioned, it’s still not enough. You must give yourself a deadline to achieve your goal. More importantly, if your goal is attainable and realistic, but also long term, break it up into smaller goals.

If you wish to lose 75 pounds, start with losing just 10 pounds in 2 months. Reaching that goal will motivate you further and before you know it, enough time has passed that you’ve lost the 75 pounds.

But if you focus solely on losing the 75 pounds, which could take a year or more to accomplish, your motivation and discipline could wane, and you could fail to follow through on what you need to do to make your goal a reality.

Making goals timely hold you accountable and creates a positive sense of urgency. You may think twice about eating that piece of cake when you know you are having a body composition test and pictures taken in 2 weeks.

In addition to getting smart, celebrate your successes. And I don’t mean that you should allow yourself to dust off a gallon of ice cream in one sitting because you lost 10 pounds. That would be self defeating.

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Getting Started With an Employment Agency

By Ashley Toh

Looking for a job in Singapore has become tougher and tougher, and this is due to the increased competition not only from foreign talent which have flocked to our shores of opportunity, but from the persistent economic crisis that has hit us all the way from the US. When America sneezes, the whole world catches a cold, literally - as not only the economic crisis has affected our job prospects in this country, but the swine flu problem has placed an endemic worry on the job market here.

With increased competition, a large number of people looking for job and a worrying climate you need to up your game when it comes to looking for a job. While there are services like JobStreet, Monster.com, JobsDB, and the newspaper, the classifieds , the reality of the situation is that it is not enough for you to simply use these avenues when looking for a job for yourself. At this point of time, it is still possible for you to get the job that best fits your qualification and your experience.

Most people, especially in Singapore, seem to be stuck in a job situation where they are working in a profession that they really did not want to work at in the first place. If you are one of this people, then it is a condition that is called settling. Settling is not going to get you the career path of your dreams and not going to get you the kind of pay that you should be getting. If you have the willingness to work hard, all you need is the platform to launch your resume into the stratosphere and get yourself noticed.

The way you can do this is to sign up with any one of the Singapore employment agencies all over the country and you will be able to find yourself in the position where you can get the job of your dreams. The good thing about the job agency is that they have plenty of affiliates and plenty of connections, corporations and industries who are on the lookout everyday for candidates who are talented enough to be part of their team. There are many of these Singapore employment agencies all over the place, some of them are based online and some are based in the real world. Most of them have the connections necessary for middle of the line recruitment as well as managerial head hunting.

When you do go for an interview at the agency, make sure you bring with you knowledge on the industry that you want to penetrate, a rock solid resume and good referrals. You need to be professional, because the amount of confidence they have in you is directly related to the amount of referrals you get to companies looking for good talent. You need to get the edge in the employment game, and you can do this just by joining one of the many Singapore employment agencies and getting your hunt for the job of your dreams started on the right track.

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About That Job Interview - Does it Resemble an Evening at the Improve?

By Rebecca Metschke

In the right context, good improvisation is amazing. The ability to skillfully create “in the moment” is crucial to comedians and musicians alike.

The keys here are skillful, and context. Oh - I almost forgot good. Yeah, good is important.

A lot of the acts on the long running show An Evening at the Improv were pretty good; obviously the network was playing for ratings so you tended to see the more talented performers.

There’s such a thing as poor improvisation, too, of course. Some people don’t have what it takes. Worse, others think improvising means to “make do” or “get by” or “wing it” or “fly by the seat of your pants.”

When it comes to your job interview, sloppy spontaneity isn’t exactly a winning strategy. If you think you can waltz into one of these conversations without having thoroughly prepped for it and still hit a home run, you are sorely mistaken.

You may get lucky - but don’t count on it. A betting man won’t be putting any money on you.

You can’t expect to excel during a job interview if you haven’t done your homework. Period. There’s no easy way out.

