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The 5 Fears Successful People Kick to the Curb

25 March 2015 By Digital Curator Leave a Comment

Image via Flickr user Steve Wilson

Your brain’s threat response is as old as the human race. This is where those who experience success intervene and take things back into their own hands. They feel the fear but make the conscious choice not to be paralyzed by the following common threats:

1. Fear of failure.
It’s probably the most common and crippling mindset that can prevent people from achieving success. Fear of failure is seen in artists who never finish their piece of work, because they don’t believe it will ever be perfect.

2. Fear of losing control.
We all know one. The friend who organises your social events down to the last detail, but irons out all the opportunities for spontaneous fun. The boss who wants the report to look a certain way, and doesn’t listen to new ideas.

3. Fear of standing out.
The old adage of ‘safety in numbers’ is where this one stems from. If you blend in you won’t get noticed and potentially rejected. If you go with popular opinion, you wont get criticized.

4. Fear of missing out.
Have you had that twisting feeling in the pit of your stomach, when you hear news that someone has been recognised for something that you have been aspiring to yourself?

5. Fear of facing the truth (or the victim mentality).
‘Why do these things always happen to me?’ This question is a sure sign that the victim mentality is at play. In your circle of friends and associates you probably see examples of the victim mentality more than you realize.

When someone believes that external factors are responsible for their dissatisfaction and that someone else is to blame for the position in which they find themselves, they are embracing the role of the victim.

by Susan Pearse

See Full Story on huffingtonpost.com

15 Body Language Blunders Successful People Never Make

16 March 2015 By Digital Curator Leave a Comment

Image via Flickr user Steve Wilson

What follows are the 15 most common body language blunders that people make, and emotionally intelligent people are careful to avoid.

1. Slouching is a sign of disrespect. It communicates that you’re bored and have no desire to be where you are. You would never tell your boss, “I don’t understand why I have to listen to you,” but if you slouch, you don’t have to—your body says it for you, loud and clear.

2. Exaggerated gestures can imply that you’re stretching the truth. Aim for small, controlled gestures to indicate leadership and confidence, and open gestures—like spreading your arms apart or showing the palms of your hands—to communicate that you have nothing to hide.

3. Watching the clock while talking to someone is a clear sign of disrespect, impatience, and inflated ego. It sends the message that you have better things to do than talk to the person you’re with, and that you’re anxious to leave them.

4. Turning yourself away from others, or not leaning into your conversation, portrays that you are unengaged, uninterested, uncomfortable, and perhaps even distrustful of the person speaking.

Try leaning in towards the person who is speaking and tilt your head slightly as you listen to them speak. This shows the person speaking that they have your complete focus and attention.

by Travis Bradberry

See Full Story on forbes.com

9 Things Remarkably Successful People Never Do

13 March 2015 By Digital Curator 1 Comment

Image via Flickr user Executives International

Possibly you’ve stopped paying attention. Or possibly you’ve fallen into bad habits. Or possibly you’ve grown complacent.

Here are nine things remarkably successful people never do:

1. They never let the past dictate their future.

We all have limitations. We all have challenges. We all make mistakes. The key is to not be constrained by those things but to learn from them.

2. They never gossip.

It’s hard to resist the inside scoop. Finding out the reasons behind someone’s decisions, the motivations behind someone’s actions, the skinny behind someone’s hidden agenda–much less whether Hugo is really dating Jeanette in accounting–those conversations are hard to resist.

3. They never say “yes” when they really mean “no.”

Refusing a request from colleagues, customers, or even friends is really hard. But rarely does saying no go over as badly as you expect. Most people will understand, and if they don’t, should you care too much about what they think?

4. They never interrupt.

When you interrupt someone, what you’re really saying is, “I’m not thinking about what you are saying. I’m thinking about what I want to say … and what I want to say is so important you need to hear it now.”

5. They’re never late (without an incredibly good reason).

I know. You’re overwhelmed. So you’re always running behind. It stresses you out like crazy.

And it makes other people resent you like crazy. Whenever you’re late, other people rightly assume you feel your time is more important than theirs. (Which, of course, kills your chance of building an outstanding personal or professional relationship.)

6. They never resent.

Take it from Nelson Mandela: “Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.”

7. They never decide they don’t have the time.

Everyone knows someone who just seems to get a lot more done than other people. It’s the craziest thing. How do these folks do it? They must have no life, right?

8. They never fit in (just to fit in).

Though entire industries are based on making us think otherwise, no one actually likes us for the clothes we wear, the car we drive, or the house we live in. No one likes us for our titles, either.

