IT Project Success

Top 10 Best Practices for Making an IT Project Successful

The purpose of a project is to build compatibility in IT, in order to meet your business goals. According to Ross, from MIT, only 11% of companies worldwide are currently building IT capabilities that are successfully using a mature architecture framework.

A mature architecture road map is necessary for the success of any IT project.

Enterprise Architect plays a key role because they service the entire business, including strategy and execution well beyond IT and IT solutions delivery. 

Role of Enterprise Architect in Project Management

1. Focus on business intents and convert them in a storyboard. Allow Enterprise Architect to focus on business & System architecture to cover business needs at least for next 2 years.

Project Evaluation Matrix

This is the job of EA to analyze the success factor of a project along with business team, project manager , subject matter expert & organization culture. Organization should focus on strategic projects.

2. EA & IT teams should focus on COTS product deployment instead of a general requirement based on custom development. Subject matter experts, integration & functional architects should work on finding out how quickly the storyboards could be configured in the COTS product directly.

EA needs to play a crucial role in aligning IT with business.

Process Chain & Framework to be followed for successful
completion of large IT transformation projects.

COBIT : Business & IT alignment. Mainly for Governance i.e. direct

Next Architecture blueprint & service strategy finalization. This is most critical. TOGAF & ITIL framework both are applicable here. PRINCE2 or PMI methodology for managing the change.

 Service Transition & continuous  will be applicable during operation.


  Key focuses should be quick deployments of the available functionality quickly. EA teams should work with senior users and members of supplier teams, in order to include non-available requirements/intents in product road maps. This approach will give the required agility when addressing business needs by the IT team.

3. EA teams should prepare business cases along with estimated efforts (pessimistic, optimistic and most likely) for critical deliverable to project bards for approval of the initiation of projects. This is important because a good architecture means reusability of components and architect teams should justify the range of the estimated effort.

Role of Project Board & Project Managers/Team Managers

4. Project boards should appoint a project team and a project manager. The project manager will work with multiple teams in order to build a complete business case. The project manager should also prepare details for various stages of the project, how each stage of the project will be executed and allow tolerances for each stages boundaries and include an exception management plan for each stage. Project managers should now submit the entire business case to project boards for approval for the formal initiation of projects.

5. Next, project managers need to prepare a detailed project plan using Microsoft Project. Project managers should follow PERT CPM methods to build the schedule & to optimize the projects plans and identify at least two critical paths, major constraints, or dependencies.

6. Project boards should agree and approve of the project plan, stage boundaries and exception plans for each stage: Risk, Issues and Quality Management & Reports Dashboard, along with reporting frequency. Project boards should be direct on following certain methodologies and frameworks and need to periodically check the process adherence and revalidation of business care. Project managers need to create a project team and assign them a work package.

7. Project boards should agree on project governance & management report.

(a) Governance reports should include Z score, CPI & SPI along with trends in an agreed frequency. The purpose of this step is to improve the probability of completing the project on schedule and within cost. 

Z score helps predict any delay based on the estimate of remaining work, whereas EVM method forecasts
based on actual work completed.

(b) Weekly project report dashboards should present risk statistics. There need to be clear risk mitigation & contingency plans for risks above the agree tolerance. A root cause analysis should be available for any violations of any SLA/OLA. This helps with the early arrest of any potential issues.

(c) Project boards should know key decisions taken when, why and by whom.

(d) EA & SME should ascertain the quality for products, any deviations from previously agreed product descriptions and product acceptance criteria.

8. Increase the communications within team members because this will create an engaged workforce. This will also help to create a more cohesive and motivated team.

9. Find the influencers and the connections within the organization who may be able to help you move the project along. The more people talk who talk about the program will encourage others to participate in the program voluntarily, increasing the acceptability of the project. Project managers should learn to avoid/neglect few people, mainly because they are destructive critics.

10. Always, think about what could go wrong and how you could act quickly to mitigate the problem.

Related Article: Microsoft Project Tutorial

About the author : Arindam has spent 23 years of his career managing large and complex IT transformation projects. He is a telecommunications engineer & PRINCE2 practitioner. Arindam has hands on working experience with ITIL, COBIT & TOGAF. He has completed more than 50 projects total, worth more than $150M USD around the globe.
 

IT Project Failure

Last week we had a discussion at our local PMI chapter on key reasons why large IT projects fails, especially projects that require 12 months to complete or more, and cost in excess of $5M. We invited CIO’s from a few Telecom and Retail Companies for this particular discussion.

Here are some interesting statistics on IT project failure

• Only 40% of projects are completed on schedule, budget and meet quality goals.
• Between 65 and 80% of IT projects fail to meet their objectives, also running significantly late and/or cost far more than initially planned.

Everyone on our panel has agreed these are the top 7 reasons why large IT projects fail

 1. During project initiation, the program’s management office or corporate office, signed an agreement with the suppliers without detailed technical scope.  Neither end users, nor the subject matter experts were consulted, or there was inadequate attention paid to their recommendations.

Dilbert on why IT projects fail




2. Projects often start in good faith and quickly progress until a major disconnect occurs. The major disconnect might be a change in business priorities, inability to show incremental progress, few changes in executive sponsorship or immature organizational capabilities.

3. In some cases, project boards and executives failed to resolve conflicts. Most of the time, executives approach the conflict in a highhanded manner without having to address the root of the cause. People agree to align, yet do so without ever actually aligning. One Canadian study has actually stated, “Bad communications between parties are the cause of IT project failures in 57% of the cases we have studied.”

