Everyone has a different starting point.

Everybody starts at zero, said at least five motivational writers here in Medium. Perhaps, even I said that in one of my previous articles and I meant well. But this could not be farther from the truth. Nobody starts at zero.

People get a head start simply because of their genes, country, birth year, and even birth month. In Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers, he showed how one’s birth month determines whether he will be a professional hockey player in Canada. The same is true for professional soccer players in Czechoslovakia. Those who were born…

I was in our bedroom rehoming things that magically appear in every imaginable corner when I heard the battle cry. My daughters started their passionate fighting again, maybe the fifth time that day. I took a deep breath, weighed my options, and continued with what I was doing.

I could assess from their screams and cries that nothing was serious. The general was not yet needed in battle. I didn’t have to wear my general hat so I went on with organizing things and letting my mind wander. What can I learn from this? …

For this article, we’ll focus on how to be a good parent while you are pregnant.

A pregnant woman’s lifestyle affects the health of a newborn baby in profound ways. Emerging studies also show that it doesn’t only affect the child’s health as an infant, but it also influences his or her general well-being later in life.

What you eat, do, and even think determines how your baby will start his or her life. Your activities during pregnancy likewise impact how your child will thrive as an adult.

Do the following to establish a good foundation for your baby even before its birth.

1. Consume a well-rounded diet.

A study conducted by Wellcome Trust reveals that mothers who consume an…

My latest TOEIC score is 980 out of 990.

TOEIC stands for Test of English for International Communication, it is the English language proficiency standard test for non-native speakers. In Thailand where I worked previously, the test is needed by non-native English-speaking foreigners to apply for a visa if they want to teach in the country.

Ilocano, one of the dialects in the Philippines, is our household dialect. Filipino is my country’s native language. The habits below allowed me to get decent scores in English proficiency exams even if I do not use the language in everyday conversations.

1. Read all the English materials you can get your hands on.

Reading familiarizes…

Several unsuccessful attempts at applying online? Read this before returning to job hunting.

Here are the things you’re probably doing, but you really shouldn’t.

1. You comment “I’m interested” on a job posting.

Hiring managers receive hundreds of applications. Commenting “I’m interested” will not set you apart from the rest.

What hiring managers need to know is that you have the right attitude and skills for the job. That’s what you show them.

2. You don’t read the entire job posting.

Reading the comment section of job postings show that many job seekers fail to read or understand everything in job descriptions. Here is a made-up example that is based on actual postings and comments.

Job posting on Facebook Position: Social Media Manager Rate: 7$ per hour How to apply…

100 Ideas to Spark Your Muse

The more you generate ideas, the more they multiply. Here are a hundred writing prompts to get your idea snowball going. Use these to squeeze your creative juices or you can even publish your finished work.

Write about:

1. The first time you remember crying
2. The last time you cried
3. A funny incident at school
4. A lesson from your 1st-grade teacher
5. A lesson from the youngest teacher you have
6. What you love most about your grandmother
7. What you love most about your grandfather
8. What you miss most when you were young
9. An improvement in your home town
10. What you fear most
11. A fear…

Now is the best or the worst time to be a student, depending on how you roll with it.

You have hundreds of opportunities as a student in this generation. However, you also have hundreds of potential distractions. How do you use technology to your advantage while you’re at university? Keep reading for some productivity tips to ace your university days.

1. Organize your physical and digital stuff.

“For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned,” –Benjamin Franklin

Knowing where to get your things when you need them saves you time from finding them. It also prevents you from having a bad mood because of something you can’t find. Bad mood leads to less energy and less energy leads to poor productivity.

Dedicate a…