Goal Setting Skills In Action, A Little Revision or The Surprising Power Of Mini Goals

This past week I have been using my time to work toward my BIG goal of getting my book into print. This is no small task and without some sort of plan, realised, I would not find it easy to mobilise myself into action.

So, I set about creating one and now have, what I believe to be, a blueprint for making this book a physical reality.

Along the way however I realised I needed to do a bit of revision in the goal setting area. How had I achieved things in the past, I began to ask? What stratergies had I used when I was losing weight or writing my first ebook?

Since I had actually written extensively about this subject in my ebook, I thought that taking another look at what I had already written about goal setting (in relation to losing weight) might be helpful.

I then thought I might also share this revision with you, so below is a brief extract (edited and reshaped) from Reframe Weight Loss. It is from Chapter 6, Gaining Your Goal Setting Skills. NB The emphasis in the extract is on weight loss goals, but you can substitute your own goals for the weight loss ones and I hope still find some relevance for you.

Start of Extract

Prelude: After discussing my own strategy and then emphasizing the importance  of a goal achieving strategy, I then continue with the following:-

 Chiefly, these strategies were and should be for you:

1. State and express your goal in a positive way. 

2. Be exact!! State exactly when, using a specific date and time that you want to achieve your goal by. A good adage to keep in mind with this strategy is:

3. IT IS IMPORTANT TO TIME YOUR PLAN, BUT ALSO TO PLAN YOUR TIME!

4. Next, write all your goals down on a piece of paper.

5. Place them somewhere where you will see (and review them) often!!

Bite-sized Tasks 

 Okay, so that’s a simple approach to the BIG GOAL. Now, to the real ‘magic’ of goal setting – breaking it down.

It is my belief that no one has ever gotten anything done by sitting and looking only at the BIG PICTURE. That’s not the thing to focus on.

Although it is always important to have that vision alive and vibrant in your mind, it is actually in achieving the many mini goals along the way that is going to get you there. Similar to the BIG GOAL, your mini goals should also have a ‘to be completed by’ date and time. Once again, be precise and be specific.

For  example, your first mini goal may be ‘to lose two kg by the first day of the next month this year. (As I don’t know the exact date that you’re reading this, I’ll let you fill in the more specific month names and year!) After you have a list of all your mini goals, it’s now time to set some even smaller mini goals.

Staying with our mini goal of losing two kg by the first day of the next month, let’s break it down even further. First, two kg in one month is approximately 0.5kg a week.

Great, a much more achievable outcome and one you can ‘see’ clearly and work toward!

From here, the next step is to define the actions and steps you are going to take daily that will get you to that 0.5kg. If you’ve read the preceding chapters of this book, then I think you already know how to do that.

Now however, is the time to get specific. You may end up with about 10 mini tasks that you are going to perform this week, or perhaps a daily ‘to do list’.

Achieving and crossing off these daily tasks will get you to that weekly goal of 0.5kg weight loss.

A review of some of the work we have done so far may assist you in writing these mini tasks. I can set out an example for you of what the first five might look like (they may be familiar to you, as we’ve already touched on them earlier), but it will be up to you to write your own personal and relevant ones. Okay, so maybe something like this:

1. This week, I will continue the exercises I have begun in ‘The Seven-day Plan.’ If I have joined a gym, I will attend three times this week!!

2. For this week, I will only home cook. No takeaway food (this includes snacks and meals).

3.My home cooking will be from my own low-fat recipe book or from my own personal eating plan.

 4. I will replace all my between-meal snacks with fruit, low-fat yoghurt or a low-fat protein smoothie.

 5. I will stay within my calculated ‘calories for weight loss’ and keep an accurate record of everything I eat and drink.

 Important: stay mindful of your mini tasks and remind yourself of them frequently throughout the week.

Setting weekly mini goals is the way to continue, and if at any point even these seem too hard, then take a step back, be realistic and reset some smaller goals; ones that you KNOW without a doubt that you wil.l achieve.

 Gently Raising The Bar

I would like to quickly share with you a simple short story about ‘raising the bar’ that may help clarify for you the effectiveness of ‘mini goals’. It is about a method used in Japan to train children into ‘Ninja Warriors’, and is similar to one that many high jumpers also use to gradually improve their performance. 

For each Ninja child in training a bamboo shoot is planted, and from the very first day that child must jump over it. As it grows and gets higher, the children continue to jump over it on a daily basis. At first, when the bamboo shoot is very low, the task is simple. Then as the canes get a fraction higher each day, the children have to stretch themselves and jump a little higher to succeed. The result however is that they all end up jumping over quite tall canes with surprising ease.