4. Management does not want to make decisions on a large project. Rather than accept authority and responsibility, they would rather get consensus and agreement.  This can reduce the impact of failure to any specific manager. Nobody is fired for screwing up; however, this kind of consensus will always produce a sub-standard design. Having shared authority for large decisions is bad. You end up with results that are not designed, but voted upon.

5. Large projects have a massive scope, partly because of integrating several systems. Here, project managers do not deliver on just one product, but deliver the entire system that talks to this new product(s). Any change in suit to BAU can cause scope creep in the main product. This triggers cost overrun and can influence quality.

6. Most of the time there was no designated Enterprise Architect or they are part of the IT team managed by the CIO, leading to improper planning, inadequate budgeting for performance, security testing & end user training.

7. Frequent status review by senior executives often takes too much time, including the preparation of status reports and presentations, rather than actual work. Remember a project might be technically successful but that does not mean it meets stakeholders need.

Everyone in the enterprise is responsible for a large part, not just IT. The failure of larger IT projects is a business failure that is the shared responsibility of the entire senior leadership team. Seldom do projects fail due to technical challenges, but mainly due to personnel issues.

Here is a great video on top 10 reason why project fails

Now that’s enough discussion on IT Project Management Failure, so here is a list of the Top 10 Best Practices or Making A Successful IT project.

Reference on IT project management failure:

• Why Project Fails?

• What makes "big" projects fail?

About the Author: Arindam has spent 23 years of his career managing large and complex IT transformation projects. He is a telecommunications engineer & PRINCE2 practitioner. Arindam has hands on working experience with ITIL, COBIT & TOGAF. He has completed more than 50 projects total, worth more than $150M USD around the globe.

MS Project Tutorial -2

 Best Practices For Building & Tracking MS Project Plan

 Have you read  "Top 10 tips to new MS Project users” ? If not, click here to read it.

Now, you will learn top 16 best practices to make an effective project plan using MS Project 13. You can use them during preparing the plan or for tracking the plan.

1. Always track actual start and finish date. Actual dates must reflect when a task started and or completed. They should not be auto-generated and should not exist in the future. An actual finish date cannot be earlier than the actual start date for a task.

2. Ensure that all next level tasks all roll up to summary tasks. The calculation compares the baseline start and finish dates of the summary tasks to those of the lower level details tasks.

3. Always set a status date to get Cost Performance & Schedule performance Index against a chosen baseline.

4. The Critical Path is one of the most important areas of the program schedule. It is usually the most difficult, time-consuming, and technically challenging portion of the schedule. It should represent a small portion of the overall program schedule.

5.The schedule should be primarily made up of discrete tasks that have work associated with them. Summaries and Milestones are needed for reporting and program tracking but should not be the majority of the line items.

6. There should not be any missing predecessors and missing successors.

7. Please always careful during update of tasks that have begun when their predecessors or successors are not 100% complete

8. Schedule progress should drive the end dates of the program. Not scheduling forward or leaving incomplete work in the past does not allow for a correct picture of the project status and projected end date.

9. There should not be any summary tasks with resources because they are strictly an outlining or rolling up feature and should not drive schedule dates or resource loading. There shouldn’t be any summary tasks with predecessors or successors

10. Task duration should be within 5 to 20 working days

11. All schedules should have a reasonably small amount of slack or float. Large positive or negative slack values may indicate a poorly constructed schedule.

• Large negative slack indicates a logic error or a program that is no longer on track to meet its commitment dates.
• Large positive slack may indicate poor or missing logic.

12. Resource planning requires that all discrete tasks be resource loaded in order to analyze and identify resource constraints or overloaded resources.

13.  Baseline dates for tasks and milestones should be established in the project schedule early in the program. For large projects involving a customer, the contract may require this to be done in 60 to 90 days after the start date and prior to a formal review.

14. The majority of the task dependencies should be Finish-to-Start. Since most of the tasks represent work that will have a start and an end date resulting in some product or document that is needed by someone else, the work is performed in some sequence most of the time. 

15. Remove tasks that are missing links to its start or finish points.  These tasks can change duration without a detectable impact to the schedule.

16. Avoid inactive tasks and manual tasks to the extent possible. You should select auto schedule as default option.

In summary, You need to follow current, actual & baseline start, finish & duration. Always prepare based on initial effort and update the remaining work and reestimated duration based on remaining work. Never allow very short or vary long duration for tasks. Put resources and maintain resource calendar. Get the CPI & SPI ( will discuss them soon) based on baseline & status date.



Till now, you learn top tips on how to make a plan and best practices to build and track the plan. Next we’ll discuss & demonstrate how to make a plan in MS project for simple SDLC.

Next Article :  MS Project tutorial 3 on Microsoft Project schedule

Related Articles in our Project Tutorial :

1. Top 10 Best Practices for Making an IT Project Successful

2. Top 7 reasons why large IT projects Fail

 

Share your comments  on best practices for building & tracking MS Project Plan

MS Project Tutorial -1

Are you frustrated with MS Projects because it's not behaving like EXCEL?

Are you sick and tired of watching video after video in Youtube but not getting the EXACT answer?

So, I decided to share these lessons for you based on my personal experience on large IT transformation program in last 20 odd years in IT & telecom industry across all continents.

Lesson 1:  Top 10 tips to new MS Project users 

1.    MS project is not Excel. If you think Excel is right tool ask yourself why Microsoft and IBM first created complex tool like Ms Project 13 or Rational tool concert (IBM) and create an update every year. So, by NOT using project tool is not an option.

