I consider myself a morning lark. My favorite time of the day is an hour before everyone else in the house wakes up. I have some time for myself to enjoy a cup of coffee, read the news, check emails and think of the things I should do for the day.

Most jobs occur in the day but it doesn’t mean that these people are morning larks. “Body Clock Guide: The Guide to Better Health,” written by Michael Smolensky, PhD and Lynne Lamberg, states that one in 10 people are considered morning larks, the up-at-dawn or what many also call early birds. Two in 10 are considered night owls or people who do their best work at night.

Of course, there’s the middle ground called hummingbirds, who are people that can adapt in the morning or at night.

Which one are you?

Early birds are people like me. We have no problems getting up in the morning and we certainly don’t feel cranky. Night owls, meanwhile, are people who are almost always skip breakfast, skip breakfast, and are always rushing to get to work.

Understandably, most morning larks will find it hard to work in nighttime jobs like bartender, shift works like doctors, call center agents, police, etc. Night owls are ideal for work that start late like round-the-clock service workers (police, health profession, firefighters, etc).

The debate on who is better at work

Just like the debate whether women are better than men, there are also questions whether morning larks perform better at work than night owls. A Harvard Business Review article entitled “Defend Your Research” states that morning larks are “better positioned for career success.”

According to writer Christoph Randler, early birds are more inclined to be the ‘take-charge’ type. And because most businesses are done during the day, they are at an advantageous position because they peak during business hours. This leads to better work performance, higher chances of getting promoted at work and earning more money.

A National Geographic news article, meanwhile, states that night owls are smarter and have more staying power. This was backed by Satoshi Kanazawa, a researcher from the London School of Economics. Kanazawa said night owls tend to have higher IQs than their counterparts.

A blogger of the New York Times said that a Harvard University research study showed that night owls tend to be wealthier than morning larks. However, there is no difference in health or wisdom. This is echoed by a 1998 study published in the PubMed Central, testing the validity of Benjamin Franklin’s adage of “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man health, wealthy, and wise.”

So, does being a morning lark or night owl make you a better employee? The debate is still on. At the end of the day, though, it all boils down to your professionalism, work ethics, passion, and commitment. So whether you’re someone that is most productive in the day or at night, the most important thing is that you are doing your very best.

Reference Links:

National Geographic News

PubMed Central

Harvard Business Review

The Are you a Morning Person Test

Top Tips for Assessment Centre Presentations

I’m not sure that I’m qualified to write anything about being boring, given I am writing this on a Friday evening when I really should be getting out. However I’ve had a few emails this week from people about graduate assessment centres. I’ve also noticed that over the last few weeks people have been Googling the terms NAB and Westpac assessment centres, and have hooked into the piece I wrote on how to behave (and behave yourself) in the graduate assessment centre group exercises. For anyone who wants to read them, you’ll find them here.

Anyway, a couple of days ago I received an email from someone wanting tips on how to prepare for that mini-presentation that you’re often asked to do in an assessment centre, where you are given say 20 minutes to prepare, and say 10 minutes to deliver. My emailer wanted to know if he should read a prepared script.

The short answer is, please don’t. Here are a few long reasons why:

- You only have 20 minutes to prepare. It takes a long time to write out a perfect script. If you do this, you won’t have enough time to read the material and pull out the pertinent points

- You are being judged on your communication skills. Good communication requires eye contact to read the reactions of your audience and just to engage their attention. If they’re nodding off, you’ll want to do something to wake them up

- Communication is a so much more than the words that you use. Your audience interprets much of what you say through your tone. If you read your script, you lose that tone

- You will sound stilted and false. Nobody talks like they write

So what should you do?

I once interviewed the Head Master of a private boys’ boarding school about presentation skills, partly because I thought someone who can keep teenage boys awake mid morning must know their stuff. He suggested that you structure your presentation, with a “hook, book and took.” That is: tell the audience what you are going to tell them in a kind of catchy way; tell them; then tell them what you told them.

So unless you are asked in these exercises to deliver a written report along with the presentation, my tip would be make sure you fully understand the material, then just use some bullet points that you can refer to while you are talking. That will stop you reading what you have written, and an assessor like me, nodding off.

My other big tip would be prepare and practice for a few days leading up. Pull out a report for example, prepare a summary then talk about it using bullet points and the structure I’ve described. Time yourself, so you are simulating the conditions of an assessment centre. Practice in front of a mirror if you need to or even scare your friends. It’s frightening, but it works.

Best of luck everyone.