The metaphor for us is clear. Doing just a little bit more, pushing ourselves just a little bit further each day, can amount to huge achievements in our lives, achievements that may not have been possible to attain without a commitment to some smaller daily improvements.

From little things, big things grow!!

I would also just like to add that I have faith that you can find the inspiration (indeed I hope you already have, in this book!!) to achieve each new behaviour, each new habit and each new way to be that you set your mind to. Just like the little Ninja Warriors.”

End Of Extract

That is the extract that I re-read this week and it has helped me to make some progress toward the mini tasks required to achieve my BIG task of publishing my book in print. Just like when I was working toward reaching my weight loss goal (which was a big number of kilos to lose) I am trying not to get overwhelmed with the BIG PICTURE, but rather to focus on the bite sized tasks that are easy and achievable for me on a daily basis.

 But what do you think?

Is this a good way to go about achieving BIG goals?

 

What goal achieving strategies have you employed?

 

Are they effective and do they  make the project (what ever it is) more manageable and achievable for you?

 

Are you working toward some BIG GOAL in your life?

Are there any tips or strategies of your own you can teach us about or add to my list of goal setting strategies?

Networking, Fiction Writing and Why I Committed A Cardinal Blogging Sin

As most of you would know, there are a lot of other “cyber tasks” (apart from actually writing blog posts) that fill up a busy bloggers day ie visiting other blogs, editing and emailing guest posts ( my first soon to go up at WriteAnything ), researching ideas, cyber networking and leaving comments on other blogs.

What can I say, I like to keep busy!

Anyhow, due to all of the above, and a few other things I will go into in a moment, this week I happily committed (perhaps not a cardinal, but rather just a venial sin) of ‘reposting’ a previous post.

Personally I don’t think there is anything greatly wrong with that.

After all your readership may have grown over time and what’s wrong with a little resharing of some relevant and perhaps interesting facts about a particular topic?

Nothing Monica, except I’d read it before, I hear you say.

Yes, well, as I am now in the confessional box, I may as well mention to you another significant factor that affected my (blogging and all other aspects of) life last week. It was called CYCLONE YASI.

You’d have thought that the weather gods may have had enough fun with us Queenslanders lately (with the recent floods and all) but apparently that was just a test run. For just weeks later a category 5 cyclone, which had the dubious honour of being the most severe cyclone in our country’s history, began approaching off the coast. 

I don’t wish to turn this post into a news report about the event. I’m sure there have been plenty of them, worldwide. Suffice to say that this second disaster did once again, hit heart and home.

Our relatives in North Queensland experienced a horendous night (but are all safe) and are now enduring the second week of living with no electricity and a diminishing city water supply. Hardship and adversity has also hit the many  (sugar cane, banana and dairy) farming communities for the second time in just a few years, so these guys are all doing it tough. So please keep them all in yours thoughts and prayers. Thank you.

Okay, well apart from sharing this event with you from my own personal perspective, I also wanted to mention a few great writing sites and projects I have recently become aware of. This also involves sharing with you:-

Some Stuff You Didn’t Know About Me

I’ll make these points briefly (because there’s only a few of them!) :-

1) Apart from my own ebook, I also love to write non-fiction.

2) I have written a 50,000 word romance novel (that currently sits at the bottom of my filing cabinet) that one day, I will dust off and send to a publisher!

3) I am always on the lookout for magazine’s and other places, to submit my short stories to.

4) Last year, I had a story accepted for publication in a national parenting magazine;

5) Then, after a few months of back and forth email contact with the magazine’s editor, it was er….non-accepted (with many sincere and genuine apologies from the very lovely editor. I learnt two things from this experience. One was that  these people all work in editorial teams and as such, what one says, doesn’t always go. And two, they are very busy people and subject to constant changing circumstances about which content is appropriate to produce and which isn’t.

Arghh, all a big learning curve for aspiring writers!! Still, I am an optimist and can not feel anything but gratitude for the little bit of ‘foot in the door’ I was permitted (even if that foot is still just a little bruised and sore from it’s experience!!)

Anyhow, this all leads me to explain why I was so excited to discover a project called #FridayFlash, which as you might have guessed by the hashtag usage, is a fantastic, twitter born, opportunity for writers. Basically, this project involves uploading your own fiction each Friday and participating in the online community of writers bought together by @JMStoth.

