Tuesday, December 31, 2013
2014 Goal Setting Helpfuls!
Hey Peeps,
So I wanted to bring your attention to two things that may be helpful to you for setting your goals for 2014.
The first thing is an article by James Clear The Difference Between Goals and Systems
The second thing is a workbook that I purchased from Leonie Dawson. She has one available for life and one available for your business. I purchased both. I haven't gone through both workbooks yet but from what I've seen in the business workbook it helps you get organized, ask important questions, get focused and intentional! Here is the link to the workbooks!
I hope these two resources are helpful to you in some way.....
Until Next Time...
Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned!
Monday, December 30, 2013
My Year In Review 2013 (And 2012)
Image credit: maxkabakov / 123RF Stock Photo |
Hey Peeps,
So I wanted to take the time to reflect on my last two years to see what went right and what went wrong. This will give me an idea of what I want and need to focus on in 2014 which I will do another post about my plans for 2014.
I'm sure I've stated this before, the last two years have been extremely challenging for me. Let's take a look at 2012.
What went right in 2012:
- I got out of a toxic relationship....best decision ever!
- I saved more money in that one year (by moving into a much cheaper apartment) than I had saved in all the years since moving to NY (in 2003)
- I flew for first time SOLO....I realized that I hate airports and I know that I will need to have a private jet ha! I can never get comfortable on planes.
- I was able to go home to ATL to visit my family
- I finally went to the Taste of Chicago! I'd been wanting to go there for two years.
- I finally went to Vegas! That was amazing...definitely need another trip there!
- I spent New Year's Eve with some of my great friends from Astoria!
- I had a fun summer for the most part going to day parties, meeting new friends, etc.
- I published my two books on Amazon (under a pen name which I have since unpublished)! The beginning of my career!
What went wrong in 2012:
- I left my apartment after living alone for 5 years and ended up in a much smaller cramped basement apartment that I ended up hating. I cried a lot missing my apartment in Astoria.
- I didn't save my target savings goal
- My book didn't sell millions so it created a lot of self doubt (I wanted an instant rise to stardom I suppose LOL)
- I got extra unwanted roommates in the apartment that I was renting and they made my stay miserable as hell
- I started my emotional roller-coaster feeling that I had completely lost myself.
Now let's look at 2013...
What went right in 2013:
- I moved from that basement apartment into an apartment that was more spacious and with a close friend of mine (it's in Brooklyn and I still miss Astoria....badly ha! I think I always will miss living there; its the best place to live in NY in my opinion.)
- I published two new books!
- I'm actually building a career and making money from it while I'm learning! ha!
- I went on my first cruise!! Amazing experience! Will definitely have to do it again....every year if possible!
- I cut my hair and love my new style....it totally fits my personality and I can always change it up! Loving it!
- I got a new laptop specifically for writing! (Don't sleep on QVC...I just learned about them this year and took advantage ha!)
- My ex finally stopped contacting me...geez!
- And...I met a guy that I really like hehehehe.....
Okay...what went wrong in 2013:
- I didn't stick to my publication plans for this year. I only published 2 books and my goal was 12. I wanted to publish something new once a month (minimum). But I was battling extreme self doubt after my first two books flopped and so it took me a few months to get my writing mojo back. I slowed down but I didn't quit!!!
- I encountered some major financial responsibilities that were both expected and unexpected which pretty much depleted the savings that I'd accumulated in 2012 and kept me from saving more this year.
- I haven't gotten back to doing some of the things that I did back in 2011 that kept me spiritually nourished and emotionally and mentally healthy.
- Still on an emotional roller-coaster......
What have I learned from these last two years?
I've learned that we all go through seasons and not every season is about us. My intention for moving out of my apartment and go back to having roommates was to save money so that I can travel more and eventually move from NY. Well it seems as if this season wasn't about me after all. But I believe everything happens for a reason. If I had not moved out of my apartment, I wouldn't have been in a financial position to help those that really needed me. Yes, it puts my goals and dream on hold a bit and yes, it has made me upset because the sole reason for me moving was not accomplished. But I have to remind myself that God trusts me to be in this position for a reason and the things that I'm going through, have gone through, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and financially are not in vain.