2.    Work with subject matter expert to create a detailed activity list. You can create the list in Excel or Word.

• Identify which are fixed duration work and which are effort driven work (i.e. addition of resources might expedite delivery because it will shorten the duration). 

3.    Get the resource list ( i.e. people going to work)along with their availability ( calendar along with % of availability ) from each team.

• You need to add this resource information in the resource sheet.
• Never assign resource 100%.
• Always manage the schedule of experts in each group as they are the real accelerator of the program.

4.    Avoid using constraints (like Must Start On or Start No Earlier Than) to the extent possible it creates challenge during optimizing of the plan. It is important to identify the sequence of work before you the plan.

5.    Agree on a review schedule say weekly or fortnightly. Make sure to break all activity in smaller activity so that activity should complete between two reviews. Will discuss in detail during tracking of activity in future lessons.

6.    Familiar yourself with type of work like fixed duration, fixed work & fixed unit in the tool.

7.    Basic scheduling formula is duration = Work/Units. So, never adjust duration.

8.    Identify major milestones about which you need to communicate executive steering committee.

•        Get agreement on those milestones from all performing teams.
•        Avoid using milestones within summary tasks. 

9.    Identify all critical external dependencies like commercial, procurement in your program, deliverable from team whom your company outsource the work. Ensure a regular risk & issue management  because  these are major culprits for violation of project triangles  scope, time & budget

10.    Reduce the amount of slack (but never get rid of it all!) on individual tasks.

You  MUST  understand these 10  tips before you start making any plan with MS Project 13 or Rational Tool concert or anyother open source tool or online tool.

Initially, I will speak about system development life cycle. In future lessons I will explain how you can  customize Microsoft Projectc13 to support  Zachman enterprise architecture , methodologies of service CMMI, service transition, capacity planning.

I, personally follow critical chain for the overall program and extreme programming for team level service delivery. Will share with you how  you can write plug-ins in MS project to support theory of constraints and agile methodology.

Please note that  you can use "tutorial de project" is generic and you can even consider it for tutorial project 2007 or 2010.

Next article:  MS Project Tutorial  on best practices for building & tracking MS Project Plan.

Related Articles in our Project Tutorial :

1. Top 10 Best Practices for Making an IT Project Successful

2. Top 7 reasons why large IT projects Fail

Share your  tips om MS Project tutorial  below as comments or share the article in Facebook , LinkedIn or Myspace.

Vinita - The Warrior of life

Oh! God…!

“How do I pay for my mortgage?” Vinita cried out. She had just heard about the possible hike in interest rates on mortgages on her FM radio station, while she was driving towards home after another long and tiring day.

“God! Why don’t I get an increment, a promotion or another high paying job?” Vinita sobbed, feeling hopeless.

She became upset with herself and felt a choking feeling in her throat.

Parking her car, she walked towards the elevator slowly with her head down and her hands clasped tightly at her back, biting her lower lip.
Entering the elevator, she went up to her apartment and put the key into the key hole.

The door creaked loudly and Vinita entered her studio apartment quietly.

She went to the refrigerator and began to drink some of the chilled water she had left in there earlier, staring towards the floor and tracing circles in the carpet with her right big toe.

“Mama! What happened? You didn’t call me!” Vinita’s young daughter came running out to her and hugged her tightly.

“Mama! I already finished my homework today! Am I behaving like a good girl today?”

Vinita kissed her forehead and told her brightly, “Yes, of course Darling!”

Pinky began clapping with joy and jumping with the praise from mother. She began running around the room laughing and giggling.

“Mama, I told my friends that next month I’m going to go to Disneyland. Right, Mama?” she asked while Vinita hugged her tight.

A deep cry started choking Vinita’s through again; about to burst into tears, she felt a burning sensation in her eyes. Looking at her six-year-old daughter with teary eyes, she cleared her throat and managed to utter the words as she looked up at the ceiling in the room, “No, Pinky, we can’t go this time.”
Vinita started to feel her world crumbling like a house of cards. She felt so hopeless in the situation.

It all began a month ago when her boss Mr. Paxton had called her into his office telling her, “Vinita, it appears that your position at the company is no longer...” and that is all he had to give her. After sixteen long years – sick days, days Pinky was sick, days when she didn’t know how she was holding it together- making the long trips back and forth across town, especially through the traffic on Mumbai Street. She though process broke with her daughters wailing.

“Why! Mummy! Why? Why? You... promised me we would go! I wanted to go! I don’t know why....” she sobbed, “You have to take me to Disneyland!”
Vinita’s insides twisted and she began quivering at her knees. She slowly collapsed into a chair while staring blankly at Pinky. Emotionally drained she murmured, “Pinky, dear, forgive me.”

“Why? Why Mummy? What is the problem now?”

“Pinky, I promised that we would go because I was told that I would be getting a bonus this month, but I didn’t get one. “
“Mama that’s simple, just ask Socrates! Today our teacher told us how wise he was! I’m sure that if you tell him; ask him what you do, then we should can find a way to get to Disneyland!”

Vinita signed. She was upset and helpless in front of her own small daughter, who had just lost her father before being born. The poor child had no idea that Socrates was already dead.

Vinita NEEDED money, NOW. Right NOW, but how?

Her soliloquy, “Oh! GOD teaches me the MAGIC of making money...”

Dropping herself on the sofa tired and weeping, she prayed to God for help.