If you yourself are intersted in joining in with this project you can do so here.

I myself will be uploading stories  (the stories are already written and on my computer files) as soon as a few hitches with my Microsoft office program are fixed!!

So there you have it friends – a confession, a heartache and some new writing ventures, shared. 

 

  

Becoming A First Time Author Using Web Tools or The How’s and Why’s Of The New Publishing Model (Part One)

 

The Book (as we used to know it)…

Okay, so like me you want to be an author. Correct? For whatever reasons of your own – perhaps it was a childhood dream or it is an unfulfilled wish you now have –whatever the reasons and background, you are now madly and passionately in love with the idea of seeing your book in print (although there are other options, too, which we’ll discuss soon) with a glossy cover and your name on it.

I don’t blame you. It is my wish too and I am part way there.  I am still learning though and don’t profess to knowing or doing it all,  (if I had already put it into practice everything I’ve learnt you would be reading these words on a much more ritzy looking author page!!). I am however, more than happy, to share with you, as I learn.

So This Is What I Know

Right now, the publishing industry is going through big changes. Large bricks and mortar stores are closing. Whilst some put this down to the impact of the Global Financial Crisis, there is another phenomenon effecting traditional publishing. It’s called the internet.

New technologies, such as the Ipad, the Iphone, the Kindle and similar e-reading devices are thriving. Predictions from experts in the field, are that the growth of ebook technology will eventually save the book, but not in its original format.

One day not too far away, school children will be using tablets and netbooks, not just in their ‘computer classes’, but as a complete replacement for print textbooks. They will be doing their homework online and emailing it to their teachers. Traditional school classrooms will ‘go global’ and connect with other classes across the world.

A big revolution in the way we read and learn is happening and if we want to be authors, it’s a great idea to get on board now and embrace these new technologies.

You’ve Already Begun

From my own research, one of the most important things for an author using this new technology to do is – start a blog – so, you can tick that one off!! An online presence is important not just for the connections you make and the audience you may begin to develop, but it is also valuable for off line sales as well. It is somewhere to direct a potential buyer or reader to, where they can find out more about you. 

You can also get feedback from your audience sooner this way and improve as you go. This is probably not new information to you, if you have been blogging for a long time, but I mention it here, to give the newbie bloggers a little nudge and let them know that if they want to be published authors, then they are certainly heading in the right direction with blogging. It gives you a platform to build from and although I am still building that platform myself, I am also learning heaps about writing both online and off, at the same time.

Blogging Matters

As I mentioned in my last post, many bloggers have already turned their passion for blogging into a book. An example of this can be seen here. To make the importance of blogging clearer, here are also a few more examples here and here, of famous authors who yes, still blog everyday.

Self Publishing Options

Stay with me now, I’m getting to the good stuff!!  I don’t want to miss or skim over any of the options though, so I have decided to make this a two part (at least) series post. Over this 2 part series, I will cover the following three areas.

#Affordable Self Publishing
#Print On Demand and
#Digital Publishing/Ebooks

Ebook Self Publishing

Since my own experience has been with ebook publishing, specifically with www.smashwords.com, I will talk about it first. 

The ebooks on Smashwords can be read online using our online readers, or they can be downloaded to other reading devices such as the iPhone, iPod Touch, Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader or IRex Iliad, or to other ereading devices. Smashwords also offers generous sampling options to readers so they can try before they buy.

I published about four months ago at Smashwords and this is what my own book page at Smashwords looks like: –

What Smashwords Offers Authors

Smashwords offers distribution to major online ebook retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Sony, Apple iPad iBookstore, Kobo (and Borders) and the Diesel eBook Store, and to all major smart phone platforms via app providers such as Stanza, Aldiko, Kobo and Word-Player.

They also offer free author pages with bios, headshots and lists of works; the industry’s broadest range of sampling options; embedded YouTube videos (I’m working on mine ) for video book trailers and virtual author events; reviews from readers; ebook downloads in multiple ebook formats; a coupon code generator for custom promotions (I’ve used this and it’s great) and more tools in the works. 

Smashwords does some of the marketing for you but, most of the promotion and marketing is up to you and thus, how many sales you make is also, up to you. In effect, being a Smashwords author is no different in this regard to being a mainstream published author. Although traditional publishers will do some of the work for you, most traditionally published authors find that a large part of the book marketing is up to them. This is why you will find so many of them on Twitter and Facebook. Yes, I’m there too.

