It has been a couple of weeks since I updated this blog. The main reason for this is that I was preparing for my Start The Future Now workshop that took place last Saturday. I had a wonderful group of people in West Hampstead on Saturday morning who all figured out a game plan that would take them from where they are now to where they would prefer to be in life. I look forward to presenting my next workshop – Stop Procrastinating, Start Doing on 1st December.

I put a lot of effort into delivering workshops and find that it can be leave me quite tired and drained for a couple of days afterward. This week was no exception so I decided to take the beginning of the week off. On Monday the weather was very grey and pretty cold so, after treating myself to breakfast at my local café, I had a wonderful day on my sofa watching movies and DVDs of my favourite TV shows (not telling you which show because I’m too embarrassed. The only clue I’ll give you is that it is an 80s classic!)

On Tuesday the weather was much brighter so I took myself into Central London and had a fabulous day mooching about Piccadilly and Mayfair. As I sat in a deckchair in Green Park, enjoying the Autumn trees and bright sunshine, it occurred to me that perhaps we all need a half term break. For me, September through to Christmas is a very productive time of year but it is good to take a couple of days breather and go out and ‘play’ somewhere. Your ‘play’ might involve a DVD fest, a shopping trip, a beauty treatment or taking the time to do something touristy in your own town or locale. I certainly enjoyed taking a back seat from my normal routine and seeing London through fresh eyes.

This is an apology if you have just arrived here from the Alternatives newsletter.

There was a mistake in the newsletter which ended up advertising my blog instead of my forthcoming Stop Procrastinating, Start Doing workshop. You can find details of the workshop at: http://www.leadthelife.net/events/stop-procrastinating.html.

Anyway, now you are here, have a look around and enjoy my website.

It’s been a good week. I’ve managed to do a lot of writing and now have two possible versions of a new opening chapter to Tales of the Countess. I remember once seeing an interview with JK Rowling where she spoke of how she wrote and re-wrote and re-wrote the opening of the first Harry Potter book. I know how she feels as it is always the first third of my book which needs major surgery every time I do a new draft.

This time round the opening chapter of the book is particularly important. I really need to show how off the rails the Countess is to make a contrast with later in the book when she gets her act together and, hey presto, the man of her dreams starts to pursue her.

Speaking of Harry Potter, I started reading Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone this week. It’s brilliant and I’m really enjoying it. Something tells me that I’ll be reading all seven books back to back. From a technical viewpoint it is interesting reading too as I paid good attention to how JK Rowling introduced the concepts and the muggle and wizard worlds. I think this has helped me find solutions to some of the difficulties I have in my own book. Thanks JK!

As per usual there have been ups and downs since I last posted to the blog. Last time I was ecstatic to have made a start on the redraft of Tales of the Countess. However a week ago I hit a low moment with it when, last Friday, I had the horrible feeling that all my recent research and new opening was not going to fit onto my existing draft of the novel. Not a great way to finish up the week!

Anyway, persistence is the name of the game so I cleared some time from my schedule this week to figure out a solution. I am pleased to say that yesterday I came up with a plan that will hopefully knit the old and the new together. I also came up with a list of scenes, some new and some re-crafted from the old draft, that I can now methodically work through over the next few days and weeks. I love it when I have a formula in place.

This was one of those weeks when I had to face my fears. Yes – contrary to popular belief – life coaches are not perfect people and do have their own fears and foibles. I’ve always been a bit nervous about approaching and dealing with the press even though it really is necessary to grow my business. With my Autumn workshops approaching it is time to seek publicity, face that fear and take action. Whilst I did crash and burn with a couple of the newspapers that I contacted I am pleased to say that I did learn from those mistakes and had good conversations with the Ham and High in North London as well as the London Lite. It is funny how synchronicity works – because at the same time I have also come across the perfect training course on handling the media. It is exactly what I need at the right time. The course is on 17th October, so watch this space for news of it (and results from it!).

How would I summarise this week? It has been a week of intense lows and a couple of highs. I started off the week not feeling at all optimistic about the various things on my plate. I am pleased, and relieved, to say that the week has ended much better, break-throughs have been made and the right people that I need to help me have miraculously materialised. Phew!