Source: InterviewIQ

We are responsible for our thoughts. Now think about THAT for a moment…Hmmmm, well it does kind of make sense doesn’t it?  If we aren’t responsible for our own thoughts, who the hell is?  Contrary to popular belief, we don’t have thoughts put into our minds by others or outside influences unless we choose to go there…

Oh, don’t misunderstand me, we definitely get influenced and it’s not surprising that we end up with particular belief patterns of… say, needing to lose weight as an example. We have ‘being thin and hot’ rammed down our throats every 5 seconds by what we watch on TV, what we read, and what we are taught. Even in the latest Pride and Prejudice movie depicting Mr Darcy and Elizabeth as ‘real and earthy looking’ who played the main part of Elizabeth? Oh yes, the very unattractive and hideously overweight Keira Knightly.

Oh, and just on that point, whoever decided that it was a good idea for all our classic books and fairytales to end just when the relationship begins and then go on to call that they ‘lived happily ever after’ situation had clearly never been in a relationship! It takes more than a kiss and set of breaches and tall hat to make it stick as we know.

Anyway moving back to the positive stuff which works.

All of the books, movies and belief pattern traditions are there whether we want it or not and let’s face it, the right dose of all that fairytale stuff is fabulous. The key is to know what to take on board and what to decide to leave as a passing moment in your mind, ie, not to take it on as your own belief pattern.

So how does one go about this passing moment stuff and getting to grips with the Power of Intention?

Let me just say that this is certainly not a new phenomenon by any stretch. Authors and PHD people such as Eckart Tolle and Wayne Dyer as well as Louise Hay have been discussing this topic for years. Gods and prophets have focused on creating through the power of thought in some way, shape or form forever.

The way that I do it is to make a conscious choice, yes, a choice to change my belief patterns if they are not serving me…What you think and therefore intend is what you create

So, the key as I see it is to think about what you actually intend to happen so that it does……. (keep in mind the overnight thing here by the way)…. It’s not a rush job…..This is where I do work with people on vision boards, not just fluffy feel good stuff that you are told if you stare at it long enough it will start to happen… No, that’s not how it works… You need to actually use your senses for this one….

See, taste, hear, feel what you intend to have happen for you in your life. Something quite helpful to point out is that in order for anything to happen there must first be a vision to create it…. If you think of famous artists and creators of inventions etc such as Leonardo Da Vinci for example… He thought, saw and heard what his amazing inventions were to be like at their conclusion. He intended and then created. If you don’t have a vision how can you know what you want and therefore how to go about creating it and ending up with it fulfilling you in life?

The universe is pretty literal so if you spend your time stating, I always get jobs that I hate then guess what, you will continue to get jobs that you hate.. Whereas if you change it around to actually work out what you intend that job to feel like, look like and sound like, you can start to envision it in your mind, if you then use your vision board as a means to amplify the specifics for yourself and start to affirm it out loud eg. I intend to get a job that I love where I get paid well” then things start to shift for you. This may sound strange and a little bit of good old fashioned faith is required but positive affirmations of intending what you desire over time starts to work, I promise.

Notice that there are three parts to this process.

1. Getting specific and clear in your mind about what you intend and why you are intending it. So if your intention is to lose weight for example, how much, what is your motivation for losing the weight, what will you look like, can you see it in your mind how will you feel etc.

2. Write it all down and if you want to, use pictures to amplify the vision for yourself. This is just one part in the process

3. Affirming what you are intending for yourself.. At this stage, you are clear on the specifics so a short sharp affirmation is best such as I am fit and slim and love the way I look is sufficient. If your affirmations are too long, they lose their impetus but you can’t just skip steps 1 and 2 here.

Oh, and on another note here…. Don’t put pressure on your intentions when you are doing your affirmations. Louise Hay, author of the fabulous “you can heal your life” book made a very valid point.. When you give your order to the waiter at a restaurant you don’t then run into the kitchen to make sure they are preparing your meal, you trust that it will happen…. Forcing them to happen won’t work, they will happen in the perfect order that they are meant to.

The key step to all of this is getting clear on what it is that you intend to have happen, not what you want to have happen, intending means you are in creation power mode, wanting is coming from a place of lack of and will result in you being left in a state of want.

At the end of day, we are so used to giving out negative intentions that we actually need to re learn how to put positive intentions out there for ourselves… It’s far easier to just sit down and watch someone else getting their Mr Darcy than to intend our own or to watch other people successfully losing weight and intending that fit and health state but the rewards of changing our thought patterns to be true to our intentions is so worth it….