If you would like to have obtain more information about marketing your Smashwords ebook, then you can do so for free by downloading the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide.

I do thoroughly recommend Smashwords, as any easy (if you use their guides) to follow ebook publishing platform.

However there are also other options such as www.scribd.com.

Part Two of this series….

So that’s about it for Part One of this series on Becoming A First Time Author, Using Web Tools. Stay tuned however…..because I will be back with as much information about the current publishing options open to new authors, as I can find. More links and useful information to come…….

And if I was a real clever bunny like Tristan, from The Blogging Bookshelf, I would also work out how to offer you the entire two posts as a download PDF ebook, but I’m not sure if the functionality of this blog allows that. I’ll let you know next time…..

You Should Comment Because….

1. I’d love you to !!

2. You can let me know if this information is of any help to you and your endeavours.

3. Even though I don’t have that great plug-in called Comment Luv, you can still link to or mention your own blog or latest post!

4. I will drop by your blog and leave a comment too! 🙂

As usual, I really would like your feedback, comments or suggestions. I am open to all thoughts and ideas, I won’t be offended if you didn’t like something I wrote and I am keenly interested to learn from you, too. 🙂

IF YOU LIKED THIS POST, PLEASE RETWEET IT OR SHARE IT.  THANKS. 🙂

Finding Focus and Determination With A New Goal in A Coming New Year

 

The Business Of Finding Focus

Have you ever been conflicted?  Not sure of where to lay your focus? Feeling committed, but not sure what to?

Well as I type this I am feeling that way, too. In recent months (since starting this blog) I have been on a journey of discovery and learning. I have joined and engaged in many social media sites, met some great people online and learnt so much from their perspectives and their work.

I have researched and written more this year than ever (most of which has landed here as posts). And I have met you, my readers and from the comments that have been left and the emails sent, I have learnt much about you. And loved it.

A Decision

So what’s all this end of year, reflection about? Well, as I said I am conflicted. All the same, after some thought and consideration, I have come to a decision (at least a temporary one!) that for the next few months (or possibly just weeks) I need to shift my focus.  I have a lifetime goal and I need to get working on it.

That goal is one of getting my e-book into print and this will require a lot more of my time, energy and focus and as a result I think I will have to give something up.

I love writing this blog. Love, love, love it!! Even on days when I don’t receive heaps of comments I always still derive so much pleasure and satisfaction just from completing the task of researching and writing about a topic that I love and am passionate about.

A Fork In The Road

However, my print book is calling me!!  The images for its design and layout keep popping up in mind! I dream about it. I think about it and I can almost see it on the table in front of me. I have always believed that this is where real goal setting begins – in your mind. From there,  the rest will follow, but as the e-book itself says – IF IT IS TO BE, IT’S UP TO ME!

This was my goal setting mantra during my weight loss journey and so now, it is still the same as I aim for my next goal of getting my book into print.

So I guess you know where all this is leading. Yes, I am going on a temporary break from writing this blog.

I may be back sooner rather than later. Who knows? I guess it all depends on how quickly I move through the mini goals I have currently in front of me (I start with mini goals or tasks and find that this way, I will eventually reach THE BIG GOAL – oh, just remembered – that’s another weight loss tip from my e-book!).

Part Time Participation

I will be popping in and out of the blogosphere all the same, to visit other people’s blogs and see what they’re writing about. I will also still try to participate in ICOMLEAV week, which starts next week, as I have already signed up for that and I am a big believer in committment, so I will stick to that one!

Although, I am excited to be working on my print book, I am also happy that I have already achieved another goal of having it available here on the net. By the way, please forgive me, but I may as well give it a plug 🙂 – if you (or anyone you know and love) needs a little extra weight loss inspiration this coming Christmas and New year, don’t forget about my e-book!! 

It’s only $3.99 !!!  Now that is a good price!  The print book will cost much more and most copies I believe will be sold off-line, so the e-book alternative is great for social networking users like you and me!

The Last Bit

Anyhow, that’s my update, friends. I will definitely still be around the blogosphere trenches, as am sure I will miss it too much to keep away altogether!!  But perhaps my presence will not be so apparent here on this blog, in the form of my writing. I won’t be too far away though 🙂

Before I close this post, I would also like to take a minute to say thank you. Thank you to all of you for being here, for reading and for your participation and contribution on my blogging journey. God bless, you all.