That means you must study and understand the company; acquire biographical information on the people you’ll be talking with; be prepared to support and discuss every piece of information on your resume; and have a list of questions ready. It means recognizing how your experience fits - and knowing how you’re going to position yourself as a solution to the hiring manager’s problem. (Problem? What problem? If you don’t know, you have more digging to do.)

This does not mean you need to memorize verbatim everything you’re going to say. The aim here is not for you to come across as a robot. Rather, the idea is to be extremely familiar with the “back story” and your talking points…to have them securely tucked away…so when you’re nervous and feeling the inevitable performance pressure, you won’t come up empty.

You need to walk into every interview knowing beforehand exactly what points you need to make. You must think through how you intend to handle any one of the scores of things that might get thrown your way.

And no…it’s not effortless. It takes work. But the candidate who is meticulously prepared holds a much better hand than the one who decides to wing it. A winning personality alone does not guarantee a good outcome.

So… back to An Evening at the Improv and a final thought about improvisation.

Good improvisation actually involves a lot of preparation and skill. It isn’t “winging it” at all. Those who are best at it have the technical understanding and proficiency necessary to create something special “on the spot.”

About that solo by the jazz trumpeter or the funny comment the comic makes playing off what someone in the audience said; while the solo and the joke are spontaneous, at the same time they’re very well prepared for. The performer has the tools at the ready and can pull them out as needed.

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Finding Prospects For the Freelancer

By Gordon H. Wood

Article placed here by Mark Schlarbaum

As independent business people, it is incumbent upon us to continuously look for new prospects: those contact names within organizations who may someday hand us a contract. Firstly, I’ll describe how I find prospects. This may not be the best approach for your target market, so by all means, customize it to fit your needs.

Getting a starting point for a newly-launched business can be daunting. There is a plethora of companies you can contact, but how many of them are going to be a total waste of time? Start with the following steps:

1. Determine the geographic region you are willing to work in.
2. Set a minimum size (people or revenues) for the company.
3. Determine how many companies to approach in your “campaign”.
4. Consult trade directories and regional business development web sites to obtain contact information. Target only companies most likely to need your services.
5. Send an introductory letter.
6. Follow up with a phone call within two weeks.

It is a well known fact that mailing campaigns typically yield only a 2 percent (maximum) success rate to get one qualified lead. That’s not necessarily work, but a lead that may result in work. Given that dismal statistic, it follows that you may need to send out and follow up on 150-200 letters to land your first job. Out of a mailing of this size, I did get a couple of good leads, and only one led to work.

On the subject of follow up, the biggest obstacle to making it successful is voice mail. People can hide behind it, and don’t have to deal with the caller. And forget about getting a callback from your message unless the recipient really needs your services badly.

Personally, I’m daunted by this problem, but others aren’t. Some are persistent enough to keep calling or find a way around this “gatekeeper”. One technique is to use the company’s phone directory, which may be one of the choices on their voice mail system. Then call someone else, or the operator, to find out if there’s an appropriate alternate person to contact.

If this still daunts you, consider subcontracting to a telemarketer - a persistent individual who thrives on getting through to the right person and schmoozing them. Interview them carefully, and make sure their phone pitch is informed and appropriate. The last thing you want your potential client to hear is a bully on the other end of the line who won’t take no for an answer.

If trade directories don’t give you enough quality leads, try a more targeted approach to making up your contact list. Get on job search web sites and search on terms specific to your area of expertise. Refine your search to your geographic area, and you should be able to determine what companies may consider outsourcing their needs as opposed to hiring. Two problems with this approach:

* The vast majority of listings will be by agencies, but a few companies may list directly.
* Even if you get a company name, you likely will still have to work through their Human Resources department. They may filter out any enquiries that aren’t from people applying for full time positions.

Regardless of the obstacles, this method helps you expand your potential contact list.

Another more direct form of seeking contacts is networking. If you live in an urban area, chances are good that you will find a networking group that will match your interest area. These are usually comprised of small business people like yourself, so prospects may not seem great at first. Occasionally, though, someone from industry may show up, either as an invited guest speaker or simply as an interested individual. Professional associations are also a good way to make direct contact with potential buyers.

