Celeste Elle, Author at MoneyDigest.sg

How to maximize productivity and cut down on procrastination

There are only 24 hours a day but do you feel that sometimes time just isn’t enough? Coupled with procrastination, it seems like the days are getting shorter as time goes by.

If you share the same sentiments, find out how to maximize productivity and cut down on procrastination with Dr Kumaran Rajaram, professor at Nanyang Business School, and Dr Eugene Tan, a dermatologist with National Skin Centre. Both are authors of Street-Smart Strategies for Time Mastery, a book launched earlier this year.

#1: Create a to-do list

Image Credits: Mental Floss

There are 101 things to do every day. Instead of running it through your head and getting stressed out, Dr Kumaran advises us to start by creating a to-do list. Honestly, I’m a fan of this strategy. By listing everything on paper (or e-document), you will be able to see for yourself the range of tasks you need to complete.

You may have tasks that are important but you don’t have to do it immediately. That is when you have to look through and classify them accordingly. Start with the urgent ones and savour the sense of fulfilment as you tick them off the list once it’s done.

#2: Give yourself an artificial deadline

Image Credits: ied.eu

Dr Eugene shares with us an example. Let’s say if you have an assignment due at the end of the month, then maybe you can set a personal deadline to finish it by mid-month.

While two weeks may be a lot of time in advance, it will definitely give you the motivation to take action more quickly and fight procrastination.

#3: Multi-tasking is not recommended

Image Credits: Wooclap

All of us take on many roles in life. There are tons of priorities we have to take on concurrently. Maybe you’re a professional at work but you’re doing part-time studies as well and also a parent at home.

Dr Eugene said that while he agrees that people may have multiple roles and responsibilities, multi-tasking is not recommended in most cases. This is because research has shown that multitasking slows down our performance and we end up requiring more time than originally needed to complete a simple task.

“At any one time, we should be single-tasking to do just one thing at a time and focus on doing it well,” he adds.

#4: Ponder over pain and pleasure

Image Credits: Freepik

When you don’t feel the impetus to work on a task, here are the two forces to think about – pain and pleasure.

For example, when you don’t feel like working on that monthly report, think about the pain and consequences of not doing so. By procrastinating, every minute is wasted and before you know it, the day is over. Now, you’re left with lesser time than before to start working on it. You might even need to work overtime during the weekend just to get the report ready before the new week begins.

As for pleasure, Dr Kumaran draws us an analysis with ice cream as a reward. For instance, you may not feel like spending that half an hour on a task, but giving yourself a reward at the end of the allocated work time might take care of the problem. If your motivation is ice-cream, then promise yourself that you will complete the task you need to do and the sweet treat is yours after that is done.

#5: Identify your main distractor

Image Credits: Freepik

As we come to a close, if there’s one thing that you must take away from this article, it would be to identify your main distractor as suggested by Dr Eugene.

Distractions are what keep our productivity low and procrastinations high. Most of us can’t deny that our mobile phones are a great distraction. You may be tempted to scroll through your social media feeds or check the latest news on discounts. It’s also the first thing we reach out to as soon as we’re awake.

Last July, a survey revealed that almost half of Singaporeans cannot bear to part with their mobile phones for even one day. As the saying goes, ‘out of sight, out of mind’. If needed, put it away from you when you’re working on important tasks. It may also help to set a time limit on your screen time or block off a period of time to keep your hands off your phone.

About Street-Smart Strategies for Time Mastery

Image Credits: candidcreation.com

Price: S$15.90

Click here to buy

To do well in today’s fast-moving world, it is no longer enough to work hard. You need to work smart. One of the key success factors for students and adult learners is the art of mastering what you do with your time.

Despite each of us having 24 hours or 1,440 minutes a day, replenished automatically at the start of each day, we often hear people complaining that they do not have enough time to complete their daily tasks.

This book aims to equip you with actionable ideas and methods to help you clearly identify and avoid falling into time-wasting traps, clarify your utmost priorities at any one time, and supercharge your productivity using street-smart strategies for time mastery.

When you take practical, concrete actions to improve the way you use your time, you will regain full control of your time and day. With consistent application of these strategies over time, you will soon find yourself on the highway of super achievement.