I also would like to personally wish you all the very best with your own New Year commitments and goals. You can do it!! 🙂 🙂

If you would like to chat to someone else who is also working toward a New Goal for the New Year, please do!! I would be very pleased to hear from you 🙂

Do you have any lifetime goals you would like to start work on? Not sure when it would be a good time to get started on them?

Love to hear about it or from anyone who would like to share any specific ideas or strategies that have helped them reach their  goals. All ideas shared are very much appreciated. I adore hearing from you, guys! 🙂 

Happy Holidays Everyone and All The Best For Your Own Goal Setting and New Year’s commitments!!

God Bless and Lots of Hugs,

Mon

xxoo

 

Weight Loss Books and An Extract: from Reframe Weight Loss, The Ebook

 

 

A Piece Of The Whole

As promised today’s post includes a short extract from my e-book. Choosing a section at random, to share here on my blog, however was not as straight forward as I thought.  Some sections of the book go into things quite deeply and extensively (and therefore are quite long) so I didn’t really want to choose them, simply because of the difficulty of shortening them and perhaps losing meaning in the process. Other sections caught my eye, but had many references to issues discussed in earlier parts of the book and therefore would not be easily read as ‘a stand alone’ piece. 

Blog writing and book writing it seems are different. Blog posts shortish and quick (to read), books longish and more absorbing to read.

So in the end I have chosen the following extract, taken from the Author’s Note, at the beginning of the book. Once again, it seems strange (to me) to reprint it here, as a ‘stand alone piece’, as there is so much more that follows it.

However, here it is anyhow. I will quit judging it and just print it!!  Hope you enjoy this brief introduction to my book, Reframe Weight Loss.

….from Author’s Note

…..So often the thoughts people have about weight loss are negative. They think, presume and act as if trying to lose weight will be difficult, slow, hard for them to commit to and so on. 

With thoughts like these, it’s no wonder so many of us fail! How could you ever be successful at something that you (in your subconscious mind at least) are already committed to not achieving? Believe it or not, that is exactly what many of us do. We’ve failed even before we begin!

It’s a fair enough mistake to make however, when we consider that there is such a vast weight-loss ‘industry’ out there, selling and pushing every ‘solution’ from pills and fat-burning agents to detox programs, hypnosis and more. Weight loss must be hard, mustn’t it?

Somehow in that great matrix we call society, teams of ‘experts’ have managed to indoctrinate us so much that we now take it as a ‘given’ that losing weight will be a struggle, and worse that we may not get there without the latest pill, potion or new-found method.

I believe this thinking to be erroneous!

I too was once caught up by such theories, but through a lot of self-education and firsthand experience I have learnt to think differently.

I now know that there is a more inspired and freeing weight-loss path to follow, and that weight loss is not just about the physical aspect of yourself.

It is also about enhancing and healing the many parts of you that are crying out for you to listen to them. It is about learning, growing, changing and ultimately getting to your goal and staying there….

Extracts and Novels

So that’s it. A short extract, plucked from the pages of a 30,00 word book! As I said, blogging and book writing are different.

Throughout a book you have time to engage with you the reader more closely, exploring and expanding on different issues in-depth. In contrast, a blog post doesn’t allow for that kind of engagement. 

For that reason, I am thinking that I may not share too many more ‘extracts’, although I would love to!  Perhaps I could summarise sections instead of simply posting an extract.  Mmmm, yes I’ll definitely have to give that some thought!!

Okay, so enough of my musings today.  I hope this short extract I have shared has opened a small window to the tone and style I have taken in the book.

I must say too that I really enjoyed writing Reframe Weight Loss, as it gave me the opportunity to ‘travel the journey’ again, this time through more enlightened eyes!!

What They’re Saying

Oh and before I go I thought I’d share some feedback from a reader who (after my request for her responses to my book) sent me this recommendation the other day, via email.

Here goes (thanks Fiona!):

“This book is more than just a good read. Monica has a real voice, which she uses to share her innermost thoughts and frustrations on her own weight-loss journey. In doing so, she keeps the reader feel strongly motivated because you can see that she has been through the struggle to lose weight and keep it off herself. It’s enjoyable to read as a book in its own right even without the goal of losing weight.”

I was so pleased to get Fiona’s feedback and to know that I had achieved what I set out to do, that is to help someone out, on their weight loss journey.

I will continue to try to do that and I hope you may also be someone whom I can help.

Ciao and thanks for reading!!  See you back here next time 🙂

The New Miracle Weight Loss Method, That I Don’t Like!

