Beverley Writes

The week in general:

I hope everyone is keeping well and looking forward to Christmas as much as I am. I’m thankful to say that my preparations are all done and now it’s just a matter of waiting for the big day to arrive.

How do you spend Christmas? I’m very much a traditionalist, starting the day with a trip to church where carols will be in full swing, then home for breakfast and present opening. If Christmas is to be at my home then the next thing is to get the turkey started and also start the phone calls to family who will not be visiting this year.

This Christmas we will be having lunch with my daughter and her family at their new house. I’m tasked with providing a cake (tick) a traditional pudding(tick) and a pavlova (still to come)

I cheated with the cake and pudding though. We have a fantastic farmers market nearby and one of my favourite stall holders is the Calico Lady who sells cakes and puddings wrapped in (you guessed it!) calico. So thank you Calico Lady for helping me out with the cake and pudding.

Oh I must fill you in about the huntsman in the letter box. I think he’s gone. We have had a couple of very hot days and I’m guessing a metal letter box might get a bit uncomfortable in the heat of the day. I have to say I’m glad he’s moved on, nevertheless I wish him well.

The animal family:

I feel a bit sorry for my three dogs and three cats. The weather has been so strange-cold enough for a fire on one night then needing the air conditioner the next. They were all shedding heaps of winter coat but then suddenly stopped and started growing winter coats again.

Now it’s hot and they are laying around panting- not very happy. I usually take Connor for a run at the beach early in the morning before the day gets too hot. She loves her run and won’t slow down whatever the temperature so I’m careful that she does not get overheated.

I took the dogs for a bath yesterday at our local pet shop. They rather like the pampering and it’s a great way to loosen dead coat.

Pretty sure none of the cats would be up for a bath. They are not even very impressed with brushing-I can usually only do a tiny bit at a time and have to stop before they get too angry. The escalating yowl is a dead giveaway that I need to stop NOW!

My book:

“The Other Side of the Ocean” continues to sell.

If you are interested in buying a copy the publishers are Booktrails Agency.  You can contact them at https://www.booktrail-agency.com/

I also have a number of copies for sale if you’d like to purchase one from me. I am selling them for $30 a copy which includes postage. Just drop me a message in the comments for further details.

Our first venture at the markets is on 7^th January, then every Saturday until the end of the month. After that we have a stall booked every first and third Saturdays until the end of May. Hope it turns out to be worthwhile-I’ll let you know.

My business:

Well just how do I keep myself on track? It can be quite a challenge as operating from home can be fraught with barriers at times.

For me the hardest challenge to overcome is distractions. As so much of my work is centred around Facebook ads I need to check into Facebook at least once a day. And there is the Certified Partners group. And I like to say a personal hello to new subscribers either on Messenger or email.

Facebook can lead me astray far too easily. A conversation thread, a great photo I want to share, a story about an abandoned dog…the list goes on. So how do I stay focused on my business?

My current solution (that works for me right now) is to allow myself “Facebook roaming time” before I start work. Then I don’t feel I am missing out and it’s easier to focus on what I should be doing.

Another difficulty is being distracted by small emergencies. Sometimes other things have to take priority and it can be tricky to sort out the emergency then focus my thinking back on the business. I just play this sort of thing by ear. Also I allocate time at night as “catch up time” if I’m not happy about the amount of time I have lost. It doesn’t really matter to anyone but me but I like to keep to a reasonable timetable.

Probably the third difficulty is watching the progress of others who are ahead of me in this game. I know they are trying to be encouraging but sometimes it’s hard not to think “why them and not me.” I’ve found a way to deal with this that so far is working well. I have created my own set of goals that are reasonable for me at my stage of learning. They are based on that well worn STAR system (specific, testable, attainable, and relevant.) It’s an old idea but it works for me.

So in summary, keeping myself on track takes work but is doable. And definitely worth it in the long run.

Product Review The Quick Start Challenge:

Again, as part of this review series, I am focusing on products I have purchased and used myself.

The Quick start Challenge was a follow- on from The Iceberg Effect.

 When I had read the book I was keen to find out if I was ready to invest my time and money in creating and managing a new business.

I needed to be sure that I would receive the level of coaching I needed and that my mentors would be available whenever I needed them.

I also needed to be sure that I actually liked this business.

I needed to know if the idea was a real possibility or just another get rich quick scheme that was too good to be true.

My thinking was that if I invested a small amount of money and time to get a genuine “feel” for the business, then I would have a better idea of whether or not it would be a good fit for me.

The Quick Start Challenge gave me all the answers I needed. For me it was yes, yes, yes all the way.

1)It is a step by step six-day challenge to launch your business so that by the end of the six days you have an actual newly created business.

2) You have a done for you email list building system that allows you to start your list from scratch within days.

3)You have experienced coaches helping you every step of the way.

The Quick Start Challenge is specifically for beginners which is certainly what I was. You proceed at your own pace so you can take longer than the 6 days if you need to. I found it very helpful and certainly worth the money.

The cost of the Quick Start Challenge is $197. You can learn more about it here.

Wrapping up the week:

Well that’s the end of this week’s ramblings. Five more days till Christmas.

Have a wonderful week everyone and take care.

Remember please ad your comments so I know whether or not you are finding this post interesting.

Take care

Bev