Make sure you have an ample supply of business cards before attending the networking event. You’re going to give a lot away to people who might seem like a waste of your time, but they may eventually pass your card to someone who needs your services.

Remember - reliance on one client for your income is inadvisable. There will always be down time while you wait for your work to be reviewed. A good rule of thumb is never to rely on more than 25 to 30 percent of your income coming from any one customer. That means you’ll have to do a little marketing to get your client base up to four, or preferably five in number.

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Have You Found Your Best Job Yet?

By Carl Bond

Article recommended by Janet Schlarbaum

Finding the right job is always the most important step in earning a living. Nobody wants to land a job they wouldn’t enjoy doing. Your job should be something you enjoy doing and would make you look forward to work every day. But if you plan to land a dream job, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Here are a few tips that could help you in your search for a great job offer.

Start off by asking for advice from your friends and family. They may give you great recommendations on who to approach and where to go. You could also ask a friend for some help. They could help you search through the net, ads on the newspaper, and they could also ask around for job openings for you.

You should also start a reputation for yourself. Attending seminars is a great way to build your reputation. In seminars, there are people you might meet that could help you in your search. Joining non-profit events is a great way to put yourself within the reach of the hiring radar. The more people you know, the better. They could give you advice on your job hunt; they may even know people like company CEOs who could help you land a job.

Don’t limit yourself to applying with the large companies. There are tons of fast-growing smaller companies which you could apply in. These companies could provide you with a higher position at an earlier stage. That way, you will get more recognized and your efforts and talents won’t go unnoticed.

Another way which could prove helpful is to post your resume on online job finder sites. They help job hunters like you by keeping your resume in their database for a wide range of employers to view and choose from. If an employer finds your resume fits what he’s looking for, he may contact you through the contact info you’ve provided. That is why there is a need to put in contact info that is accurate.

Finally, the most important part of your job hunt is the interview. Ask your more-experienced peers for advice on how to handle the job interview. Mention your exact goals and visions and don’t hesitate. Always be confident but not too confident. And most of all, show respect to the interviewer.

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Staying Safe, Staying Cool - The Value of Shade Protection

By Richie Ward

Swimming pools, parks, beaches: people of all ages enjoy fun in the sun during the summer months. While spending time outdoors can be enjoyable and gratifying, research also suggests that it can be dangerous to one’s health. Too much time outdoors can lead to too much sun exposure, which can lead to a variety of health issues.

Because of these growing health concerns, the need for sun protection is paramount. While individuals can take precautions by wearing sunscreen and using other appropriate protective measures, public places can also help by providing various shade structures in order to help combat the potentially detrimental impact of the sun’s piercing rays.

While this may not seem like an overly important investment at first glance, there are many advantages to providing shade systems in public areas. As mentioned, the first primary goal is to allow the public a way to enjoy the outdoors while still staying safe. During the peak daylight hours, the sun rays can be the most harmful, which is unfortunately also the time when most people are out during the day. With the very real prevalence of skin cancer, shade structures can help reduce the negative consequences of over exposure to the sunlight.

More than that, shade structures can prevent other injuries as well, especially when it comes to playground shade. During the heat of summer, sunlight can make exposed playground equipment dangerously hot at times, occasionally resulting in discomfort or even injury for young users who are not expecting it. Providing playground shade will help reduce this type of injury while also keeping children and adults from being over exposed to sunlight themselves.

Fortunately, there are many ways to provide this protection to the public, through a variety of shade structures and other shade systems. While these products come in a range or styles and prices, it is usually wise to invest in permanent shading products when seeking to provide quality playground shade and park shade on public grounds. The reason for this is that a permanent structure, while it may cost more upfront, will last longer and require less long term maintenance than temporary or lesser quality solutions for sun protection.