Give this approach a go and see what happens, I highly recommend reading some of the works by the people I mentioned above as well.

Be true to you!

P.S. I had a look at a vision board that I spent a fair bit of time working on at the beginning of last year and over half of the stuff that I put on there has happened or is coming into fruition as I type this second. This was only 12 months ago.

2010 is known as the year of manifestation and it will be a fantastic year, one full of joy and change. So if there’s anything you want to change about the way you think, live, work or act this is a year to do it you’ve just got to make the choice and then take action.

There are a couple of things you can do today to help you relax.

There’s an Ancient Indian herb called ‘Tusli’ which can help us to stay calm and relaxed. Tulsi is the Sanskrit name for holy basil; it is an adaptogenic herb which is cherished in every Hindu house because it helps to attain a healthy body and soul.

It helps the body adapt to different stressors, whether environmental physical or emotional and it supports the respiratory system.

You can purchase Tusli tea in health stores and Woolworths or try to track down the herb itself to grow in your garden so you can make your own brew and also cook with it.

It will help your nervous system if you substitute one of your cups of coffee for this tea, particularly mid morning and in the afternoon.

There’s another ancient yoga technique which instantly calms the nerves, it is as simple as humming like a bee.

Humming creates a vibration in the body that is soothing and nurturing; it relieves tension; it removes anger, anxiety, and frustration; it reduces blood pressure and supports the respiratory system.

To perform this technique there are two options.

The first is to sit comfortably with your eyes closed (preferably) and focus on your breathing. Take a long breath through your nose … then as you breathe out hum gently, keeping your jaw relaxed and your mouth closed.

Hum on every exhalation, allowing the vibrations to spread to different areas of your face and body and after 12 complete breaths remain seated and feel the vibrations of peace.

The second technique – a variation on the first – can be performed ‘on the go’. Simply breathe in deeply through your nose and, as you breathe out, gently hum one single note (as a bee would) and keep going about your tasks. Perform this for as long as you feel you need to but at least 3 times.

Both techniques will help to instil a gentle peaceful feeling and your day will run more smoothly.

Take back your power and go forward with a peaceful, calm yet invigorating view on life.

Are you feeling swamped by all the tests that life is throwing at you? Most of us suffer from some form of stress and don’t have the necessary tools to overcome it. Just remember stress is a natural part of our lives … we need it to make sure we ‘keep on keeping on’ getting on with life to the best of our ability. However when stress takes over and consumes us we have to look at balancing and healing the negative aspects of it.

What can we do to balance our lives?

• Focus on one thing at a time: it is better to have one task fully completed than to have several uncompleted ones. Concentrate on the most important task first, set a realistic timeframe and go for it!  It is less stressful and more productive.
• Meditation: Buddha once said, “It’s impossible to find happiness through material means alone.”  There’s no way to satisfy the uncontrolled, undisciplined mind through material means.

Meditation is the right medicine for treating an undisciplined mind, and let’s face it that’s pretty much all of us.  You will feel a sense of peace and a joy that is indescribable, and it will bring about a great deal of satisfaction and personal achievement. A short meditation upon waking gives you all the help you need to get through your day more productively.  It will enable you to think clearer and feel great.

The basic technique in meditation is the breath!  Breathe so you expand your ribs out to the side … ensure that your lungs are full of oxygen.  Remember without oxygen we have no life! Breathe deeply … concentrate on your breath … relax your muscles  … visualise breathing in the golden rays of the sun for 5-10 minutes, and know all is well.

Try to remain conscious of your breath throughout the day … try placing a reminder note on your computer which simply says “BREATHE” and consciously maintain good quality breathing throughout the day and it will run smoothly.

Take vitamin B6 if your doctor agrees, this will help to regulate and balance the serotonin in your brain. If there is a serotonin deficiency you can suffer from depression, nervousness, you may be anxious, pessimistic, irritate and impatient, obsessive compulsive or low self esteem.  You may crave sugar, alcohol, marijuana or suffer from PMS, headaches or back aches.

Serotonin deficiency can take place if you are under a lot of stress, if you have inadequate exposure to light, if you are iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, B3, B6, folate or vitamin C deficient. You are at risk if you have inadequate sleep, excessive alcohol, amphetamine or marijuana use, progesterone deficiency or impaired blood flow to the brain.

What ever you do try to get a good nights sleep each night: preferably around 8 hours.  Remember the quality of your sleep is important – one hour before midnight is worth two after midnight.

Taking a few minutes every day to relax will put you in a better mood and will help you deal with the everyday stressors. Use these suggestions to help find your inner peace so you can be the best you can be.