Click here the revelation  which helped Vinita to turn around in her life.

The Revelation

“Child! Why are you weeping?” Vinita heard the low silvery voice say.

She woke. There was no one. Pinky was sleeping on her bed. It was cold outside so she but an extra blanket on Pinky and took another one out for herself.
Switching off the lights she tried to go back to sleep.

Again, she heard the majestic voice, “Child, don’t look outside, look within yourself. I am here with you. Why are you calling me?”

Vinita was awake, but still asleep as many thoughts began jostling in her head. In her half-awake state, she managed to speak out, “I am tired and exhausted. Tell me how I can earn a million, how I can get a promotion and how I can begin living happily.”

Again, the voice reverberated, right at her ear, “Ask me only one question, and tell me what your greatest worry is.”

Vinita responded in her hypnagogic state, “Why, I haven’t had one promotion in the last sixteen years and now I’m losing my job. Why?”

“Again, you asked too many questions. Let me ask you, why do you think you never received a promotion?”

Vinita was awestruck. She had no clue why and if she had known at all, she clearly would have taken some action by now. She cried out, “You told me that you came here to help, so tell me exactly what I should do, I’m tired, and I’m clueless.”

This time, Vinita heard a very feeble voice, “Child, solutions to all these problems are already within you.”

There was a long pause and a deep silence. Then it was over.

Vinita became very disturbed. She drank a large glass of water and walked through the apartment for some time before feeling comfortable enough to try sleeping again.

As soon as she laid down in her bed again, Vinita heard the whispering, as if several people were talking at once. Feeling a lightness within her, feeling good, she drifted off to sleep. With all her muscles losing their strength, she finally fell asleep.


Suddenly she felt a transmission towards the center of her heart, as if thousands of white light bubbles were showering her.
“CHILD, everyone wants me to help them but I give my everything to you all. I live within each and every one of you. You have my intellect and my wisdom. I can help you search within yourself. Everyone wants treasure, islands and more, but these things must be earned Therefore, whomever you think gets the promotion in your office, may have been less deserving than you were. Instead, stop being jealous and think of a positive way that you can find a single point, giving yourself courage and a competitive advantage over the rest. Always remember that life sets up up with nothing but challenges to overcome, and that we must find the willingness to change it. You need to introspect and improve yourself, think and take actions! I am always here with you.”

Vinita managed to ask softly, “I will, but, when will you come again?”

There was no answer. The sound of a pin drop prevailed in the empty room.

Sitting up she found herself covered in a cold sweat. Staring at her body she slowly felt the strength returning to her limbs.
“Divine revelation?” Vinita asked herself.

Now, she has many mixed feelings. Motived and feeling good, her tiredness has gone. She walked into her study, turned on her computer, and began looking for more answers.

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Vibram Five Finger Vibram Review

 human foot is a work of art and a masterpiece of engineering.”—Leonardo Da Vinci
"I Love VFF Classic". I'm using this barefoot alternatives since 2010. 

Here is my experience with Vibram Five Fingers(VFF)

Find out what all the excitement is about - check out what people have to say about Vibram shoes in a five finger Vibram review! The first thing you'll discover when you check out the online reviews is that regular people love Vibram shoes.


Professional athletes love them too, and so do those who are working on correcting foot problems and troubles with walking and running correctly.


People who love to go barefoot, which is a very healthy habit, love Vibrams. They protect the foot, and work wonders for those who can't stand having their toes crammed into tight shoes.


Buy Vibram FiveFingers Bikila Running Shoe Online from Amazon


These shoes differ from other "barefoot" or minimalist shoes by giving you individual toe pockets. The Vibram Five Fingers not only let you use you pinkie toe, but they kind of force you to.


Another well-noted comment about Vibram shoes is that they help the wearer to walk and run correctly. The shoes produce a correct foot plant, not one that’s to the side, or too heavy on the heel. The body learns to move correctly, which solves many problems with both feet and legs.

Here is a Video by Tim Ferriss on VFF which inspired  me to say goodbye to other sports shoes for running

Other five finger Vibram review comments include thoughts about how the thin, yet durable rubber sole makes it possible to feel the earth under the lucky wearer's feet. And for those who love to be barefoot, but need protection when running or hiking, these are ideal.


Improved posture, better grip and stances during a yoga workout, a new “spring” in the step, and superior comfort round out the list of comments and compliments made regarding Vibram shoes.


The Vibram FiveFingers are available with as an open top slip on, an open top with straps, a mesh top with straps and a neoprene (wetsuit material) with straps giving you an option for almost any activity. No snow skiing model yet.  I use it for running. rock climbing, walking and even for swimming in sea.


The Vibram FiveFingers shoes are a minimalist or "barefoot" shoe that improves your body mechanics by letting your foot work the way it should and not the way it does in a shoe.

With this list of positive traits and characteristics, you'd be crazy not to check them out!

Cautions:


(1) There are complaints online of the VFF website sizing suggestions being inaccurate for some people. Get sized at a retail location that carries VFFs if possible. If you can’t, check the VFF return policy on their site or order through Amazon to ensure swaps are simple.


(2) VFFs are machine washable and should be air dried. 

(3)If you do try Vibrams, be sure to try them out very slowly as I did. Don’t go for a 5 mile run right away.

I initially bought the Classic. They are the easiest to get on and off. I use them most.

