In a time-poor society, an employee who exercises regularly while balancing work and home life commitments demonstrates high-level organisational skills. They get up early, or they make time during the day or after work, to fit in exercise.

Companies who invest in the health of their employees understand that promoting regular exercise not only provides staff with personal health benefits but can also improve overall productivity. Keeping fit and healthy reduces sick leave and lengthy absences from work.

People who exercise routinely can often see the ‘bigger picture’. They know long-term effort provides sustained results.

Regular exercise goers do not give up because they’re too busy, because of inclement weather, or because they’re bored or fear injury. They simply adjust their exercise routine to accommodate an injury, bad weather or a busy schedule. They know variety is the spice of life, and will often mix up their routine with various individual physical activities and team sports to help maintain motivation.

I am surprised how frequently creative ideas are spawned when I am out exercising. Simply stepping out of the work environment for 30 minutes can refocus energy and provide clarity of thought for solving problems or issues.

A person who prioritises regular exercise understands a balanced life is essential for health and wellbeing. Aside from work, we all need to include leisure time with family and friends, as well as making time for personal activities, exercise and reflection.

Someone who has exercised throughout life demonstrates discipline and the ability to commit and focus on achieving goals.

Whether a person engages in solo and/or team sports also provides insight into their behaviors and preferences. Someone who regularly participates in competitive sport understands that best results are achieved when everyone works as a team. People who enjoy individual exercise show independence and reliability in achieving goals.

On that note, it’s time for me to leave the keyboard and get out for a run.

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The drug, AdVince, was financed by 2000 people from 40 countries via an online campaign called iCancer. The drug is named after an oil tycoon, called Vince, who provided three-quarters of the total cost of the trial in exchange for being allowed to participate in the Phase I study. The drug is a ‘genetically modified oncolytic adenovirus’, in other words a modified flu virus that specifically ‘eats’ neuroendocrine cancer cells. Crowd-funding is an exciting option that could potentially raise much needed funds to enable more new therapies to reach the market faster. However, it may present some ethical challenges for the future. We must not ever compromise quality for speed. High quality medical research must remain equitable and should not discriminate on the basis of wealth.

I was taken aback the other day when my thirteen-year-old daughter advised, “You just fake it till you make it.” Should I be worried or encouraged by this cavalier philosophy? Is this catchphrase erroneously used to excuse duplicitous behavior?

The origins of the adage ‘Fake it till you make it’ are based on the power of conditioning your mind. It means ‘think it until you believe it’ and was coined to help people avoid getting caught in a self-fulfilling prophecy related to one’s fear of not being confident. I am a strong supporter of positive affirmations and an advocate for ‘believing in yourself’, which can boost confidence and help create a positive outcome. No doubt ‘putting on a brave face’ can assist with mustering courage to face a major hurdle.

However, above all else I value honesty, integrity and authenticity. I am concerned this catchphrase can be used as a euphemism to justify deceitful or disingenuous acts or just an excuse to lie. In the corporate environment, I’m bewildered when I hear people exaggerate their experience or hold back from telling the truth to an employer or potential client because they feel they can ‘learn on the job’ or teach themselves job requirements online. This laissez-faire attitude to ‘bend the truth’ and ‘fake it to make it’ I believe is dishonest and troubling.

Recent examples in the media highlight the audaciousness of some people and the measures they will take to ‘fake it to make it’. Andrew Flanagan landed a $400,000 annual package at Myer based on a false CV and dodgy references. It begs the question, how many other people embellish or even lie on their CV? What lengths should employers take to verify a candidate’s background? What should you do if you suspect spurious credentials?

Continuously faking it will only take you so far. As they say, ‘The proof is in the pudding.’ In the end people will form a judgement based upon the integrity of your behavior and actions, and the outcomes you achieve. Just like Andrew Flanagan, phonies will eventually be caught out.