You may be working overtime, juggling priorities, or just absolutely exhausted. Make sure you set aside time for yourself even if it’s a quite morning cuppa just for you and enjoy some ‘me time’.

Remember life is a journey, enjoy the ride and all that life throws at you the good and the bad for it is when we live in gratitude and thankfulness that is when we eventually learn the lesson of acceptance.

Stay happy and keep the stress at bay!

I was a pretty wise child, if I do say so myself. I was insightful, loved watching people, loved reading, collecting knowledge, and was pretty sensitive to what was going on in the heads of those around me.

Unfortunately, it all pretty much fell apart when I hit my teens. Hormones kicked in and I discovered Passion Pop, boys and parties. So ensued a few years when, in my angst-ridden mindset, I was a nightmare to be around for my mum.

As an adult, I think I am somewhere in the middle of my wise-child and horrendous-teen years, but my mind does often wander to questioning what me as a small person would think of me as a fully-grown person.

Am I doing what I dreamed I would be doing, acting how I thought it was right to act, and being who I wanted to be? It can be daunting, going there, let me tell you, but pretty good for giving guidance too – sometimes.

For example, there was a time there when it was my dream to be a fireman and ride a fire truck to work: for obvious reasons, there is little I can do about not realising that particular ambition. I also had aspirations to be an infants’ teacher, but an aversion to hearing “Good Morning Miss Gibbs” and playground duty whilst on high school work experience, and a fail in English, put an end to that. As for my conviction that I would marry Cameron Daddo or Matthew McConnaughy, well, geography just wasn’t on our side: if it was, who knows?

There were other things too: I wanted to have a cleaner, a big house in the countryside overlooking the beach, lots of animals, adoring and well behaved children, a handsome husband, be an entrepreneur and an all round Good Person.

Well, my politically correct leanings now veto a cleaner of any sort. (I hired one once and spent the day before her arrival tidying up so I wasn’t embarrassed.) I still aim for that house in the countryside, and have edged from city to suburbia, so maybe I am getting closer. I have a cat and I once had a bird which flew away, which is enough so far, frankly, but still harbour an odd longing to have chickens and a horse.

My children hopefully think I am okay, and my partner is handsome. I am an aspiring self employed Mumpreneur, albeit not a famous one, and I like to think I am kind, honest and thoughtful.

I reckon Young Me would give me about a B. Room for improvement, but not too bad.

Sometimes it’s good to check in with the precocious child within: they might be the only ones who can give you the true, honest assessment we all need sometimes.

Investing in yourself provides a huge return in satisfaction as well as skill, whether you look to update your computer literacy, update your accounting skills, or simply learn something new. And it does not have to be classroom style learning.

Professional or personal development covers a range of areas of improvement. Here are my 5 top tips on personal and professional development:

1. Take take take!

There are usually workshops offered through your employer to enhance your skill set.  Last year I took on the Cert IV in Training and Development through a private training firm but also enrolled in learning ‘wow factor’ presentation skills offered through my company.

2. Personal Development

An investment is usually required here in time and/or dollars.  I took the plunge with my coaching certificate a few years ago and it was worth every cent – though the initial parting of cash was really hard!  Time can also be your investment with 1 hour workshops, ½ day courses and even just keeping up to date with blogs when you can!

3. Time out

What are you doing outside work?  When I moved to Sydney I found the city would get on top of me from time to time so an escape to a meditation retreat was heaven.  I have experienced the ‘silent retreats’ where talking is a no-no (I sailed through – seriously!) and ‘walking meditation retreats’, where we just enjoyed the great outdoors and allowed our thoughts to pass us by.  Meditation is personal development on a different level….taming the monkey mind is much harder than it sounds.

4. Don’t let the world pass you by

What is happening in your world?  Subscribing to newsletters and blogs can sometimes be enough to keep abreast of all the action.  My inbox has a ‘reading’ folder and having just taken a peek – I have a range of topics from motherhood to doing my own tax return.  Just need to find the time to read and clear it out!

5. Talk to others

The best way to keep learning is to keep sharing.  Twitter keeps me on my toes with thousands of new topics posted every week.  My friends and clients are often passing on articles and clippings for me to read.  Networking events for me are great opportunities to ask lots of questions of lots of experts.

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So get out here. Subscribe to newsletters, RSS feeds and blogs, find out what courses are on offer and, if nothing else, grab yourself an industry mag’ and keep up to date with what’s occurring in your world.

Now where’s my copy of Mother and Baby magazine…

(Image peruisay)