If you are still undecided about the Vibram FiveFingers read Chris adam's experience wearing the Vibram FiveFingers Shoes and Daniel Vitalis's article on rewild yourself or My Take on the Vibram FiveFingers Running Shoes by Michael Hyatt.

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Running Attire and the Gear

Ask a Question on Vibram shoes or share your tips below ?

Why Vibram Five Is So Popular?

Vibram Five Running Shoes Are the Hottest Trend in Running

Everyone knows that running is an excellent way to get in shape. It's great for your heart, and does wonders for your body. Up until now, traditional running shoes are the only thing we've had to choose from for foot protection, support and comfort. But now, Vibram Five running shoes are changing all of the old ideas about what to wear on your feet for the best running experience.

If you're a seasoned runner, you've probably already heard of these odd-looking shoes. Even running newbies are curious about them. They might look weird, but they offer a more physically correct way of running.

These shoes look a whole lot more like socks with toes than your typical running shoes. They’re thin and lightweight, and actually mimic the barefoot running experience, while still offering your foot plenty of protection with a rugged and durable sole. Running “barefoot” in your Vibram Five running shoes will help to improve your agility, balance and foot and calf strength. 

Runners the world over are getting in on the Vibram trend, all finding that when running in these exceptionally engineered shoes, they have a more natural and comfortable stride and foot plant, and that muscles that are not exercised properly when wearing regular running shoes get a real workout with Vibram footwear.

Odd looking? Yes. Excellent for creating a better running workout? You bet!

Visit running attire & gear to get huge discount.

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Vibram-Fingers-Shoe

The New Vibram Fingers Shoe Is the Best Choice for Running and Fitness

Do you want to improve your fitness and strength? 

Do you want to increase your range of motion, balance and agility?

You can do this with the new Vibram fingers shoe. The Vibram shoe is fairly new on the market and has gained a huge and dedicated following of athletes who wear it for running, fitness training, yoga, climbing, water sports, hiking and more.

Buy Vibram Fivefingers Men's Komodosport Ls From Amazon

[image source: birthdayshoes.com ]

The benefits of its innovative design include a sole that’s much thinner and more lightweight than that of traditional athletic shoes. This is wonderful because your movements become more natural, and you develop a better step.

From those who wear the new Vibram Fingers shoe, you'll hear a range of positive comments about the design. This shoe is like wearing a second skin, and while it offers full protection for the foot, it also allows the foot to move fully, strengthening foot muscles, increasing balance, and improving posture as well.

From those who see the shoe, you'll hear lots of comments and questions about its design. The shoe has toes in it - just like toe socks, but better. And your whole foot is surrounded by the lightweight material that the shoe is composed of. The foot is hugged. It's like being barefoot.

New products come and go, as do styles of fitness shoes. But the Vibram is here to stay. This innovation is one that will be used and appreciated by fitness buffs and athletes for years to come. Its breakthrough design is quite possibly the best one for getting the most comprehensive fitness and running experience possible.

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The Best Way to Lose Weight – Top Tips

“You can’t turn back the clock, but you can wind it up again.” – Barbara Johnson

What Triggered Richard & Karl To Get Back In Shape?  

 

 

Take Care For Your Health From Today

For men and women over 40, finding the best way to lose weight can be a challenge. But staying motivated  to meet that challenge
is an even more important factor.

Therefore, last week we arranged a dinner for our weight loss support group, so that we could discuss the importance of motivation. We invited Dr. Shila, a clinical psychologist, to join us and explain what we must do in order to see a permanent weight change.

The 3 key points are as follows:

1) A trigger – An event that pushes us past our limiting beliefs, causing a behavioral change.
2) Ability – Knowing you have the resources to successfully shed those pounds.
3) Motivation – Something that will encourage you to keep reaching for your goal.

Dr. Shila then presented two great weight loss success stories, in which a trigger caused a permanent behavioral change.

Richard’s Story

Source: Grace Murano

Richard Jefferies, 48, was tipping the scales at 24 stone (336 lbs.), yet he didn’t recognize his problem until he became wedged in a car on the “Sonic Spinball” ride at Alton Towers in the UK.

The father of four was at the theme park with his daughter Isabella, 8, when he realized he was struggling to fit into the ride. Staff had to stand on the bar in order to make it lock into place around Richard, making it hard for him to even breathe.

At the end of the ride, his embarrassment only increased as it took several staff members to heave him out.

Richard says that he was spurred on by the mortifying experience and immediately began a fitness regimen, which included eating salads and hitting the gym. In just over a year, Richard shed 114 lbs. and now weighs a much healthier 230 lbs.

He had considered weight loss surgery in the past, however after joining gym, proper dieting with slow carb & high protein along with dramatically changing his lifestyle, the weight and belly fat started to drop off.

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Karl’s Story

Source : fatloss story

A bulky bridegroom who weighed nearly 300 lbs. lost nearly half his body weight after feeling embarrassed by his own wedding photos.

He was horrified when he saw the photos of him and his new wife, and felt that his massive bulk had 'ruined' the entire wedding album.

Karl joined his local Slimming World group after returning from his honeymoon. He ditched all take away food, which he was eating up to FIVE times a week, and started a low calorie eating plan, coupled with cardiovascular exercise at the gym. He lost 120 lbs. in only 10 short months and now weighs an astonishing 165 lbs.!

Are you looking for the best online fat loss help?

Click here   

Here are 4 more tips from Dr. Shila on the best way to lose weight & get in shape!

1) Lose Fat and Build Muscle with the RIGHT workout

Do you want to lose weight, or fat?