9. They’re never afraid to do the things that matter.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” is true, but in some ways a better quote might be, “The only thing we have to fear is ourselves.”

by Jeff Haden

See Full Story on inc.com

10 Behaviors You Never See in Successful People

9 March 2015 By Digital Curator Leave a Comment

Image via Flickr user Kris Krug

When you spend decades working with executives and business leaders, you really can’t help but observe what works and doesn’t work over the long haul.

Naivety. Granted, we all start out sort of wide-eyed and gullible, but the sooner you convert that to savvy and skeptical, the better your chances of coming out on top.

Panic. High-pressure situations are common in the business world. Things almost never go according to plan and oftentimes they go terribly wrong.

Fanaticism. Passion is a big success driver, but when you cross that line and become over-the-top fanatical, that works against you.

Laziness. Those who are driven to achieve great things also know one fundamental truth: It takes hard work over the long haul.

Quick-fix mentality. Steve Jobs said, “Half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance” and if you’re not passionate about what you do, you won’t stick with it.

Acting out. Whatever feelings you have trouble dealing with – jealousy, shame, inferiority, entitlement – transferring them to people you work with and acting out in anger won’t just make you and everyone around you miserable, it’ll kill your career, too.

Selfishness. If you act like the world revolves around you, you’d better have the talent to back it up. Even so, being overly self-centered will diminish your effectiveness.

Living in the past or future. Granted, we can learn from the past, but dwelling on it is self-destructive.

Lighthearted indifference. You hear phrases like “whatever works,” “it’s all good,” and “no worries” a lot lately but you’ll rarely hear them from highly accomplished people.

Oversensitivity. If you’re so thin-skinned that any criticism makes you crazy and every little thing offends you, you’re going to have a rough go of it in the real business world.

One last thing. If any of this offends you enough to want to write an angry flame comment, you’ve got at least two or three issues to work on. Then again, look at the bright side. At least you’re not indifferent.

by Steve Tobak

See Full Story on entrepreneur.com

12 Weekend Habits of Highly Successful People

6 March 2015 By Digital Curator Leave a Comment

I’ve read countless articles about what successful people do on their weekends. Do you want to know the secret? It’s the same thing that they do every other day.

Here are 12 weekend habits of highly successful people:

1. Robert Iger: Get up early

This Disney CEO is not the only executive claiming to rise at 4:30 every morning. Successful people do not stay in bed until 2 p.m. on a Sunday. Or even 11 a.m.

2. Benjamin Franklin: Have a plan

Apparently, this founding father asked himself every morning, “What good shall I do today?” Successful people know the importance of even daily goals — the weekends are no exception.

3. Timothy Ferris: Don’t multi-task

Multi-tasking is so 2005. It may be tempting to maximize your weekend productivity by running on the treadmill while calling your mother and trolling your newsfeed, but successful people know that this just reduces efficiency and effectiveness.

4. Anna Wintour: Stay active

Vogue’s editor-in-chief commits to playing tennis for one hour every day. And she’s not the only big-shot making time for exercise.

5. Steve Jobs: Prioritize what’s important

“Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” Weekends are the time to remind yourself of the forgotten little things — to keep your work-life harmony (the new ‘balance’) in check and reset if needed.

6. Warren Buffet: Make time for hobbies

He may be considered the most successful investor of the 20th century, but in his “spare” time Buffett likes to play the ukulele.

7. Oprah: Practice stillness

Forbes’ most powerful celebrity of 2013 still finds time to sit in stillness for 20 minutes — twice a day! This once-best-kept secret of the yogis is now common knowledge.

8. Randi Zuckerberg: Forget FOMO, Embrace JOMO

We’ve all done it — posted a tastefully filtered snap of our weekend antics or checked in on social media to elicit “likes” and envy from our friends/followers (#bragging). Enter, the era of FOMO (fear of missing out).

9. Bill Gates: Take time to reflect

The founder of Microsoft famously said, “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”

10. Richard Branson: Give back

This billionaire entrepreneur says that “it is amazing how focusing your mind on issues like health, poverty, conservation and climate change can help to re-energize your thinking in other areas.”

11. Jack Dorsey: Get ready for the rest of the week

The Twitter and Square co-founder is notorious for 16-hour work days from Monday to Friday but says, “Saturday I take off. I hike.

12. Jay Z: Keep up the momentum

He’s made an empire as a highly successful rap artist and entrepreneur, and the secret is right there in his lyrics: “You can want success all you want, but to get it, you can’t falter.

by Emma Rushton

See Full Story on lifehack.org

Your Cheap Car Insurance May Actually Cost You Thousands More

2 March 2015 By Digital Curator Leave a Comment

Image via flickr user Dan4th Nicholas

Everyone knows the old saying about excess – too much of anything is a BAD thing. But not everyone knows that trying to save too much money on your car insurance policy’s “excess” is a risky move that can cost you thousands of dollars if you’re not careful.

