Special greetings flying out to Ker Hong, Auntie Soo Ha, Jia Min and Keddy! For Ker Hong, it’s belated. For Keddy, it’s an hour advanced!

For the few days my supervisor isn’t around, I’ve been working doubly hard. There’s lots of work today, that’s why I’ve been so busy. I don’t even have time to check any news websites and no much emails today too.

I reached home (from work) at around 6.45pm. I took off my shirt and laid on my bed. Slept a bit until 7pm when mum woke me up and made me prepare for dinner outside. She’s gonna buy auntie dinner. That shows how tired I am.

After dinner, I went to Popular (book store) and got myself a book.

Mian Xiang – Discover Face Reading by Joey Yap

Had to leave the store as they were closing already. Went down to the Popular book fair. Bought 2 more books for my reading pleasure.

The Rules of Life by Richard Templar
A personal code for living a better, happier, more successful kind of life

&

Rules of Management by Richard Templar
The Definitive Guide to Managerial Success

I won’t feel bored anymore; Books shall entertain me.

Tomorrow will be another boring working day, I guess. I must rest early tomorrow as I will be very busy on Saturday. Will update again.

Read more to know more about the books I bought.

Mian Xiang – Discover Face Reading

• Learn the basics of Face Reading, including the 5 Officers, the 12 Palaces, and the 100 Year map of the Face
• Find out how the face not only reveals a person’s fortune, but their abilities, personal characteristics and innate nature
• Discover ‘trade secret’ Face Reading techniques, including how to utilise Multiple Position Reading techniques
• Practical useful Face Reading applications that can be deployed in your day-to-day dealings with people
• Easy-to-apply techniques and tips from Joey Yap help you achieve results almost immediately

Rules of Management

Managing your team 1

• Get them emotionally involved 4
• Know what a team is and how it works 6
• Set realistic targets – no, really realistic 9
• Hold effective meetings – no, really effective 11
• Make meetings fun 15
• Make your team better than you 17
• Set your boundaries 19
• Be ready to prune 21
• Offload as much as you can – or dare 23
• Let them make mistakes 25
• Accept their limitations 27
• Encourage people 29
• Be very, very good at finding the right people 31
• Take the rap 33
• Give credit to the team when it deserves it 35
• Get the best resources for your team 37
• Celebrate 39
• Keep track of everything you do and say 41
• Be sensitive to friction 43
• Create a good atmosphere 45
• Inspire loyalty and team spirit 47
• Fight for your team 49
• Have and show trust in your staff 51
• Respect individual differences 53
• Listen to ideas from others 55
• Adapt your style to each team member 57
• Let them think they know more than you (even if they don’t) 59
• Don’t always have to have the last word 61
• Understand the roles of others 62
• Ensure people know exactly what is expected of them 64
• Use positive reinforcement motivation 66
• Don’t try justifying stupid systems 68
• Be ready to say yes 70
• Train them to bring you solutions, not problems 72

Managing yourself 75

• Get it done/work hard 78
• Set an example/standards 80
• Enjoy yourself 82
• Don’t let it get you down 84
• Know what you are supposed to be doing 85
• Know what you are actually doing 88
• Be proactive, not reactive 89
• Be consistent 91
• Set realistic targets for yourself – no, really realistic 92
• Have a game plan, but keep it secret 94
• Get rid of superfluous rules 96
• Learn from your mistakes 98
• Be ready to unlearn – what works changes 100
• Cut the crap – prioritize 102
• Cultivate those in the know 104
• Know when to kick the door shut 106
• Fill your time productively and profitably 108
• Have a Plan B and a Plan C
• Capitalize on chance – be lucky, but never admit it 112
• Recognize when you’re stressed 114
• Manage your health 116
• Be prepared for the pain and pleasure 118
• Face the future 120
• Head up, not head down 122
• See the wood and the trees 124
• Know when to let go 126
• Be decisive, even if it means being wrong sometimes 128
• Adopt minimalism as a management style 130
• Visualize your blue plaque 132
• Have principles and stick to them 134
• Follow your intuition/gut instinct 136
• Be creative 138
• Don’t stagnate 140
• Be flexible and ready to move on 142
• Rememeber the object of the exercise 144
• Remember that none of us has to be here 146
• Go home 148
• Keep learning – especially from the opposition 150
• Be passionate and bold 152
• Plan for the worst, but hope for the best 154
• Let the company see you are on their side 156
• Don’t bad-mouth your boss 158
• Don’t bad-mouth your team 160
• Accept that some things the bosses tell you to do will be completely wrong 162
• Accept that the bosses are as scared as you are at times 164
• Avoid straitjacket thinking 166
• Act and talk as if one of them 168
• Show you understand the viewpoint of underlings and overlings 170
• Don’t back down – be prepared to stand your ground 172
• Don’t play politics 174
• Don’t slag off other managers 176
• Share what you know 178
• Don’t intimidate 179
• Be above interdepartmental warfare 181
• Show that you’ll fight to the death for your team 183
• Aim for respect rather than being liked 185
• Do one or two things well and avoid the rest 187
• Seek feedback on your performance 189
• Maintain good relationships and friendships 191
• Build respect – both ways – between you and your customers 193
• Go the extra mile for your customers 195
• Be aware of your responsibilities and stick to your principles 197
• Be straight at all times and speak the truth 199
• Don’t cut corners – you’ll get found out 201
• Be in command and take control 203
• Be a diplomat for the company 205

