Sorry everyone… it's been a little quiet on the blogging front for me lately.  It's weeks ago now that I thought I'd injured my left shoulder.  Had to be the left one… I'm left handed!  But the doc tells me that it's osteo arthritis.  Not the best news I've received.  Won't bore you with the details, but it's meant that typing is painful until treatment helps.  No research, no writing, no posts.  So, forgive my absence while this gets better.

In the meantime, while you're here, why not have a roam around.  Check down the left hand column for the complimentary audios under "Listen" and the "Download a Free Copy" area.   There's lots to check out and a whole lot of help available in "Your Journey".

Was feeling a bit "down."  This picture cheered me up no end.  You'd agree???

I'll keep this short… typing with one hand doesn't encourage long messages.  I hope your year has started just the way you wanted it to. 

Christine R.

Success is getting what you want.  Happiness is wanting what you get.
Dale Carnegie

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You know… in a sense it's a bit of a relief that the Christmas/New Year period is over.  It was great to catch up with family and friends; exchanging good wishes and gifts (quite a lot of which have headed straight for my hips!) but it's back to sanity and "normalness" now, and that's good.  

I usually use this first month of the year to take a good, hard look at what I'm expecting from the rest of it.  Do you do this too?  Well, a few days ago I came across a great plan from Gemma Battenbough that just might help both of us.  It's "7 Days/7 Ways To Set A Goal".

So if you're of like mind and want to clearly identify and plan what 2013 is going to mean for you… you get to start this tomorrow.  Yes, from Monday 21st January, how about taking some time for yourself for this next week to help make 2013 your best year ever.  Here we go…  grab a pen and paper, or a Word.doc.  Get ready for…

Monday – Think big.  Visualize your future in three areas – finance, family and health.  How much do you want to earn this year (you can include next year and so on)?  What lifestyle do you want for you and your family?  What does perfect health look like?

Tuesday –  Think quickly.  What are your three most important goals in life right now?  You only have 30 seconds to give your answers.  How are they different from yesterfay?  What you wrote down on Monday?  They are probably a more acurate picture of what you truly want from life.

Wednesday – Wirte it down.  If you haven't already.  Your goals should be clear, specific, detailed and measurable.  Make each goal positive, not negative.  Rather than writing "I won't miss any more gym sessions".  Instead write "I'll exercise three times a week".  You get the picture.  Apply this to each of your goals.

Thursday – Set dealines.   If your goal is for better fitness, register yourself for a race.  If it's for weight loss, plan an event for which you want to look glamorous.  If one of your goals is a big one, setting sub-deadlines will help you to minimise procrastination and make sure you do it.

Friday – Troubleshoot.  Identify the obstacles that have prevented you from achieving your goals in the past, then work out how you can overcome each obstacle one by one.  What skills and knowledge will you need to acquire to get there?

Saturday – Make a plan.  Organize your goals into a series of steps.  Aim to achieve one thing each day towards your goal – it could be as simple as taking a healthy snack to work, trying a new machine at the gym or getting to bed an hour earlier. (Or make a plan towards asking the boss for that raise you deserve).

Sunday – Write an affirmation for each of your goals.  Describe the goal in the present as if you've achieved it.  Keep it positive, for example "Today, I'm fit and healthy".  Say the affirmation five times every morning to keep the goal in your mind for the day ahead.  

More than one goal?  Good for you.  Write an affirmation for each and just set a different time of the day to repeat it.

You know, you deserve the little bit of time doing this whole exercise will take.  When you look back at 2013, I'm sure that you'll understand just what this plan, these goals, achieved for you this year.  Don't forget to get started again early 2014… with a whole set of new plans and goals.  

Here's to a great year for all of us.

Christine R.

"You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know.  Knowing is not enough!  You must take action."  Anthony Robbins

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Making new year resolutions!  How many times have we all made resolutions for the new year – and given up almost immediately?  How familiar is that?    So, here's a helping hand for 2013.  Could be that these five tips just might help you succeed this time.

1.  Select and define your goals…
If you're trying to change your behaviour in some way, decide in advance what it is that you're going to achieve… and stick to it.  In fact… write it down and use it as an affirmation.  For example, you might set yourself an exercise goal of five days a week.  Perhaps a three drink limit on a night out.  Or allow yourself just one chocolate bar a week.  Don't kid yourself that "just one less" or "just one more" won't make a difference.  It will.