What Is This “Excess” You Speak Of?

In case your insurance agent skipped the “excess” portion of your car insurance policy or you chose a higher excess when purchasing your policy online because you thought “more” was better – excess is the amount of money YOU must pay your insurer before it will cover the full amount of your claim.

Why Doesn’t Everyone Have a Low Excess Then?

The problem with having a low excess is that it’s expensive. That’s because most of the financial risk is on your insurer if you ever make a claim. But you shouldn’t worry too much about your insurer shouldering most of the cost in case you get into an accident – they’re getting plenty of money from you in the form of higher monthly premiums.

Cheaper Isn’t Always Better – It Can Cost You In the Long Run

What’s wrong with raising your excess to the highest possible limit to save money? Nothing – if you’re someone who drives an off-peak car, lives fairly close to work, drives irregularly, and has the unique ability to see into the future.

Drivers under 26: Sorry kid, statistically, you’re more likely to be involved in an accident than someone just a few years older than you.
Drivers over 60: Sorry uncle, with all due respect, you’re more likely to have poor eyesight, health problems that affect your limb movement, and slower reaction time – factors that contribute to many accidents involving older drivers.
Rush Hour Commuters: Bumper-to-bumper /stop-and-go city traffic poses a higher risk for accidents, where even a slow speed accident can cause 1K-2K worth of damage!
Drivers Who Commute 50km+ daily: Your likelihood of an accident increases with both driving frequency and distance.
Shift Workers: Fatigue is a big contributing factor to accidents, as people who come off 12-hour shifts tend to be more fatigued than those of us working 8/9 hours daily.

by Jeff Cuellar

See Full Story on blog.moneysmart.sg

SOFTWARE REWRITES INSURANCE

27 February 2015 By Digital Curator Leave a Comment

Image via Flickr user Michael Daddino

Insurance is all about distributing risk. With dramatic advances in software and data, shouldn’t the way we buy and experience our insurance products change dramatically? Software will rewrite the entire way we buy and experience our insurance products — medical, home, auto, and life. Here’s how:

By changing the way insurance companies price risk

So many more signals are available for insurance companies to better price the premiums we should pay. Drivers that drive carefully in safe neighborhoods vs. recklessly through accident-prone intersections ought to pay different amounts to insure the same car — but all that data isn’t reflected in an annual odometer reading.

By empowering an ongoing relationship between an insurer and insured

Today, our relationship with an insurer revolves mostly around a monthly billing statement sent to us from a mainframe application. You can tell because big chunks of the billing statement are printed in ALL CAPS IN A FIXED WIDTH FONT … the only fonts that existed at the time the applications were written.

By changing the way insurance companies pool capital

Historically, we’ve seen mutual insurance companies (insurance companies owned by policyholders) and stock insurance companies (insurance companies owned by shareholders). We expect to see more crowdsourced insurance companies, just as we’ve seen in other parts of the financial system.

by Frank Chen

See Full Story on a16z.com

All You Need To Know About HFMD (Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease)

25 February 2015 By Digital Curator 1 Comment

Image via Flickr user Alex Proimos

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) has hit epidemic levels in Singapore, with over three times as many cases in the first 18 weeks of 2012, as compared to the same period in 2011.

What is HFMD?
HFMD is an illness caused by intestinal viruses, with the commonest being Coxsackie virus and Enterovirus 71. While most cases of HFMD are mild and self-resolving, serious complications involving the nervous system, lungs and heart can occasionally occur, although quite rarely. Such complications are usually due to the Enterovirus 71 strain.

Who gets affected?
Both adults and children can be affected but the younger ones, particularly those under the age of five, are most susceptible.

What are the symptoms?
A person with HFMD usually has the following symptoms:
• Fever
• Sore throat
• Rash (flat or raised red spots) or small blisters on the palms of hands, soles of feet, or buttocks
• Ulcers on the inside of the mouth or sides of the tongue
• Poor appetite
• Lethargy

Don’t confuse HFMD with…
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), sometimes called hoof-and-mouth disease, which is a disease in cattle, sheep, and swine. The two are caused by different viruses and are not related. Humans do not get the animal disease, and animals do not get the human disease.

How is HFMD spread?
The virus is spread from person to person by direct contact with the nasal discharge, saliva, and fluid from inside the blisters of an infected person, and can also linger in faeces for up to several weeks after infection.

