Love, Think and Eat Your Way to the PMP Exam

The PMP exam is not your average high school examination where you can cram like crazy, feign failure of physical fitness on the day of the exam, and cross your fingers your teacher will swallow your Oscar-worthy performance hook, line and sinker. In short order, you have to prepare most rigorously for the PMP exam.

After all, passing this Professional Management Institute-administered examination is not just one more gem in your crown of achievements. You can cash in on your credentials with juicier job opportunities, for one thing. However, age, health, and lifestyle demands can get in the way of preparation and concentration. You need these brain boosters to get your brain power back on track while you enjoy doing them.

Love, Love, Love

Literally, that is. When you feel like slacking off on your review, you should make love to your wife or girlfriend. You have to be warned though: great monogamous sex is still the best mood booster.

And when you mood is better, you feel better, you concentrate better, you memorize better and you understand better. Now, if only you will not fall asleep after all that horizontal ballroom dancing because your PMP exam review materials are waiting for you to caress them, too.

Also, you can love your body by doing simple exercises in between reading and answering your review materials. When you exercise, you improve blood circulation throughout your body, thereby increasing blood flow to your brain. You can just stand up, touch your toes, and do jumping jacks for a few minutes to get your brain juices flowing again.

Furthermore, a hug, a kiss, a few encouraging words to family members and friends to show you care for them is good for your exam preparation. You have to tap into your support system to ensure that you keep your sanity in the midst of it all.

Think, Think, Think

But not negative thoughts. You have to stay positive for most of the times you are preparing for the PMP exam. Remember that what we think, we become. The key is in controlling your thoughts towards the things you desire, visualizing those things clearly in your mind and taking inspired action towards the attainment of your goals.

To achieve a positive state of mind, you have to surround yourself with positive people. You should be around family and friends who will make you laugh and relax, think positive thoughts, share the same interests and understand your PMP exam preparation for what it is - very important to your career but secondary to your personal life.

That being said, you need to avoid people who do nothing but complain about the unfairness of life. You can get depressed and discouraged just listening to them whine.

Eat, Eat, Eat

Just don't overdo it. You have to eat to keep up your energy. However, don't eat everything in sight and take the book-under-the-pillow to extremes by turning it into a PMBOK-eating exercise.

Keep these tips in mind when choosing what foods to eat:
1) keep unhealthy fats off your plate;
2) go for dark-colored fruits and vegetables especially spinach and broccoli;
3) eat plenty of fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines; and
4) chow down on whole grains like brown rice and whole-wheat pasta.

When you have enough love from your family and friends, have positive thoughts and have eaten healthy, you can be sure to ace your PMP exam. Now, buckle down and achieve another feather to your cap!