2.  Go Cold Turkey for a time… 
Stop the behaviour you're trying to change, altogether, temporarily.  Say you decide to abstain from caffeine,  alcohol or chocolate for four weeks as a start to your new year resolutions.  Doing this makes it much easier to moderate your intake in the future as it helps break that instinctive, habitual activity.

3.  Stop and think…
In that moment when the temptation appears – and it will – pause before you act.  Go do something else, or tell yourself again the reasons why you're trying to abstain or change.  Focus on the positive benefits that this change will bring to you.  Wait five minutes.  By then, the craving will probably have passed.

4.  Reward Yourself…
As each weekly and monthly milestone that you've set for your new year resolutions passes, and you've remained true to your goals, treat yourself to something special… and leave the guilt at home!  You deserve it.  Focus on what you have already achieved - success breeds success. If you slip up, don't punish yourself or use it as a reason to give up altogether (that's the "I just can't do this" excuse).  Just start again immediately. 

5. Choose Your Friends Wisely…
We tend to imitate the actions we experience around us.  If your current friends are all engaging in the negative behaviours you're trying to steer clear of, how would it be if you remove yourself from temptation, for a while at least?  Why not surround yourself with positive people whose attitudes towards life inspire you?

Realise that it's going to be hard at first.  These might be habits and behaviours that you've been indulging in for years!  Just decide that you can do this… then get on and do it.  Ready?  Grab a pen and paper and set those new year resolutions now.  Have a wonderful 2013.  May it bring you everything you're wishing for.  Good luck.

Christine 

P.S.  Check the last post "A Merry Christmas Gift" before the last tick of 2012 when it expires.  Don't want you to miss out.

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I thought long and hard about a suitable Christmas Gift for the much-appreciated regular visitors to this site.  And realised that what would suit one lovely person, perhaps wouldn't suit another.  So I hope you like the idea I eventually came up with. See below.

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These days, our world tends to be a busy time of constant change, stress and demands on us.  For people like you and me, it's not uncommon to experience short periods of mild depression.  And at times like this, getting rid of that frown can seem just about impossible.

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Are you having a problem with making The Law of Attraction work for you?   If that's so, it's really important to become aware of the things which are blocking your ability to attract what it is that you want.  Focusing on what you want for a few minutes a day is not enough to deeply attract.   Let me tell you a quick story – what happened to me recently.

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Sorry everyone.  I really don't know where the time goes.  My only excuse for neglecting you is the new site that Neil and I have been working on.   It's called HowToVideoAnswers.com (if you want to check it out, it will open a new page so you don't loose this one).

It's so much easier to take instruction from someone showing you how to do something on a video… rather than reading about it.  Would you agree?  We've collected a stack of videos over the past couple of years, on all sorts of internet marketing subjects including traffic and SEO, list building and blogging, etc.  So, we're gradually adding them to the new site.   It's an enjoyable job because as we're checking out the videos (watching them) to make sure that they're good enough for the site, we've found we've been learning too.  That's always good.

Check out the site if you've got a minute.  So you'll know where to head when you've got questions!  HowToVideoAnswers.com

Also been having a few conversations with someone about the Law of Attraction and his complaint that it's not working for him.  Back soon, with his permission, to talk about that.

Christine R

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Looking forward to Halloween?  It's not as big a deal here in Australia as it seems to be in other countries.  But that's no reason not to enjoy the fun!

And that means treats!  Yes?  So… rambling through the recipes that I've been collecting for years… and years… brought back heaps of fond memories.  If you'd like to share in a few, I've put more than three hundred of those recipes into a new eBook "Candies, Chocolates, Fudges… And More!" and I'd like to share it with you.

For a free direct download that will have you heading to the kitchen to make your own Halloween treats, simply decide where you're going to save your new recipe book on your computer and click on the image you see below.

There's also a licence included for you to sell this book or, if you wish, simply give a copy to your friends and family.  Happy cooking.  Have a great Halloween.  And don't forget this free recipe book when you're getting ready for Christmas too.

Christine R.

P.S.  Would love to know which of the recipes you've made and enjoyed.

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It's true!  Down here in the southern hemisphere… it's springtime.  My favourite time of year.  It's the balmy days and slightly cool nights; the huge blue skies and the first spring flower fragrances in the air.  What's not to love!

Let me share a couple of favourite springtime sayings and a poem…

And lastly… from my favourite funnyman…  Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"  ~Robin Williams.  And isn't that the truth!

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