Here are some useful advice on how to build your brand on Instagram

Have you been thinking about managing your social media accounts for personal brand marketing? If you’re new and not sure what to do, it can be tough to start. Here are some tips from Lina Marican, Managing Director of Mutant Communications, on how to build your brand on Instagram.

#1: Define your brand purpose

To get started, one must know their brand purpose on Instagram. If you’re a consumer brand, then it’s obvious that your key purpose would be to use Instagram to engage your consumers and target audience.

Marican states that businesses can also use Instagram to work on their employer branding. This is especially relevant if the company is looking to attract younger talents in its future plans for hiring. This is probably a given since people in their 20s to early 30s are on Instagram most of the time.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mutant Communications (@we.are.mutant) on Mar 24, 2020 at 3:03am PDT

Identifying your brand purpose is the first step to guide your content strategy going forward.

#2: Find your aesthetics and stick to it

As Instagram is mainly a visual platform, it’s important to find your brand’s artistic visual identity. Get it right from the start with a set of guidelines. The overall look and feel should help you tell a compelling story.

You know you’re on the right track when your target audience is able to associate your aesthetics to your brand as soon as they catch sight of your posts while scrolling through their Instagram feed.

It’s also essential that you research your target audience – their lifestyle and the other brands they are following – while aiming to meet in the middle.

#3: Share the right mix of content

Image Credits: Pinterest

“A lot of brands tend to get this wrong, actually,” said Marican.

Many brands get on Instagram eyeing it as an advertisement platform. They think that it’s a place to talk about products, services, deals, and promotions. While that may work, there are many Instagram users who seek to be entertained, educate themselves, be inspired, or to connect with the community.

With that said, brands should learn how to strike the right balance. It’s not just about blasting promotions all the time.

“Take a look at maybe three different types of contents that you can put out,” advised Marican. Firstly, since you’re a brand, you do need promotional posts or product news. Secondly, think about conversational posts like contests, giveaways, and polls where you can have a two-way conversation with your audience. Thirdly, consider sharing posts. Look out for what’s out there in the industry and collaborate with other influencers and partners.

#4: Use the available tools to your advantage

Marican mentioned that her favourite tool is Instagram Live, where brands can use to live stream behind-the-scenes during events. There are also Instagram stories where companies can take advantage of to produce bite-sized content.

If you have shoppable content or an e-commerce store, use the shoppable tags on your posts so your audience can click through and buy your product instantly.

#5: Measure your success

For those who need to report to higher-ups, it’s important to know how to measure your success via analytics. Set up an Instagram business profile if you don’t already have one. The page analytics tool will help you to evaluate your performance, strategy, and give you an idea on how to grow your following.

With these data, you will also figure out the best time to share posts, how frequently you should post to get maximum engagement and know what works best with your target audience.

#6: Be smart when including hashtags

Image Credits: Digital Marketing Institute

Marican shares that maxing out on hashtags can make a person or brand look untargeted and unprofessional.

There are better ways to use hashtags. For example, branded hashtags. While looking at your own brand, come up with a hashtag that is concise and memorable. This also makes it easier for your followers to go back to search for previous content you’ve posted with a hashtag unique to your company.

The other type of hashtag is the trending or industry-specific ones. As there are tons of popular hashtags out there, brands should do their analysis and review the ones that get the most engagement.

Together with your branded hashtags, including a few trending or industry-specific ones will do the trick.

About Mutant Communications

Image Credits: Mutant Communications

Mutant Communications offers a range of services including public relations, content, and branding. If you think it’s better to engage professionals to handle the digital marketing side of your brand, Mutant Communications’ digital marketing experts can help.

Whether your objectives are to raise awareness of specific initiatives, drive consideration for products, generate leads or sales online, or nurture a loyal community of brand advocates, the team promises to be with you every step of the way.

They will work closely with you from start to finish to ensure the digital strategy is cohesive, maximizes returns, and complements your wider business goal.

These are some areas in digital marketing they can aid you in:

Lead Generation Campaigns
Content Creation and Design
Social Media Strategy
Social Media Copywriting
Digital & Social Ad Spend Strategy

Check out their case studies here.

If you’re keen to engage their services, email them via [email protected] or fill up this online form and the team will get back to you regarding your queries as soon as they can.