More than the cost effective nature of permanent shade structures, providing such shade protection will also encourage more people to use those facilities. If a park or other recreational area has adequate sun protection, more people are likely to enjoy the area and are more likely to stay out and about for a longer period of time. Such structures create a family-friendly atmosphere during any kind of weather, not only providing an important public health and safety service, but also making the recreational area more attractive to visitors who may be turned off by the relentless power of the sun’s rays.

In order to find the best shade system, it is important to consider the size of the area and the nature of protection needed. Some structures are designed to be permanent, freestanding structures, providing a canopy over play spaces or key sections of open area. Other shade systems may be designed for smaller areas, such as a retractable awning over a vendor’s window. Parks often utilize shade protection to cover dugouts on ball diamonds or to protect spectators on the bleachers. Parks of all sizes and in all parts of the country can benefit from installing sun protection, and there are a number of companies and manufacturers who can provide state of the art shade systems for such purposes.

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Growing Taller - Is it Possible? Sure!

By Alex Y Conner

Article posted by A Forever Recovery

Growing taller is the wish of more than 300 million people all over the world. If you’re reading this you’re probably very eager to finally find a way to grow taller a couple inches.

Why do people want to grow taller?

The majority of these people are men - that’s probably because as a man being short can lower your self-esteem, which will dramatically reduce your options with women, and make you weaker in all situations - business settings, job interviews, etc. Generally speaking, when you’re standing next to to someone, who you perceive as being a lot taller than you, you tend to assume they have more value, or are more “powerful.” It’s the way your brain is wired, you can’t “snap out” of it.

There are lots of short people, who despite their height, still lead very normal, happy and successful lives. Height is not a health problem - even, short people usually have a better posture. It’s what you believe. However, let me tell you something: If you have been picked on in high school because of your height, or growing taller is something you constantly think about, then you can’t just “snap out” of this pattern. The only way to finally be satisfied is to actually grow taller.

There are lots of methods today that don’t work - stretching exercises for example, can’t make you grow taller permanently. Their effect doesn’t last long. Products like elevator shoes, or shoelifts tend to only make you even more self-conscious and uncomfortable.

The method that works - consume lots of amino-acids, ie. - proteins. That will make your body produce more growth hormone and will help you growing taller. Then, exercise regularly. Exercises that correct muscle imbalances are the best here - they improve your posture, and stretch your back.

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Economy Predictions

By Gerard Gagne

Article placed by Carlos Lama Seliman

Now the market has collapsed by 46 percent to below 10 million, as people are making do with what they have, leaving the industry to debate - and worry - about what the new normal will be once the recession ends.

Baby boomers, the biggest group in the market, are beginning to enter retirement, a stage of life when people typically buy fewer expensive items. Home values are down sharply, making them and all consumers feel less wealthy, and also cutting off a handy source of money from home-equity loans for new more expensive toys. They also think that they will run into financial distress through medical bills. It is a very hard road ahead for them. Which should’ve been easier at this stage in their lives.

To quote a NY Times paper, “I used to buy cars all the time and took out loans to pay them off. As soon as I paid part of one off I’d get another. I’d buy one for my kids, my wife, myself. I can’t do that anymore.”

Lifestyles have changed, too. As many people move back to cities from suburbs, they are swapping three-car garages for a single parking space. Public transit use is up.

We don’t know which way the economy is going to go. We don’t want to buy anything that has long-term implications. And that makes the economy very bleak. You need to make decisions that will improve the quality of life. Which decision you make will truly change your future, think hard on this, it is the most important time in your life.

The graduating classes of 2009 will be hit the hardest. They are entering the work force at its bleakest time. For most of them it will be a very long road of interviews and disappointments. They must find something to help them reach what they are looking for, to achieve a status in life, to become part of society. What will happen is unknown, I wish them the best, and as always don’t be afraid.

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Removing Poverty - A Mission Impossible?

By Parikshit Sharma

Article submitted by Oscar Carlos Lama Seliman

Poverty has been one of the important issues in the world economy from decades, and we are still searching for a way to solve this problem. We have to find a way to remove this problem from the world and as a citizen or people of this world it is our responsibility to take a step forward to remove poverty.

