Everybody feels nervous prior to a competition. This is normal. However, nervousness often results in a lack of confidence and drive to win. In France, there are various competitions from sports and their favorite poker games. This year, car enthusiasts were thrilled to join the Cross Channel Sports Cars contest where they’ll be given a chance to win a luxury 3-day motoring break to the South-west of France while driving a classic Morgan sports car. So for those planning to join this contest or any tournament, here are some tips that will work for you.

Practice makes perfect:

Before anything else, practice beats any nervousness rattling you inside. You need to be certain that you can do your best and that nothing can go wrong. Even for a country deemed to be the home of poker, professional French poker players still practice their craft and even more when they’re about to compete. One of the famous poker personalities in France is Bruno Lopes AKA “Kool Shen.” He’s also known as a hip hop/rap icon in the country. Lopes admits to playing online poker during his spare time under his screen name “93styles93.” Online poker websites such as Partypoker.fr have sponsored many professionals and established players. Just like Lopes they, too, use online poker games to practice their craft. Some of the poker pros under the Team PartyPoker are Kara Scott, Mike Sexton and Tony G.

Just keep trying:

In order to reap success in any competition, you must never stop on your first failure. According to Financial Times columnist Tim Harford book, Adapt: Why Success Always Start with Failure? “Success comes through rapidly fixing our mistakes rather than getting things right [the] first time.” The book also explained that the wrong way to react to failure is by chasing your losses. We’re so anxious not to “draw a line under a decision we regret” that we end up creating more damage while trying to erase it. For example, poker players who’ve just lost some money are primed to make riskier bets than they’d normally take, in a hasty attempt to win the lost money back. It’s best to deal with failure by striving hard to get success. Enter as many competitions as possible. The more competitions you enter, the greater your chance of winning something.

Enjoy the game:

Although competition entails seriousness, you must never forget to have fun. Remember that you’re doing it because you love doing this. If it starts to feel like work, it’s best to practice some relaxation exercises such as the 90-second relaxation technique presented at The Quiet Place Project website. Take breaks whenever you can. That’s the reason why athletes have on and off seasons. Take those off seasons and do something amazing. Savor your accomplishments and then move on because you have more important duties to fulfill.

The aim of the guidelines above is to refocus you so that you are positive and confident in your ability. So whether you’re a poker player joining the French Poker Series or an athlete ready to be drafted this season, remember that you only achieve what you believe so dream big and work on it.

Nationwide Vehicle Contracts (NVC) has kicked-off its Countdown to Christmas extravaganza today (30 November).  The leading car leasing firm will be giving away a prize every day until 23 December, with a special mystery prize up for grabs on the final day of the competition.

Prizes include the latest must-have gadgets, such as an Apple iPod Touch 32GB, a Microsoft Xbox 360 250GB console and a Panasonic Blu-ray Disc Player.

Car-related prizes are also included, such as a Garmin Nuvi 2445 Sat Nav, while the kids don’t miss out, with NVC adding a Furby and a Scalextric Turbo Flyers Race Set to the prize pool.

To enter, visit the Countdown to Christmas page on NVC’s website and answer a simple Christmas-related question. Participants can enter once a day via the website, where a new question will be published daily until 23 December.  Good luck!

For more information about NVC, visit www.nationwidevehiclecontracts.co.uk

The 70s were iconic for all things fashion but it isn’t just flower power and bell bottoms that make for a style revival. Fiat, already offering us covetable city cars, is launching the new Fiat 500 Colour Therapy range, with a “Far Out” hark back to the 1970s.

In celebration, Glam has joined forces with Fiat 500 to offer one lucky reader the chance to invest in their modern-day wardrobe with a £500 spree in shopping mecca Selfridges, ensuring the winner can shop ‘til they drop.

Guaranteed to turn heads, the Fiat 500 Colour Therapy range comes in a line of five vibrant 70s colours with retro white detailing in both hatchback and convertible versions. With the choice of the award winning TwinAir engine, which has CO2 emissions so low, you won’t need to pay London congestion charge or road tax*.

We love the five special paint colours: New Age Cream, Countrypolitan Yellow, Pasodoble Red, Volare Blue and Tech House Grey that have been immortalised by top fashion and beauty photographer Elisabeth Hoff for the new Fiat campaign. White door mirror covers and stylish new touches make these the most fabulous cars on the road – make sure you are at the wheel.

Q: How many 70s inspired colours are available in the new Fiat 500 Colour Therapy range?

a)    2

b)    3

c)    5

To be in with a chance of winning the £500 shopping spree, email competitions@glam.com with the answer to the question below along with your name, address and contact details.

Terms & conditions:

There is one prize on offer.  The prize consists of one £500 Selfridges gift card. There is no prize alternative.

Travel and any other extras are not included

The gift card must be used within Selfridges terms and conditions.

The prize is non-transferable and non-exchangeable and no cash or credit alternatives are available

In the event of circumstances outside of its control, the promoter reserves the right to substitute an alternative prize of equal or greater value should the prize be unavailable for any reason

Competition is open to UK residents aged 18 and over

*London Congestion Charge exemption requires TFL registration, £10 annual fee. No charge for vehicle excise duty on band A vehicles. Subject to change.

BlackBerry have created a really fun game to highlight the amazing apps available on their new Bold 9790 and Curve 9320 handsets, and what’s more by playing the game you can be in with the chance of winning a brand new BlackBerry 9320 and £250 of shopping vouchers.  Educating, fun and a chance of prizes; what are you waiting for?  Click the link to play now!

http://blackberrythechase.glam.co.uk

The Dutch: talented, good-looking, and speaking a level of English that most of us can only aspire to.  Wouldn’t you like to sit next to an actual Dutch person, on a flight to Holland or New York?  (You: “Yes!”)  What if they weren’t just a regular, run-of-the-mill Dutch person, but a Dutch celebrity?  Alas, Van Gogh is long dead, so for KLM’s Be My Guest competition you could win a flight sat 
next to football legend star Ruud Gullit, supermodel Yfke Sturm or No.1 DJ Armin Van 
Buuren.

Go to Be My Guest for an online conversation with one of six Dutch celebrities, 
and if you fit the bill they might pick you!  Winners will also receive companion 
tickets and a trip catered around their chosen celebrity.

The prizes available are:

• Space trip to Amsterdam with astronaut Wubbo Ockels

• Design trip to Berlin with designer Hella Jongerius

• Film trip to Venice with actor Jeroen Krabbe

• Football trip to London with Ruud Gullit

• Fashion trip to New York with supermodel Yfke Sturm

• Music trip to the USA with DJ Armin Van Buuren.

The KLM Be My Guest competition is part of ‘Meet & Seat’, a revolutionary 
new service where passengers can link their Facebook or LinkedIn profile to
 their KLM ticket.