I’m sure that your answer is fat. This means that you need to change your body composition by creating a workout plan which consists of the right combination of exercises. Start with aerobic exercise to increase your stamina, and include strength training to build and shape your muscles. You’ll also need to increase brown fat in your body.

2) Secrets of Motivation 

External and internal motivations both play a key role in helping you meet your short and long-term weight and fitness goals.

Examples of external motivations include: clothes not fitting well, pressure from family and friends, doctor advising weight control, cholesterol or thyroid related issues.

While external motivation may help you overcome many short-term challenges, people who are successful in losing weight are also usually motivated by internal factors. To increase your internal motivation you could keep a weight loss journal, and acknowledge all of your successes, no matter how small.

3) Build Confidence!

Psychological factors play an important role in weight loss. You need to build up the belief that you can successfully stick to your fat loss program.

If you start your weight loss journal with the words, “I CAN LOSE WEIGHT!” your psychological ability to lose weight will greatly improve.

Reese T, a client of Dr. Shila, mentioned that he used a koo-dohz motivational weight loss bracelet, which has helped him stay motivated.

4) What You NEED To Stop Doing If You Want to Lose Weight

If you want to shed pounds, first you need to find out which of the most common weight loss mistakes might be preventing you from getting the results you want.

• Setting unrealistic goals 
• Using ‘lack of time’ as an excuse
• Going it alone – Biggest Loser runner-up, Hannah Curlee, mentions the importance of getting support from your family and friends
• Sitting all day
• Compensating for lack of exercise by eating more ‘healthy’ food

Inspirational Video on Weight Loss 

These two success stories and the inspirational video shows how powerful our motivational triggers can be in driving us forward until we have reached our goals.

"You don't need the motivation tank to be full to drive, you just need to prevent it from running on empty," says Joshua C. Klapow, Ph.D. You can read his book, Living SMART: 5 Essential Skills to Change Your Health Habits Forever.

Other  Weight Loss related articles in health category

• Tips On Best Way To Lose Weights
• Brown Fat
• Why am I fat?
• obesity treatment guidelines to lose weight quickly
• Is Obesity A Caveman Curse ?

Additional Resources on lose weight & get in shape

• L TYROSINE for wight loss: As a precursor to the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine, L-tyrosine has been theoretically claimed to help speed metabolism, promoting weight loss.  
• How to lose weight if I have lower vertebrae problems? Paleo diet & lifestyle along with swimming can be helpful. Read great articles on WebMD dieting forums
• Why experts say a dramatic cut in calories is not the best way to begin weightloss after having a baby
•  Several studies have looked at postmenopausal body weight control and diets. A recent study by examining the eating habits of 419 overweight and obese menopausal and postmenopausal women.
•  Click the link for a great article on how to lose weight after c-section while breastfeeding
• Are you considering weight loss surgery? I suggest you to consult doctor and take their. You will find very informative articles on Webmd & Mayoclinic.

Share your comments on how to get motivated to lose weight and your fat loss tips!

About the author: Arindam formed a local weight loss support  group in 2007 because when it comes to losing weight, it's not what you know – it's WHAT YOU DO. So, we include people from all walks of life. We arrange sessions from renowned Doctors, Fitness Instructors, Nutritionist. We also formed a laughing & jogging club. We do arrange various sessions regularly & check progress of our members. Here we motivate each other to take care of our health.We do interact with various other groups across the globe. We raise funds to help people to fight against various obesity related disease & awareness of obesity related problems. This is a non profit group.

Latest Project management tools from Lego

Project resource time management tips

I did a survey on "What's the  most critical problem in managing large complex project in a matrix organization?"

Around 60% responded project resource allocation and getting commitments for the same from various teams.

People adopted various options to manage these issue.

Here is a great news for all project managers.

Here is the latest development in this area."Lego calendar uses bricks to organize your office, makes productivity adorable."

How this tool can help you?

• This will be an organizational calendar that is "big and visible".
• It gives a visual feedback about which employee is scheduled to work on what project and when for next three months.
• You can take a picture & mail it to a special email address & it will be translated to its Google Calendar equivalent.
• This will be an online tool

For more info visit vitaminsdesign.com/projects/lego-calendar/

Life is like a Marathon Race

Life Lessons From Running and Completing A Marathon

 Date: January 19, 2010 at 5:54am

“If you want to win something, run 100 meters. If you want to experience something, run a marathon” -Emil Zatopek

Dr. Sumit Dutta Chowdhury

                                                            

I finished my first full marathon in Mumbai this weekend. It took me 45 minutes more than I had planned. While I was running the distance for the first time, I contemplated on how the whole experience of preparing and running the Marathon, has so many parallels to living life and the lessons that can be learnt in the process. I learnt how spiritual this experience can be and how it builds character. I am taking the liberty to pen down my thoughts that are fresh from the long hours spent on the hot concrete road yesterday.

Life is like a Marathon because:

1) Anyone can run the Marathon: Marathon is a race that mimics life and just like everyone has equal opportunity to live a life, anyone can run a marathon – young and old, woman and man, elite athlete and novice beginner, thin or fat person. Running a marathon is a unique experience. It is the only sports competition that I am aware of where a beginner can rub shoulders with and compete with the elite athletes of the world.