Tips on choosing the best mattress based on your sleeping style

When buying a mattress, do you favour the more pricey option over a cheaper one? Since it’s common to gauge the quality based on its price tag? But it turns out to be, the price does not determine the comfort and the right fit for you.

Marcus Goh, the founder of local mattress brand Hennsley®, shares that a person with an average build has more freedom to choose the level of comfort they desire when buying a mattress. However, one with a fuller body should avoid choosing softer mattresses.

“Upon using the mattress, our body impression will be formed on the mattress top. This is a reflection of your mattress reacting to your body weight and contour.”

Over time, a fuller-body individual may find softer mattresses not giving them the support they need for a good night’s rest. He advises these individuals to choose a mattress which has high to medium firmness.

But with that said, it’s also important to choose the best mattress based on your sleeping style.

#1: For the side sleeper

Image Credits: Freepik

“A side sleeper, as the name suggests, sleeps on either of their sides. When you are sleeping in this position, your shoulder and your hips are the deepest points compressing down on the mattress top.

While your hips naturally ease into the mattress, your head/neck has to be supported by a pillow on the mattress. More often than not, even with the pillow, your shoulder will still be edged out by a few inches (unless you have narrow shoulders). These few inches will need to be ‘eased’ into the mattress so that your shoulder(s) are not bent while you sleep.

So, a side sleeper will need to choose a mattress with ‘a padding’ on top of the mattress— Hennsley® named them as Pillow Top or Euro Top models. This padding provides the cushions necessary to ease off the pressure points on your shoulders and, at the same time, allows your shoulder to ease into the mattress and relax in its natural position.

On the other hand, if you are using a firmer mattress, your shoulder has no way to ease into the mattress and will end up bending forward while you sleep. This is why there are so many people getting sore neck(s) or shoulders when they get up in the morning.

Please do not take this too lightly, as in the long term, you are likely to get a sore back, since the nerves on your neck are connected to ones on your back. It is therefore important to know that whilst you are sleeping on your side, your spine needs to be as straight or parallel as possible.”

#2: Sleepers on their backs

Image Credits: healthiguide.com

“If you are sleeping on your back, you will have to ensure that the mattress you choose must be able to support your back fully. You must understand that our spines are not straight—it has a certain curvature. So, if you are sleeping on your back, you will need to get a mattress which can support the contour/curvature of your body so that the spine is at its natural position. If the mattress is too soft, your back will sink into the mattress, and this will cause backaches.

A mattress that is too firm will not allow your back to rest properly on the mattress. The pressure points developed on your back will also cause numbness, and this will make you toss and turn more frequently.

In general, for a back sleeper, you can choose any types of mattress that can provide you (with) the maximum support on your lower back while you sleep. We would recommend our Hennsley® Zonal Pocketed Innerspring Sleep System, which comes with thicker innersprings at the middle section of the mattress to support your lower back and hip area.”

#3: Sleepers in a foetal position

Image Credits: Health Spirit Body

“Foetal Sleepers curl their bodies up on their side with their knees tucked in. If you are sleeping in this position, you will need to choose a bigger size mattress to accommodate your sleeping style.

If you are sleeping with a partner, you might want to choose a king-sized mattress instead of a queen-sized one. This is because with your knees raise closer to your chest, it will take up a slightly bigger space than a side or back sleeper.

In addition, as the body is curled up, the weight of your body will not be distributed evenly across the mattress. In fact, most of your body weight will be concentrated at a particular section of the mattress.

As such, it is advisable for you to choose a mattress with Zonal Technology, such as our Hennsley® Zonal Pocketed Innerspring Sleep System. Our Zonal Pocketed Innerspring Technology will give you much better support at the zone which are more critical to your body.”

According to Marcus, research has shown that mattresses need to be changed after 5 to 10 years of use. This is because our perspiration and dead skin cells have the potential to attract mites, bugs, and other insects.

How long have you been using yours? Is it time for a change?

Internships & Jobs: Training Vision Institute, MOE, and Sport Singapore (Singapore Sports Council) are hiring

Do you know that it’s advisable to discuss your strengths only and avoid touching on your weaknesses during an interview? Unless the interviewer brings the topic up, it would be safer to state the former. Need more job advice? Hop over to read our career-related articles here.

Meanwhile, here are some fresh job openings from the Training Vision Institute, MOE, and Sport Singapore (formerly known as the Singapore Sports Council) for your consideration.