Minimise the risk of HFMD transmission
• Wash the hands with soap before eating and after going to the toilet
• Cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and throw the tissue away immediately
• Clean and disinfect toys or appliances which are contaminated by nasal or oral secretions thoroughly
• Do not share toothbrushes, towels, or rinsing mugs
• Do not share eating utensils, drinking straws, food or drinks

When should I bring my child to the doctor?
The Ministry of Health (MOH) advises parents to consult a doctor early if your child shows symptoms of HFMD. Also be alert to any change in your child’s normal behaviour. Should they refuse to eat or drink to extremes, have persistent vomiting or drowsiness, bring them immediately to the A&E Departments of either NUH or KKH, whichever is closer to your home.

by Mandy Lim

See Full Story on singaporemotherhood.com

Car Insurance: 11 Things Every Singaporean Driver Must Know

20 February 2015 By Digital Curator Leave a Comment

Finding the right car insurance plan can be like playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey…but after six margaritas and a double blindfold. Before we even get started, let’s point out the obvious.

1. What am I Paying for?

How much you pay for the insurance plan depends on things like your driving record, your car model, your insurance history, etc.

2. Restrictions on the Driver

You may be a good driver, but your insurer doesn’t know if your spouse/children/drinking buddy is.

3. What extra cover can you buy?

You may be able to buy protection from things besides road accidents.

4. Make sure your bank approves.

If you’ve bought the car on a bank loan, you may be facing other requirements. Some banks won’t allow you to buy TPO (Third Party Only) car insurance.

5. The Excess

When you make a claim, the amount you have to pay is referred to as the excess. The rest of the cost is borne by your insurer.

6. Damage Assessment

Sadly, my assessment that my last collision resulted in “total demolition” wasn’t acceptable to my insurer. I had to take my car to an IDAC (Independent Damage Assessment Centre), where after the inspector stopped laughing, he defined the damage as “a small dent in the front bumper”.

7. Repair Restrictions

Insurers may insist you go only to specified workshops. Likewise, they may be finicky about who repairs the car, and what parts the mechanics can use.

8. No Claim Discount

The NCD (No Claim Discount) is a discount to your premium. You get this in increments of 10% when you don’t file any claims for the year, and it accumulates for each year without a claim.

9. Proper Procedures

I have a booklet on my insurer’s claim procedures. It’s about as accessible as a third year course in Greek poetry, so I just call the experts and ask instead.

10. Refunds and Penalties

Let’s say you’ve made a dire mistake, and brought your car to JB for some unsubtle modifications. As a result, your car now resembles a cruise missile more than a sedan.

11. Finding the Right Insurance

The right car insurance isn’t just about the lowest premiums. If you aren’t properly covered for an accident, cheap insurance is worse than no insurance.

by Ryan Ong

See Full Story on blog.moneysmart.sg

Do I Really Need to Buy Travel Insurance?

18 February 2015 By Digital Curator 1 Comment

What Travel Insurance Covers and How Much It Costs

You can get travel insurance from a number of sources: The airline or cruise carrier directly, an independent travel insurance agency, and, sometimes, your credit card. In general, travel insurance costs around 5 percent of your total trip. For a $4,300 trip, for example, I paid $158 for standard travel insurance with Allianz.

Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance: This reimburses you non-refundable travel costs if your trip is cancelled or seriously delayed due to a natural disaster, illness, or the carrier goes out of business.

Baggage and personal items coverage: If someone steals something from your bag or your luggage is lost or delayed, travel insurance will pay you for your trouble, usually up to about $500 per lost baggage and $100-$300 per baggage delay.

Emergency medical insurance: Just as you wouldn’t want to go without medical insurance in everyday life, when you’re traveling abroad it’s important to stay covered in case of accidents.

Accidental death or dismemberment insurance: If you or a loved one dies on the trip or suffers a life-impairing accident (e.g., losing eyesight), this insurance feature pays out up to about $500,000, depending on the situation.

So Is It Worth It?

As with other insurance policies, buying travel insurance (or not buying it) is a gamble. You don’t want to ever regret not buying the insurance, but you also don’t want to pay for something you don’t need—and, looking at the list above, you might already be covered for some of these items elsewhere (e.g., you already have life insurance that covers death or dismemberment or health insurance that covers emergencies abroad).

Step One: Decide how much is at stake if something goes amiss on your trip. You probably don’t need travel insurance if you got one of those cheap $99 last-minute flights.

Step Two: Figure out if your credit card offers travel insurance. If it does, read the fine print to see if it would cover your insurance needs.

Step Three: Find out how much travel insurance costs for your trip. Use comparison site InsureMyTrip to compare independent agency policies available to you.

Finally, remember that you have to get insurance before your trip starts; it won’t protect you if you get the insurance after an accident happens or your trip is cancelled (that’s like trying to get home insurance after your house has already burned down).

by Melanie Pinola

See Full Story on lifehacker.com