2) You have to set long-terms goals in life: It is almost impossible to start running and run a Marathon- even if you are super fit. Once you have decided to run, you have to set a goal. It could be a very simple goal of just finishing or finishing within a certain time. Winning does not matter. Anyone who crosses the finish line is a winner. More seasoned runners can set other goals. Each person has their own goal and almost no two goals are identical. This is very similar to your personal goals in life. They are your own and they are set independent of what the goals are for other people. You can get some benchmark from people who are your age or your education or your community. There will be no one who will encourage you nor will anyone make you do anything. You will have to do it yourself. Similarly in life, or at work, one has to set ones goals for achievement and excellence. It cannot be set by anyone else. It is very easy to give up on goals that are set by yourself. Once you build the determination in life to achieve goals that you set for yourself, life becomes a piece of cake – so will running a marathon or running will help you build this determination to go after goals that you set for yourself.

3) You have to practice to move towards your goals: There is nothing that can be achieved by just setting goals. You have to practice and practice with determination – with a view of the end result. Each practice should lead you a little closer to your goals. Week after week, month after month, with the training and guidance you build up your miles. Doing the same thing every day does not move you closer to your goal. You have to have the wish to improve in each practice. Repetition with the desire to improve. In life or at work too you have to do the same. Each time you do your job, you have to have the desire to do it better. This awareness will take you a long way.

4) Most of the time you are running and competing against yourself and time: In a marathon, unless you are a World Record holder or a medal hopeful (You will not be reading this blog in that case) everyone else is running for their own goals. You start the race with thousands of people and slowly as you race forward, many drop out. Finally you find a set of people who will share the journey with you. The people who were your co-runners in the first 10 kms are probably not the ones that remain with you in the last 10kms. In life, you will also find the similar situation where your colleagues will be different as you progress through life. People will come and go. This has a very important life lesson – you cannot compare yourself or compete against one person all the time. You have to set your own goals and they may probably is higher or better than people who you traditionally compare against.

5) There are times in life when you have to work hard to change the orbit you play in: There are various types of Marathons and you can set your goals in each category and completely conquer that field or you can choose to run harder/faster/longer and change the type of race you are running. From Dream Run of 6km to Half Marathon. From Half Marathon to Full Marathon, from Full Marathon to Ultra Marathon (Ultra Marathons are 50+ races and can go to beyond 250kms). You can set goals within category or decide to change categories. These are all personal goals that you set and there is no one who will force you to change. The effort require to change the orbit is not trivial and you will soon realize that lots of lessons are learnt only by having the desire and the giving required effort to change ones orbit. These lessons are NOT learnt in each orbit, they are learnt in the process of change.

6) You have to face several challenges: These will test your endurance and determination to succeed. You have mile markers along the way that will set your interim goals. These are very important to keep reminding you about your achievement and the ultimate destination. In life, you need short term goals to meet your long term goals. Each goal can be a test and a challenge and overcoming these leads you to reach your final destination. Sometimes the long term goals seems too far away so these short term goals helps you keep going. Don’t stop and get disheartened. Sometimes we have a tremendous urge to quit, to give up, to throw in the towel. Having the ability to overcome those urges and keep going makes all the difference in life.

7) You need a coach and/or an inspiration: In your path to enlightenment, you need a guru to pull you through the last few rungs of the ladder. Your coach will show you the way, encourage you, push you and finally motivate you. There has to be an internal desire to get a coach in life. You need people to cheer you on. Life is not interesting if you silently keep achieving your goals and no one is there to cheer you. You also need people you will try to emulate or be inspired by.

According to Jim Brennan - The most important advantage of running a marathon is developing and possessing a runner's mentality. Runners enjoy indisputable benefits such as good health, discipline, and perseverance, but I believe the acquisition of a runner's mentality trumps all. The benefits of running emanate from this mentality. It is a mentality that you don't wake up one morning and decide to adopt; it's earned after years and kilometers of running in the heat, humidity, rain, and other countless oppressive conditions.

But foremost, running keep stress under control and enables you to confront life's toughest challenges with relative calm and even clairvoyance. Reducing stress is the predominant benefit because stress kills. So persist and take refuge in a runner's mentality. Life will give a lot back to you.

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• Why Camelbak Magic Hydration Pack?
• 10 Tips on How to Run A 5K
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• Running Attire and the Gear
• 5k Running for a cause
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The Fivefingers Vibram Shoe Is Groundbreaking

How To Use VFF Shoes To Get Maximum Benefits

Anyone who has participated in hiking, jogging, running, climbing and other forms of exercise knows that the standard athletic shoes used for such ventures often leave a bit to be desired.

Standard shoes are heavy, can be constricting or loose in places, and sometimes can be more of a pain than a fitness asset. That's why the fivefingers Vibram shoe is so revolutionary.

Vibram shoes are extremely lightweight, made with thin materials. They're so light in fact, that people who wear them often comment that it's like going barefoot. This featherweight shoe makes your fitness endeavors easier and more effective. Movements become more natural, as if you really are going barefoot. That's better no matter what you're doing.

5 Benefits of Vibram FiveFingers in Physical Therapy

1. Building Strength in Targeted Muscle Groups - For patients who have suffered injuries in their feet or legs and are on the path to recovery, Vibrams can provide the potential to build muscle strength in atrophied regions more effectively.

2. Improving Range of Motion because Vibrams separate the wearer’s toes, a whole new range of motion is opened up. Most shoes constrict the foot and impair natural motion, but Vibrams encourage the body to move without constraints. This helps the foot and toes to move more naturally.

3. These shoes stimulate neural function, causing thousands of neurological receptors in the feet to send important information to the brain. As a result of this phenomenon, balance and agility are improved naturally.