#1: Training Vision Institute – Business Development Trainee

Image Credits: Training Vision Institute

Allowance / Remuneration: S$2,500 – 3,000 monthly

Training Vision Institute is one of the leading training providers and human capital consultancy firms in Singapore since 1991. The institute believes passionately in developing human capital – an essential that contributes to the success of an individual, an organization, and a nation.

They are a WDA accredited Continuing Education & Training Centre for WSQ Employability Skills and EDGE (Executive Development & Growth for Excellence). The company provides an integrated and holistic approach to the design and methodology of training and capability development. They also offer consultancy services where customized solutions are created to suit various companies’ needs.

With 5 accessible centres, superior trainers, and excellent training methodology, Training Vision Institute makes the ideal partner for individuals’ learning needs.

Job Qualifications

Candidates must possess at least a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Studies/ Administration/ Management/ Finance/ Accountancy/ Banking or equivalent.
Prior work experience not required for this position
Preferably entry-level specialized in Marketing/ Business Development or equivalent
Meticulous and resourceful
Good organization and interpersonal skills
Independent worker, ability to work under minimal supervision
Good teamwork and presentation skills
Ability to multitask and work in a fast-paced environment
Ability to work irregular hours at times to support events and activities

Key Responsibilities

Digital Marketing

Carry out digital marketing campaign activities and monitor digital marketing channels’ performance.
Execute digital marketing campaigns across different marketing channels to promote online presence with corporate clients and channel partners.

Events Planning and Management

Collect information, prepare reports to evaluate events, and coordinate event planning activities.
Implement and monitor event planning activities according to agreed timelines and budgetary requirements.

Market Profiling

Collect demographic data and/or psychographic descriptions of consumer profiles from various information sources.

Market Research & Analysis

Collect data by conducting research, support the analysis of market trends and developments and prepare research documentation.
Analyse market trends and developments to forecast emerging market needs.
Interpret and aggregate data and information, including categorisation, to provide observations relevant to research objectives.

Market Campaign Management

Conduct pre-campaign testing and collect information pertaining to campaign performance.
Execute marketing campaigns based on creative briefs, ensure compliance with budgetary requirements and collaborate with partners closely

Marketing Communications Plan Development

Support efforts in developing marketing communications plans.
Implement promotional briefs and assess the effectiveness of selected media options.

Social Media Marketing

Track social media activities and recommend improvements to social media marketing and promotion efforts.
Identify innovative marketing opportunities to enhance customer and corporate client engagement.

Public Relations Management

Manage public relations business communications with corporate clients and channel partners.

Support in Channel Partnering

Engage and support manager for potential channel partners to increase market share and maximize revenue

How to apply?

Apply and view the job post in full here.

#2: Ministry of Education – Education and Career Guidance (ECG) Counsellor

Image Credits: SAJC

Allowance / Remuneration: Not stated

The Ministry of Education (MOE) formulates and implements education policies on education structure, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. It oversees the management and development of Government-funded schools, and the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics and universities.

Job Qualifications

At least 5 years of working experience. Good industry knowledge and/or experience in education and career counselling would be an advantage
Passion for working with young people, especially in guiding them on their education and career pathways
An open mind, flexibility, and cultural sensitivity
A positive and encouraging nature
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and networking skills
Strong collaborative and time management skills
Ability to develop system and structures

Key Responsibilities

Direct services to students through

Providing individual and group counselling services for secondary, JC/CI or polytechnics and ITE students as well as students in the transition from secondary schools to JC/CI/polytechnics/ITE and JC/CI/polytechnics/ITE to Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL)/workforce respectively
Conducting ECG workshops and small group sessions for students to help them explore their strengths, interests, aspirations, education and career pathways, including admissions and employment preparation, by using ECG counselling tools and techniques

System support and development through

Enhancing ECG capacity for school/polytechnic/ITE personnel by equipping teachers/lecturers with basic ECG advising skills and organising platforms for the sharing of labour market information, latest industry trends and up-to-date polytechnics, ITE and IHL course information

Conducting consultation with teachers/lecturers to provide feedback on students’ ECG needs and synergize ECG efforts and resources
Engaging students through conducting ECG talks and organizing career fairs and industry experiences
Organizing ECG outreach to parents

Establishing strong partnerships

With relevant industries and community partners to gather the latest labour market and career information
With employers and community partners to organize ECG experiences or provide useful ECG resources for students
Between MOE schools, polytechnics, ITE, IHL, and government agencies to facilitate students’ transition to tertiary institutions and into the workforce

How to apply?