Poverty the word defines itself as being poor from wealth and health. I won’t define it here as something, which has been defined before. Therefore, I am putting it simple here as being poor.

As most of the countries are independent and developed still poverty exists, it has been a question from a long time for the world. What are the causes and what can be done to remove poverty? From many decades economists and social activists are thinking over the answer to this question and some efforts have been taken to do the needful.

There are many organizations (I won’t write any name here) which are working on this concerned issue but there is only a small variation. These organizations have given unimaginable funds to the countries in which poverty is the main barrier in the way of development.

What can be the reasons when the countries are getting funds to remove poverty, and still it exists? Is there any other issue, which is overtaking it? Are we taking it seriously? Can it be corruption or commissions? Is the fund being used for the right thing?

There are many questions of these kinds; they come in mind every time when I think about poverty. I still have the answer to one question which the title of this article. Removing poverty a mission impossible? And my answer is “.No it is possible.”

It is time when we, the people, the spectators get together and take a step towards betterment of mankind by keeping aside our differences and raising our voice against the barriers which are coming in between removing poverty.

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Sympathy Bereavement Cards and Sympathy Cards

Collected and recommended RJ & Makay and written by Sarah Porter

Losing a loved one, a family member, a friend - these are some of the most difficult experiences we must experience as humans. While knowing these wonderful people have left us for a better place without pain and suffering can give us some peace, it doesn’t erase the hurt from our hearts. There are a few specialty shoppes that understand all too well the pain of losing someone close, as well as the importance of having people around us to share the moment and to provide us with their sympathy. That’s why they want to help you choose the right printed sympathy bereavement cards to send to all of those who were there for your family and you during this time.

Picking the Perfect Bereavement Cards

At this time, you are in a period of bereavement and are feeling the loss of your loved one very deeply - the hurt will never go away completely. But thankfully you do have friends and family who care about you very much. Sending them cards bereavement will show that you appreciate their sympathy. Because there are specialized religious cards shoppes online and because faith in a higher power is so important when we’re trying to overcome something like this, these cards will provide the inspirational message you want to share with all of those who have also been touched by your loss. You’ll be able to find the perfect card bereavement in their selections.

Preparing the Sympathy Thank You Cards

While sending cards may not be the first priority in your life at this moment, you should be thinking of how many people are going to need to receive one of these sympathy cards from you. Many people have probably helped out in some way as a sign of their compassion for your loss or for their sadness over the loss, as well. Think about the individuals who attended the showing, who brought refreshments to the funeral home for the family, who sent flowers or made donations, or who volunteered their time to assist you in some way. All of these people deserve to be remembered when you are sending out your Bereavement Cards. Some online bereavement stationery shoppes even offer 10 FREE Cards with each order as their way of showing appreciation for your business.

Other Reasons to Choose Online Shopping

As you are shopping online, you will find may shoppes that sincerely want you to know that their sympathy and prayers go out to you and your family at this time of your loss. While they can’t be there with you, their funeral cards can make it easier to show others how much their compassion means to you. And they will customize any sympathy card to meet your specifications. If you want to add a favorite Bible verse, for example, they are happy to accommodate you. If you have a favorite photo of the deceased that you would like to add to your custom sympathy bereavement cards they can do this as well. Let them help you get through this difficult moment.

Eight Reasons to Shoppe Online for Your Sympathy Stationery Needs

Look at some of the amazing benefits of shopping for online invitations and announcements cards.

* Unique and Exclusive Designs

* View Your Personalized Sympathy Bereavement Cards BEFORE You Buy

* Proof Emailed to You within ONE Hour during the Business Day; Make Unlimited Changes at No Additional Cost

* Free 10 Cards and Free Shipping

* Print and Ship Your Order the SAME DAY it is Approved

* Create a Special Design Just For You

* Will Modify Any Card Design or Color As Requested

* You Can Add a Photo, Picture or Logo to Any Card

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