 

Okay, so you don’t have to resort to this to lose weight. I mean come on!!! What next? Let’s just chop our fingers off, so we can’t pick up any food or maybe we could just sew up our mouths altogether, for a while.

Sometimes, I think the world has gone crazy!!

The Quick Fix

Why is it that changing your eating habits and getting more exercise seems to becoming the less chosen option? Especially when any extrinsic method applied or caused by the intervention of a doctor is only going to have short-term effects at their very best?

 Admittedly these interventions are mostly a last resort choice and I am sure many who end up taking this road have tried traditional weight loss methods previously. At least I hope so.

Apart from the lack of effectiveness in the long-term (unless exercise and healthy eating become part of the patient’s overall lifestyle plan) the complications and side effects from these types of procedures are far more unpleasant and significant than is often publicized.

A Story

Recently I was privy to a conversation with another author who has penned her experiences with lap band surgery. One of her stories has stuck in my mind ever since.  It was graphic, a little disturbing and very unpleasant.

So I thought I’d share it. Yes, nice of me, I know.

May I suggest at this point, that if you happen to be eating as you read this, that you either stop reading or put the food away just for a minute. You’ll thank me later.

Anyhowwww…..basically my friend described the fact that following her surgery she still frequently craved packeted chips (or crisps as they are called in some parts of the world) specifically tomato flavoured ones.

One night coming home on the train, she could no longer control her urges and decided to purchase a packet, even though she knew that her new ‘stomach’, (the surgically shrunk one) didn’t really tolerate acidic or salty food anymore. At all.

Only trouble was her new surgically altered gastrointestinal system had not communicated this fact to her non surgically altered taste buds (I don’t think the tongue mutilation thing had been invented then) and so, she indulged.

Losing Her Dignity

This is where it gets messy. Very. Yes, you’ve guessed it. She vomited. And vomited. All over herself. Her clothes. Her handbag. The seat she was sitting on. She had no control. And being on a train, going home from work, there was no refuge in the form of a bathroom or toilet.

She just had to wipe it off herself with tissues, feeling mortified, ashamed and stripped of every vestige of dignity and self-respect.

Now I know this is an unpleasant little tale and I’m sorry if I’ve made you squeamish but somehow when I read about the tongue mutilation procedure and realised they were for real, I thought I had to write something here that would be a reality check for anyone who may have ever been tempted to do something similar.

Call it my little protest. Or something.

A Better Way

Anyhow, if you read here regularly or have in the past, then you will know that I advocate a method far more respectful of the human condition than any of the options I’ve talked about above. What I advocate is a method that transforms your heart and mind first and then your body and your behaviours. In my book, Reframe Weight Loss, I call it ‘The You Method’.

It is simpler, far more effective and a darn sight more positive, pleasant and joyful than attacking parts of your precious body and destroying them.

You are a magnificent creation. Believe that. Respect that. And you will have begun in a small but significant way the creation of the ‘new you’.

What are your thoughts on weight loss intervention methods, whether they be the proverbial ‘diet pill’ or something more drastic like I have just described? Have you had any experiences that you’d like to share, maybe to help prevent others from making a similar mistake? Or maybe you are pro weight loss surgery and similar techniques?

Why do you think people resort to these options? Have you ever been tempted?

Achieving Weight Loss Through A Healthy Respect For Your Body

 

Life outside of the blogosphere has been a little busy for me lately, so my post here today will be kind of brief (at least I’ll try to keep it that way, however no matter how I try, I never seem to meet that goal of staying ‘brief’. What can I say, I love talking!).

Anyhow first up I just want to say thanks to the people who commented last week and congratulations to Talitha from pursuittoflagom.blogspot.com who won a free copy of Reframe Weight Loss. The book is soon to be shipped further into cyberspace and soon will be reaching a number of online retailers. So congratulations Talitha and safe travelling to my ebook!

Some Food For Thought

Apart from the above news, the other snippet I thought I’d share today is an extract from a book called The Power of Intention. I came across the particular paragraph by accident and immediately thought of sharing it here, due to it’s relevance and hopefully usefulness, to those of you on your weight loss journeys.

I have paraphrased it a little but basically here is the paragraph as taught by Wayne Dyer. It is taken from a section in his book on self respect, specifically on respecting your body.

Respecting Your Body

“Regardless of it’s size, shape, colour or any imagined infirmities, you have been provided with a perfect body to house your true self….

