Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an author, speaker,trainer and consultant who is passionate about helping people discover life goals and helping teams grow to their full potential.
I have two books on Amazon.
The latest of my books is titled: “If I can Just Focus: 5 Keys to Sanity & Success” which helps people live a truly focused life by first determining their life goals and then systemizing their daily life around the five principles hidden in the very word focus: Find It, Own it, Channels of Focus, Unity (& Openness to Change) and Systems of Focus.
It offers practical how-tos on achieving a life of balance and success, drawing on up-to-date research and years of coaching experience helping others to find the vital link between their daily activities and their life goals
My first book was: “The A.R.T of Motivation: Success in Life by Rediscovering Your Core Design” and it presents a three-step methodology to discovering life goals.
In the three sections of “The A.R.T of Motivation”, I talk in depth about going beyond a seasonal experience to uncovering the inexhaustible reservoir of motivation within you that flows out of your purpose, giftings and abilities : Adventure into Self, Rediscovery and Traveling the Road to your Life Goals.
This book answers questions like:
“How do I know which of all the things I am motivated about on my list of goals to focus on right now?”
“I’ve tried so many things and I was excited about this job, two years ago. I seem to have lost motivation again. Why do I hate it so much right now?”
“How do I get started discovering what my life goals are?”
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My newest book is called : “If I can Just Focus: 5 Keys to Sanity & Success”.
It was inspired while writing a blog post on the topic during a time when I felt overwhelmed by a lot of things going on. Discussions with friends and trainees from my courses also pointed to the same problem. A lot of people try to apply time management and efectiveness principles without having determined the course of their lives or at least an idea of what they really want. The truly focused life begins with life goals or long-term goals.
The second problem I address in the book is the question of how to connect daily activities with those life goals. Your focus is your life philosophy. Plain and simple.
In “In If I can Just Focus… 5 Keys to Success and Sanity”, I give practical how-tos on achieving a life of balance and success, drawing on up-to-date research and years of coaching experience helping others to find the vital link between their daily activities and their life goals.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I know of.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
John Maxwell on leadership, teams and growth more than any other author. I have a mini-library of his books, Mike Murdock on how to live wisely and create effective habits. Mike’s book titled :”Secrets of the richest man who ever lived”, Seth Godin on marketing and uniqueness in your message, Michael Hyatt on leadership and living a balanced life, Jack Canfield on vision and success through “The Success Principles”through have authored some of my favorite books.
The passion for living, how to live a good life and taking your unique message to the world breathes through their work.
What are you working on now?
Two books:
First, a book titled: “How to Build Corporate Learning & Development That Runs Like a Business”.
The book is based on over seven years and hundreds of thousands of training hours and consulting.
It helps teams and organizations harness the power of learning at various stages of development and align training departments to executing business goals.
My next book in the works is a personal development book.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Usually my talks, workshops and training engagements have yielded the best results. Simply because its where the target audience is. I also see facebook, twitter and bookbub.com as great channles for promotion.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is mainly to the non-fiction genre. Find your true audience and stay true to them. Don’t try to be everything to everybody.
Also, write what you think, feel and know about a topic but make sure you have something to say. You won’t be able to cover all there is to know about a topic so say what you wanted to say and then ask yourself after writing: “Have I said it?”
If not, keep editing or rewriting until you do. Also learn some story-telling. It helps your material stay interesting.
Get a yearly plan for what you want to achieve and get yourself a marketing “SYSTEM” that works. System means something you do everyday, week, month and year otherwise you’ll be wringing your hands and running helter skelter. This will take time and some painful research. Some of that pain and time wasting you will escape with a mentor or mentor group if you get smart quick enough.
There are too many scams out there for authors. Find what works in reaching your audience and stick with it. Just keep making progress and tweaking your writing and your breaks will come. Sometimes, beyond your book. It has for me. In training workshops and speaking engagements.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Know thyself,let your writing express that and find people to learn from.
What are you reading now?
Judith Glaser’s book on “Conversational Intelligence”. Highly recommend it.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I see myself going into memoirs, Christian Fiction and Christian Non-Fiction in the near future.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
My Bible, two Kenneth Hagin books on :”A Bible Study Course on Faith” and “How to be led by the Spirit of God”, a book on possibility thinking and another on how to turn an island into a paradise.
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