How To Stay Motivated

With the recent launch of my latest book and the success of my Motivate Me Workshops for Women, I have been asked the same question over the past couple of weeks, 'How do you fit it all it?'

The honest answer is, 'It just happens!'

I have always been able to multi-task, I think this is the Gemini side of my personality, and having multiple projects on the go keeps my mind active and (hopefully) keeps me young!  This question did make me think hard about how I manage to motivate myself, and I wanted to share my findings in the hope it may help you to stay motivated.

First of all I revisited my story on the Female Entrepreneur Association website.  This was an interview about how I motivated myself to start my own business, 'Body & Soul Holistics'.  I was so proud of this feature and received some amazing feedback.  You can read that interview here.

What a Difference a Year Can Make

When I started this blog I had a clear objective, to record the highs and lows of the fifty-two challenges I set myself on New Year's Eve in 2012.


Lose weight, get fit, be happy, do something new...the list was as varied as it was long.

It was a personal journey of self discovery but I felt it important enough to share with anyone who may be interested.  365 days later and the blog had received over 15,000 visits, two blogger award nominations and was attracting followers from across the globe.

The year came to an end but my journey continued, in fact it picked up speed!

Seventeen months later I am now able to take the next big step towards achieving my goals and ticking off another very big item on my to-do list. 

From 'blog' to 'book', the story of how my year of challenges changed my life is out now as e-book and paperback.

Everyone is Raving About Rave Reviews Book Club

Gimme an 'R'

Gimme an 'A'

Gimme a 'V'

Gimme an 'E'

 

 

I am a member of quite a few clubs, but none shake their pom poms quite like Rave Review Book Club!

 

It was through the power of twitter that I first connected with Nonnie, author of Daydream's Daughter, Nightmare's Friend.  She mentioned her aim to start a review club and I was happy to add my name, and debut book, to the list.

 

That member list is now 400+ strong, with new recruits joining daily - that's a lot of pom poms!

 

The RRBC is not a place to park your latest novel, sit back and wait for reviews and sales to roll in.  It's a proactive club, members retweet members, they buy and review each others books on Amazon, Goodreads and other platforms.  They support each other like no other club does via twitter and Facebook.

A Change of Pace - Flash Fiction by Shelley Wilson

With the launch of my latest non-fiction book on the horizon, together with my recent debut as a motivational speaker, I realised my fiction writing had ground to a halt as I concentrated on my non-fiction projects.

To add balance to my writing life I thought I would share one of my flash fiction stories with you.  I do hope you like the change of pace...although it may be a bit gruesome!


Broken by Shelley Wilson

People don’t mean to pass me by, they all lead such busy lives and just don’t notice what’s right under their noses.  I don’t mind, not anymore.  It did bother me at first, I had been brought up to care, be polite and keep smiling, ‘a smile costs nothing’ my mum would say, so I’d smile, care and watch my p’s and q’s.  Dad had other ideas and would often stagger home from the ‘Dog and Duck’ and happily wipe the smile from my face.

Organise Your Space and Free Your Mind

Clearing clutter is one of my favourite topics, and I have blogged about it several times here on Resolution Challenge.  I have experienced first hand, how clearing my work or home space can affect my mood, my finances and my wellbeing. 

Being clutter free however, isn't always so easy.  My parents are currently in the process of moving house and 'downsizing' is a perfect excuse to throw out anything that is no longer of value.  It is also the perfect way to offload a tonne of Tupperware on your unsuspecting daughter! (Thanks Mum x)

When faced with an overflowing pile of god-knows-what, it helps to work out a strategy.  You need to be organised.  Several boxes can be filled with unloved items and taken to charity shops or car boots.  Old clothes, that haven't been worn in a while, can be swapped between girl friends - hold a girl's night in with a bottle of wine and a few nibbles and pretend you're at London Fashion Week.

A Parents Survival Guide to Exams and Revision

At this time of year it's hard to escape exam fever.  Even if you're not actually sitting the summer exams, you probably know someone who is.  My son is primed and ready for his GCSEs to start on May 12th, and as a dutiful mother, I am here to offer my support, words of wisdom and my extensive knowledge of surviving the same experience.

I sat my Maths GCSE on my sixteenth birthday, not my most favourite teen memory! 

However, it would appear that today's teens have their own process for revision and exam preparation and my knowledge is obsolete...allow me to share my recent findings!

A Parents Survival Guide to Exams and Revision:

May Day Mischief

I have vivid memories of living in Leeds, as a young child, and playing tricks on my dad for 'Mischievous Night'.  When I was about nine, this past time disappeared from our calendar and I only thought about it again last week as we celebrated my dad's birthday.

My brother had no recollection, so this started me off on an Internet search to find out if I had made it up!  I was pleased to discover that 'Mischief Night' was indeed celebrated Up North on the 1st of May, as a late April fooling pastime.  My memories included covering our front doorknob in treacle so my dad got a sticky surprise upon his return from work.  I don't remember if he found it as amusing as we did!