You don’t need to work at being healthy; health is something you already have if you don’t disturb it. You may have disturbed your body by overfeeding it, under exercising it, overstimulating it with toxins or drugs, that make it sick, fatigued, jumpy, anxious, bloated or an endless list of maladies.

However you can begin to live a life of self respect for your body anytime. You know what to do. You don’t need a new diet, a personal trainer or another workout manual. Go within, listen to your body and treat it with all the dignity and love that your self respect demands.”

I hope these few thoughts from Wayne Dyer give you some food for thought today. Take care of yourself and hope to see you back here in the blogosphere soon.

What are your thoughts on the idea of health being something you already have if you don’t disturb it? Does this resonate with you? Do you have any thoughts about the book, The Power of Intention, that you would like to share?

A Special Giveaway Of Reframe Weight Loss To Celebrate Writers Week

 

The First Bit

“Hi, is this seat taken? No? Oh, good, I really don’t want to intrude, but if you don’t mind then I’d love to sit next to you and have a bit of a chat.”

David moved closer and sat down. The intimacy of their physical closeness caused a faint shiver to pass over him and the small hairs on his arms joined with the goosebumps, in an electrifying dance across his skin.

What Is This?

That was me ‘practice’ writing a third person dialogue scene. Confused? I guess you must be. I’ll explain a little.

Last Sunday, prior to my big book launch and sale, which has dominated this week’s posts, I had the pleasure of meeting the CEO of Smashwords, an e-book publishing company which is also the publisher and distributor of my book, Reframe Weight Loss (er…you may have heard a little about it, here !!)

Meeting Mark and some other authors who also attended his talk was wonderful. I learnt heaps, loved listening to how digital publishing is changing our world (in a nutshell the recent advances and changes in technology are massively transforming the dominance of traditional print publishing models, replacing it with a self driven industry of independent authors building e-book publishing platforms) . But I digress…

Ebooks and Writing

All this recent connection with some fellow ‘literary types’ has got me excited. And more keen than ever to continue writing not only about health, fitness and weight loss (subjects I am passionate about) but also across many other genres too. Why pigeon hold myself ? It might hurt.

Anyhow, I do already have a romance novel manuscript (written several years ago) hidden in the drawers of my study’s filing cabinet. It hides where no self-respecting manuscript should really hide for long (the pages are starting to go a yellowy colour, like the old photographs you see in your grandmother’s house, that scream ‘please rejuvenate me’ before I fade away all together) .

So this brings me to the point of sharing with you a recent personal discovery; that is, that I have feelings about the two books I have written – an affection of sorts – that has recently been rekindled and renewed. 

Queensland Writers Week

And I suppose I am just writing about this here (in my writer’s notebook..00ps, no I forgot, it’s a blog….) for the reason that any writer writes about anything – because I need to.

The other reason is that it is Queensland Writer’s Week and the purpose of this week is to bring authors and readers together in a week-long celebration of all things literary.

The Giveaway, My Celebration

So what better way for me to celebrate this special week I thought than to give away a book. Specifically a copy of, Reframe Weight Loss.

So that is what I am doing today. For your chance to win a free copy, all you have to do is take the minor step of leaving a comment here.  I will then (over the weekend) chose one comment at random and send that person a special code enabling them to download their prize of a FREE COPY of Reframe Weight Loss from Smashwords.

Okay, so ……are you ready to comment?

Don’t be shy. It’s not that scary. Okay so let’s go – one, two, three……comment!

Hope to hear from 🙂 If you would just like to say hi, instead of writing a comment, than you are also very welcome to just do that 🙂

Reframe Weight Loss, The Book, Is Having An Early Bird Sale!!

 

Dear Friend,

Have you given up on reaching your weight loss goals?

Don’t!!

In fact, never give up! 

Instead, why not give yourself a HUGE BOOST, a kick-start to the new you?

Why not give yourself ONE MORE OPPORTUNITY to keeping trying  – only this time with the help and motivation of a new companion tool to guide and support you – a copy of the new e-book, Reframe Weight Loss?

 It is NOW AVAILABLE!! And you can purchase a copy at  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/26227

The book is full of tips, strategies and tools to help you on your weight loss journey with a strong focus on issues of  heart, mind and body.

It will give you all the motivation you’ve been so looking for, lots of new strategies for combating and overcoming everything from mood related binge eating to understanding food labels. 

Hundreds of people have already grabbed their copy of the book and are already enjoying the benefits of this new and dynamic book.

And now is the time to buy!