4. It help in aligning spine & improving posture.These shoes lower the heel during walking and running, which helps to distribute body weight evenly across the foot bed. This contributes to improved posture and spinal alignment.

5. The innovatively designed Vibrams feel great because they promote natural body movement.

To get the most out of VFF you need to pick one with correct size along with proper socks for cold weather.

The human body was created to walk and run naturally, and this is the closest thing you can get to that without leaving your feet fully exposed to the elements by wearing nothing on them. This might sound quite weird and even a bit dangerous.

Video on Vibram Five Fingers size fit guide 

Is your doubt how can it protect your feet because it's so light?

That's a good question. But your feet are fully protected on the bottom by a patented rubber sole that provides excellent grip, traction and feeling - and on the top by strong, tear-resistant fabrics and materials.

Finally, the fivefingers Vibram shoes has toes. Each of your toes fits snugly into its own space. This helps improve your balance and agility by leaps and bounds. It's an odd-looking shoe, but it's also a groundbreaking shoe that helps make every movement more natural, healthy and strong.

vibram five fingers sizing chart

 vibram five fingers fitting guide - 5 tips

1.  Measure your feet (heel to longest toe) with a ruler
2.  If your foot size measures below 9 1/2 inches, try Women’s models
3.  If your foot size measures above 10 3/8 inches, try Men’s Models
4.  Vibram FiveFingers fit the foot precisely - An accurate measurement is the key to an accurate fit
5. Also plan for Injinji Micro Toesocks .

There is no direct conversion from a regular shoe size to Vibram FiveFingers. Click here to see the charts which you can use as a guide. If you fall between Vibram FiveFingers sizes, go up to the larger size

Visit birthdayshoes.com for more information on vibram fitting tips.

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Running Earbuds and Headphones

How to wear headphones while running ?

 Earbuds and headphones are accessories that are used by some runners to prevent any distraction

image source:nymag.com

from sounds and noises that are present in the environment. Actually they us motivated in running

This distraction causes a drop in performance that frustrates these runners. This is why they always keep their running earbuds and headphones ready, whether they are training or actually taking part in a long race.

These accessories are meant to be plugged in the ears, so as to listen to music and stay motivated while running. Whether hitting a road or a muddy park, you want to concentrate on your performance and not be distracted by the sounds emanating from the people and things around you.

However, sweat around the ears causes the ear plugs to be displaced from their original place, irritating the runners. You are a fighter and do not quit when you bare drenched with sweat. The same should be the case with your running earbuds and headphones, so as to keep your motivational levels high while running.

Certain high quality headphones are available in the market that does not let the ear buds to pop out of the ears with every second step of the runner.

So before you lace up, check out these 5 great pairs of running headphones. On your mark, get set, go! 

1. Bowers & Wilkins C5 In-Ear Headphones
2. Klipsch Image X7i
3. Plantronics BackBeat Go
4. Sennheiser CX 680 Sports
5. Apple EarPods  

All these are headphones that stay in while running

How to keep earbuds in when running

Wrap earbuds over your ear to keep them from falling out. This is one of those dead simple ideas that might make you feel a little silly if you haven't thought of it yourself, but it works great and costs zero dollars.

Source: Lifehacker

However, besides this feature, you must also listen to the quality of sound before deciding on which headphone to buy for yourself.

Is It Dangerous to Run With Headphones?

Double Olympic champion James Cracknell been known to wear headphones while running a marathon, but the lead was just tucked into my shorts – it wasn't plugged into anything. The headphones were purely for appearances.

A recent study found that injuries among pedestrians wearing headphones tripled between 2004 and 2011, with most accidents occurring in urban areas.

Share your view on running earbuds & headphones and visit our section on running attire & gear for buying your stuffs  at discounted price.

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• What I learned from my first marathon
• Running Earbuds and Headphones
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  Ask a question

Why Vibram Five Fingers Shoes Are Executive's Choice?

Vibram Five Fingers Shoes Make Casual Day at Work More Fun

Have you seen the new Vibram Five Fingers shoes yet? 

VFF are decidedly different and people are flocking to them for the benefits of a better foot plant when walking or running, better agility, balance, posture, toe spread, comfort, foot strength and other great perks.

In 2007, Time magazine named Vibram FiveFingers one of the best inventions of the year. Then the barefoot-running craze took off. Vibram’s “shoes with toes” became a mega-trend.

Two Reasons Behind the popularity of Vibram Footwear

(1)They’re so comfortable that you'll want to wear them every day - not just when you're working out, but for everyday wear.

(2) They’re the next best thing to going barefoot, which is the healthiest condition for your feet.

People are wearing Vibrams around the house, for walking the dog, for shopping, commuting and to work. 

Buy Vibram Mens Casual Shoe From Amazon

Wouldn't it be great to wear your Vibram five finger shoes for casual day at work?

These would be perfect with a pair of jeans or comfortable khakis, and you'll have the extra bonus of being really, truly comfortable.

The innovative design of Vibram shoes is what makes them so special. They hug your feet, but don't squeeze them into shapes they aren't meant to go into. They protect your feet, but are thin enough that you can feel the ground below you. They provide traction and grip, but are nothing at all like the traditional shoes you're accustomed to wearing.

Vibram shoes are right for any occasion where better comfort and health are important. Wear them for your morning yoga workout. Put them on when you're headed to the grocery store or coffee shop. Wear them when running errands or running five miles. And definitely enjoy wearing them for casual day at the office.

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