Apply and view the job post in full here.

#3: Sport Singapore (Singapore Sports Council) – Senior Manager / Manager, Volunteer Engagement & Partnership

Image Credits: Sport Singapore

Allowance / Remuneration: Not stated

A statutory board of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, Sport Singapore’s core purpose is to inspire the Singapore spirit and transform Singapore through sport. Through innovative, fun and meaningful sporting experiences, their mission is to reach out and serve communities across Singapore with passion and pride.

With Vision 2030 – Singapore’s sports master plan, their mandate goes beyond winning medals. Sport Singapore uses sport to create greater sporting opportunities and access, more inclusivity, and integration, as well as broader development of capabilities. At Sport Singapore, the team works with a vast network of public-private-people sector partners for individuals to live better through sports.

Job Qualifications

Strong project management, organization, and interpersonal skills
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong analytical and conceptualizations
Ability to work in teams, multi-task, and adapt to change
Able to multi-task and work effectively in a fast-paced environment, both in teams as well as independently
Positive vibes with strong interpersonal skills to interact with people of different age range

Key Responsibilities

They are looking for someone to develop sports volunteerism and raise the quality of sports volunteering by providing leadership and guidance to the team in areas of recruitment, opportunities, learning and growth, recognition, and continuous engagement of sports volunteers.

Build a nationwide movement by being a platform that offers multi-faceted and meaningful opportunities for Team Nila to give back through sport.
Enrich and empower by providing leadership training programmes for Team Nila who are committed and have displayed leadership qualities.
Deepen volunteer engagement by offering meaningful opportunities through deliberate designing of programmes and actively engaging Team Nila via various platforms i.e. social media, celebrations, and appreciations.
Create pilots and support activities for social lab and experimentation

How to apply?

Apply and view the job post in full here.

Organizers will soon be able to hold large-scale meetings of up to 250 people in Singapore

Organizers of Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) events will be able to hold large-scale meetings of up to 250 people in Singapore from Oct 1.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will start accepting applications as part of plans to kickstart the economy. STB and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) will review all proposals and approve them accordingly.

“Our sense is that we will have to take this opportunity to re-shape our industries, take on new skills, build up new capabilities for us to emerge stronger through the COVID situation,” Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said on Monday (Sep 7).

Why 250?

The minister explained that the limit of 250 people will be the basis which authorities will use to scale up to larger events.

“We are working with overseas partners… to see how we can learn from the experience of other countries, scaling this up from the hundreds to the thousands in a safe and sustainable manner,” he said.

Pilot events to take place in October

Singapore International Energy Week 2019

Image Credits: SIEW

Pilot events such as the Singapore International Energy Week Conference will take place in October. Through these pilot events, the STB and MICE industry will adapt and adjust the safety protocols for business events to take place.

“This move to start accepting applications to pilot events of up to 250 attendees also takes into account the importance of the MICE industry as well as the strong industry interest in and demand for business events,” STB said.

Importance of the MICE industry

According to a study by STB last year, the MICE industry supported more than 34,000 jobs with an economic value-add of S$3.8 billion. With that said, business travellers also spend almost twice the amount compared to leisure tourists, making them essential visitors for the economy.

STB’s chief executive, Mr Keith Tan said: “The MICE sector is a strategic one for the Singapore economy, and its safe and gradual resumption will safeguard jobs and core capabilities. It will also help those in related sectors such as hospitality and aviation.”

“Public health and safety remain our utmost priority, and we have worked closely with the industry to create strict protocols and develop new ways of organising events. These pilot events and solutions will help Singapore lead the way as a safe, trusted and innovative destination for MICE events.”

“Our determination is that we want Singapore to remain as the top business hub in Asia. We want to continue to strengthen our position as the MICE location of choice,” said Mr Chan.

“It is significant not just for the tangible monetary benefits to the economy, not only about the jobs, but it is also about the exchange of ideas – where people come to Singapore to interact with people from all over the world.”