Why? Because right now, TODAY, you can use this special coupon that I am about to give you and receive 20% off the RRP.

Right now, Reframe Weight Loss: How To Activate Your Mind and Spirit To Create Weight Loss For Life, can be purchased for just a crazy $7.99 by entering the code EL85R when ordering your copy here.

And that’s not all.

The Truth of It

Look I’ll be honest about this.  I have asked many other e-book authors about pricing and ALL of them say I should be charging at least $29.99 or more for my book. They say I’m mad to offer it at a penny less than that!

But I don’t want to.  No, I don’t want to because I believe my book should be sold at a price that makes it accessible to everyone. Why should anyone miss out on getting a huge boost on their weight loss journey, just because of money?

So no, I don’t really want to ask any more for it. But who knows? I may have to increase the price if only to cover my own publishing costs, eventually.

I can’t be sure. All I can say is that, for now, the price is set at a very affordable $7.99, but it may not stay that way.

In fact, this current offer of 20% of the present RRP will expire at midnight tonight.

So be quick! Don’t miss your only opportunity to get this dynamic and life changing book at this early bird discount price!

Go on !! What are you waiting for?  Act now, before the price goes up!!

Visit http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/26227 now to take advantage of this very special opening offer.

Just think, in one week from now, your friends and family could be admiring and talking about the ‘new you’. The more motivated, determined new YOU.

Wouldn’t that be great?

Of course it would!!

Don’t forget this offer expires at midnight, tonight.

Just click on over to http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/26227, use your special coupon and grab yourself a copy, while the offer lasts.

I know you won’t regret it!! Guaranteed!

Weight Loss Books and Other Good News: My Ebook is Published!

 

Weight Loss and Other Motivational Books

Read any good books lately? OMG, that was probably a pretty lame segue wasn’t it? Oh well, I’ll roll with it anyhow. The truth is I don’t know if there is any particular or appropriate etiquette for giving your own e-book a plug, so thought I’d go with that!

To be a little more straight forward however,  MY EBOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE for purchase at www.smashwords.com/books/view/26227.  The book is available now on the site and will shortly be shipped to all good online retailers including Barnes & Noble and The Apple Istore.

An Early Bird Discount Offer

Furthermore, as a BIG THANK  YOU to my loyal readers and subscribers, I would also like to offer you an early bird discount coupon. The coupon code to enter in order to receive your 20 % discount is EL85R. 

Smashwords requires you to spend a few minutes to open a free account and then you can enter the code. I hope you are able to take advantage of this opening early bird special. 

It won’t last!

More Thoughts About Motivational and Self Help Books

‎I have posed the question before on this blog, about whether or not weight loss and other self-help books can make a difference to your behaviours, your choices, your attitude and thus to your eventual success with weight loss and/or other endeavours? 

In my humble opinion, YES, they can.  If that we’re not true for me, you would not be reading the words on this page right now ! 

A Personal Experience 

I personally have been motivated to do several things, such as:

1) Lose weight to begin with (over 20kg).

2) Maintain  my own weight loss and dramatically improve my fitness.

2) Create this blog.

3) To write and publish my first book and start work on my second manuscript.

4) To offer people an experience away from their own weight loss groups, through which, they can further their personal growth, be supported on their road to positive change and be more inspired to reach their weight loss goals.

Achieving My Goals

I have wanted to do all this since achieving my own weight loss goals, but if it were not for some very powerful and insightful authors and books that have really resonated with me and touched my heart, I would never have taken action. 

So for me the answer to the above question is a resounding YES.

My hope and sincere belief is that REFRAME WEIGHT LOSS can also provide YOU with the same motivation to achieve your goals.

It is written in a very easy to read, conversational way and is pack filled with information, knowledge, ideas, tips and tools which will refresh and revive the most determined “But, I’ve given up!” reader. 

I feel very excited to be talking about it with you, at last.

Thank You

Thanks for reading today and I would love to hear your feedback, if you do obtain yourself a copy of my book.

You can email me, contact me on Facebook or Twitter or just leave a comment, right here. I’d love to hear from you.

Don’t forget to use your early bird discount coupon, EL85R, to receive the special opening offer!!

The Last Word

Also if you yourself are the author of a weight loss blog, please feel free to pass on this discount coupon offer to your readers also. You don’t need to contact me first (but please do if you’d like to),you can just go ahead and pass on the special coupon to your readers.

Thanks for your support and I hope you enjoy the book. 🙂

MON xoxo