End game 207

The Rules of Life

Rules for You

1 Keep it under your hat
2 You’ll get older but not necessarily wiser
3 Accept what is done is done
4 Accept yourself
5 Know what counts and what doesn’t
6 Dedicate your life to something
7 Be flexible in your thinking
8 Take an interest in the outside world
9 Be on the side of the angels, not the beasts
10 Only dead fish swim with the stream
11 Be the last to raise your voice
12 Be your own adviser
13 No fear, no surprise, no hesitation, no doubt
14 I wish I’d done that – and I will
15 Count to ten – or recite ‘Baa baa black sheep’
16 Change what you can change, let go of the rest
17 Aim to be the very best at everything you do – not second best
18 Don’t be afraid to dream
19 Don’t dwell on the past
20 Don’t live in the future
21 Get on with life – it’s whooshing past
22 Dress like today is important
23 Have a belief system
24 Have a little space for yourself each day
25 Have a plan
26 Have a sense of humour
27 Choose how you make your bed
28 Life can be a bit like advertising
29 Get used to stepping outside your comfort zone
30 Learn to ask questions
31 Have dignity
32 It’s OK to feel big emotions
33 Keep the faith
34 You’ll never understand everything
35 Know where true happiness comes from
36 Know when to let go – when to walk away
37 Look after yourself
38 Maintain good manners in all things
39 Prune your stuff frequently
40 Remember to touch base
41 Draw the lines around yourself
42 Shop for quality, not price
43 It’s OK to worry, or to know how not to
44 Stay young
45 Throwing money at a problem doesn’t always work
46 Think for yourself
47 You are not in charge
48 Have something in your life that takes you out of yourself
49 Only the good feel guilty
50 If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all

Partnership Rules

51 Accept the differences, embrace what you have in common
52 Allow your partner the space to be themselves
53 Be nice
54 You want to do what?
55 Be the first to say sorry
56 Go that extra step in trying to please them
57 Always have someone – or something – that is pleased to see you

58 Know when to listen and when to act
59 Have a passion for your life together
60 Make sure your love making is making love
61 Keep talking
62 Respect privacy
63 Check you both have the same shared goals
64 Treat your partner better than your best friend
65 Contentment is a high aim
66 You don’t both have to have the same rules
Family and Friends Rules

67 If you are going to be a friend, be a good friend
68 Never be too busy for loved ones
69 Let your kids mess up for themselves – they don’t need any help from you
70 Have a little respect and forgiveness for your parents
71 Give your kids a break
72 Never lend money unless you are prepared to write it off
73 There are no bad children
74 Be up around people you love
75 Give your kids responsibilities
76 Your children need to fall out with you to leave home
77 Your kid will have friends you don’t like
78 Your role as a child
79 Your role as a parent

Social Rules

80 We’re all closer than you think
81 It doesn’t hurt to forgive
82 It doesn’t hurt to be helpful
83 Take pride in what we do collectively
84 What’s in it for them?
85 Hang out with positive people
86 Be generous with your time and information
87 Get involved
88 Keep the moral high ground
89 Have a plan for your career
90 Learn to see your community as part of a bigger picture
91 Look at the long-term ramifications of what you do for a living
92 Be good at your job

World Rules

93 Be aware of the damage you are doing
94 Be for the glory, not the degradation
95 Be part of the solution, not the problem
96 Check what history would say about you
97 Keep your eyes open at all times
98 Not everything can be green
99 Put something back
100 Find a new Rule every day – or occasionally at least

Get yourself a copy if you’re interested. I’m sure they’re worth the dollar.