More than ever there is a need to differentiate yourself from the pack. Gaining one or two degrees is no longer a rarity or assurance for career progression. So how do some people advance up the career ladder faster than others?

I’ve summarised seven tips required for a great career taken from an written by Jim Bright, in The Age, Saturday 28 May 2016.

1. Be perpetually curious and continuously learn

People with great careers never stop learning; they are continuously curious, honing and developing new skills. In his article Jim points out there is a tsunami of information washing over us, “We cannot master all of it, so we had better learn how to surf it”.

2. Build a strong support network

Successful people seek mentors, coaches and ‘heroes’ or other successful leaders to emulate and learn from. People with successful careers surround themselves with team members, staff, colleagues, friends and families.

3. ‘Connect’ with the community

“Great careers are built on service and contribution.” People with successful careers seek meaning in their work and understand how their work impacts the larger community. They connect with people and acknowledge the critical role of others in their career.

4. Possess self-discipline and sustain periods of intense focus

Jim states, “Great careers do not arise out of trying to be all things to all people, or trying to do everything. Distinguish the important things from the everythings, and let others do these other things.” People with successful careers are self-disciplined, resist ruminating about unnecessary or irrelevant things and remain focused on key goals.

5. Be flexible

People with great careers set goals, but remain flexible so they can overcome unexpected barriers and setbacks.

6. Be courageous and ride the waves

“Great careers are seldom, if ever, smooth sailing”, says Jim Bright. Courage is needed to critically self-evaluate, seek feedback and overcome barriers, self-doubt and insecurities. Courage is necessary to persist during fierce competition, turbulent markets and economies. People with great careers have the courage to acknowledge and learn from their mistakes, and to persevere even in the face of harsh criticism or obstacles.

7. Maximise opportunities and luck

Sometimes a great career involves a little luck! However, we can all take action to create our own luck, and seek out and maximise opportunities.

I was interested to read Janet Hawley’s “Australia Day Special” about the iconic artist, John Olsen, in The Age Saturday 23^rd January 2016 [Link].

The 88-year-old artist lamented the constant bombardment of mass communication and fast-paced modern day life results in little time for “personal dreaming. That sense of being intimately yourself…” Consequently, we are bereft of imagination and risk losing our sense of individuality. He encouraged us to stop running around all the time, reflect, look at nature and just allow our thoughts to wander.

Have you ever experienced a great idea, solved a problem, or gleaned a new perspective while you were doing something completely different or just daydreaming? Creative juices can be stimulated when taking a bath, doodling, going for a walk or spending five minutes out of the day to sit in the sunshine. Perhaps this is why adult colouring books have dominated recent book sales. Harnessing your imagination and inner creativity can also provide benefits in the workforce by sparking innovation, promoting entrepreneurship, generating new perspectives or better ways of doing things.

Below are five ways you can harness your imagination and creativity:

1. Enjoy a break each day: Take time out each day to sit outside, observe and listen to the sounds. Often we don’t do this because we’re too busy. However, by taking a quick break you actually improve your productivity. Importantly, you are more creative when you relax. You will also help your vitamin D levels!

2. Don’t skip holidays: Vacations are essential to unwind and rejuvenate. How often have you made significant change to your life after enjoying a holiday? Make sure you schedule regular holidays or short breaks throughout the year.

3. Take up a new hobby or do something different: You use your brain differently when you learn something new, which promotes creativity. For example, learn a new language, master a musical instrument, or take a short course, such as floristry, photography, creative writing or art appreciation.

4. Engage in regular exercise: Not only will you derive health benefits, you increase oxygen flow to the brain improving cognition and promoting endorphins or “feel good” hormones. Recent research shows it does not have to be strenuous exercise, simply moving regularly throughout the day with short bursts of more intense exercise, even for a few minutes a day, will provide health benefits.

5. Adopt a zest for life and learning: Read avidly, foster a network of contacts and talk with different people, not just those in your own field but broadly, to promote cross fertilisation of ideas and to see things from different perspectives.