I've learned that the one thing that God is trying to work with me on is PATIENCE. This is my test which will eventually turn into my testimony. I'm grateful for these experiences. I'm learning what I don't like, what I don't want, what I'm willing to tolerate, how I prefer to be treated, how I prefer to live, what type of lifestyle I prefer to have, what career I want and what I need to improve on.
Everything is constantly and consistently working together for my good.
Stay Tuned to find out what I plan to do in 2014 to position myself for greater success and prosperity!
Stay Blessed!
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Why Are You Grateful?
I received the message below in my inbox from Daily Gratitude and it reminded me that I have not been consistent with keeping a gratitude journal. I did it for a few days and then I stopped....but for 2014 I will make it an everyday practice. But not just listing what I'm grateful for each day, I will also include why I'm grateful for those things, as suggested below.
I just wanted to share that with you......2014 is indeed one of the best years of my life.....STAY TUNED!! :-)
"When I started counting my
blessings, my whole life
turned around."
Willie Nelson
In yesterday's message we learned that to bring
about the life we want, we need to think happy,
positive thoughts.
We also learned that the way we can figure out if
we're thinking positive thoughts is by paying
attention to how we feel.
So now, if we do that and realize that we're
actually thinking negatively most of the time,
how do we change it?
I'm glad you asked! The answer comes to us
from famous singer and songwriter Willie
Nelson, who has experienced the good and the
not-so-good of life.
His recommendation is doing a daily gratitude
list. Write down what you're grateful for, and
why. The "why" is very important because it
focuses you on the good that is coming to you
from that person, place or thing that you're
grateful for.
And don't just write, slow down and think about
your gratitudes and how your life is better as a
result of them.
This will start the process of training your mind
to think of good, positive things. And if you
make it a regular practice, you'll get better and
better at thinking positive thoughts.
Willie says it turned his whole life around. What
might it do for you?
All the best,
Wes
Please forward to a friend!
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Follow @DailyGratitude_ on Twitter
Not a subscriber? Get your own
issue every weekday.
http://dailygratitude.com
Friday, December 27, 2013
Want to Win A Kindle Fire? Join this Giveaway!
Hey Peeps!
So I'm participating in another #Giveaway! Yay!
This is a Mega Giveaway with some of my New Adult Author Friends.
You have a chance to win a Kindle Fire, some awesome sway and a $10 Amazon Gift Card!!!
So enter below for a chance to win!!
Good Luck!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
New Home for Author Yolanda Allen!
Hey Peeps Happy Christmas Eve!
Just wanted to let you know what I spent my weekend doing...learning how to use Wordpress! ha!
I spent HOURS Saturday night buying a web hosting plan, redirecting nameservers, finding a suitable theme (for free ha!) and setting up the new home for all things related to my writing career. I've wanted to do this for awhile now after reading so much advice from other online entrepreneurs about the importance of having your own self hosted website.
So my plan was to switch both my personal blog and my author site over to Wordpress.org.....ummmm after the learning curve that I had to go through...and probably will continue to go through as I build onto that site..I'm going to keep my personal blog (Yogi's Playground) hosted on Blogger. This site is the one that I update the most because it's about my whole life not just my career. But in case something happens to any public platform then it will be good to be able to reach my readers on my own self hosted site.
So check out the new home of Author Yolanda Allen at www.authoryolandaallen.com
Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned!
Monday, December 16, 2013
I'M IN LOVE!!!!!
With my mascara!
Just wanted to drop a quick note for all my lovelies that like to wear mascara. A good liner and mascara is sometimes all the makeup you need to get your face a little pop!
I went to my local dollar store the other day and found L'oreal's Telescopic Mascara in Carbon Black. I was interested in the mascara because of the wand. I like that you can use it from every angle. BUT lordy mercy....when I put this mascara on...my lashes were bananas!
It really does get every lash and it's really intense. I love this mascara! I don't know how much it normally retails for, I got it for $3.99...this will be a staple in my makeup collection.
Try it out! Let me know what you think!
Until next time...
Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Sweet Romance Christmas Giveaway - Amazon Gift Cards and MANY Books
Click on each book to read about it on Amazon or to buy it in case you don't win the giveaway. Nah, you'll win! Just scroll below to enter the giveaway now! Good luck! :-)
Clarissa Carlyle - Just Like Heaven
Alesha Cary - Redwood Cove - the Series (4 Books)
Kathrine Emrick - Love Letter of the Law
Pamela Kelley - Six Months in Montana
Sarah Collins - Salvation
Beate Boeker - Stormy Times
Shawn Inmon - Both Sides Now
Yolanda Allen - One Man's Trash Another Man's Treasure
Lucy Naylor Kubash - An Uncommon Prince and Other Short Stories
Opal Mellon - His Only Hope
Kate Benzin - Diving Into Love
Dianne Ascroft - Dancing Shadows, Tramping Hooves
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, November 8, 2013
Hold On To Your Joy!!
Hey my lovelies! Happy Friday!!
I just wanted to send out a quick note to you guys to remind you that you have to hold on to your joy no matter what life throws at you. I needed to be reminded of this the other day when my boss pissed me off. I won't go into details but I allowed someone to steal my joy and my whole day was ruined. Can't do that again. It keeps me from being productive and working toward my personal goals.
I'm also reading the book, Attitude is Everything by Jeff Keller, for the second time in the past few months. I'm reading it again because I didn't follow the principles after I read it the first time. But now I plan to follow the principles that he suggests in the book. You should definitely check it out at Amazon!
Keep your attitude right and it will help you overcome any and every obstacle that comes your way. I'm a work in progress...when I learn...I like to share. So this is me sharing!
Have a blessed day...or not...the choice is yours!
Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned!
Here is a word from Joel Osteen: Don't Give Up!
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Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Joel Osteen: Attitude in Adversity
Hey Peeps!
I hope all is well with you and yours!
Last week I decided that I need to start my gratitude journal this weekend....I didn't start it lol but I will this week. I was reading last night about a lady and her manifestation box and I remembered that I had saved a shoe box a year ago to use as my Creation Box that I spoke about in this post THREE years ago! LOL
I didn't follow through with it three years ago so my plan last year was to do it....I was having so many issues in my living situation last year that I never got around to tapping into my vision for my life. But I need to get more serious about it because I'm finding it difficulty these days to continue living in mediocrity as if it's okay for me. And it's not!
I figured the best way for me to maintain sanity while I wait on my blessings is to forever keep an attitude of gratitude. When I get frustrated which seems to be daily....these people in New York will test you consistently honey....I need to remind myself that this is only temporary and my break through is coming however I have to remain faithful and grateful.
Joel Osteen touched on it in his message that you can read below. Until next time.....
Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned
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Labels:
gratitude,
Joel Osteen,
prosperity,
spirituality,
success
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
5 Things Super Successful People Do Before 8 AM
According to Forbes Magazine I'm not behaving like a successful person. In an article recently, 5 Things Super Successful People Do Before 8 AM they rattled on about the things you should do in the mornings before work that could lead to a successful and healthy lifestyle. I'm just going to list them 5 things below but they go into more detail in the article.
1-Exercise
2-Map Out Your Day
3-Eat A Healthy Breakfast
4-Visualization
5-Make Your Day Top Heavy
The first problem I have with this whole thing is the fact that I barely get up in time to make it to work by 9am. I am a night owl have always been a night owl and love being a night owl. The only reason why being a night owl is an issue for me is because I've always had freaking DAY jobs! ugh! I set my clock 20 minutes before I'm supposed to get up because my intentions are to spend that time praying and become alert. Well let's just say I haven't stuck to that routine in over a year. I do have to admit that when I was following that routine I felt much better starting my day.
I don't exercise at all asides from walking daily. In New York, you can do a lot of walking without even trying to. I love to walk. Absolutely....in nice walking weather of course. I actually have a walking exercise DVD that I should start back using. I plan to but I know it won't be before 8 AM during the week!
I barely eat breakfast because I normally wait until I get to work. Sometimes as soon as I walk in the door my boss has me running around fetching stuff for him that by the time I'm able to think straight it's already 10 or 11am. I normally eat fruit sometimes I may grab a muffin sometimes it's nothing sometimes it's junkfood....for awhile I was doing green smoothies but I realized that they should be drunk at home vs. traveling with it 40 minutes after making it to drink at work. The flavor wasn't the greatest by then so I 86'd that idea. I love green smoothies though but I would either have to drink them before coming to work or drink them when I get home from work.
I don't map out my day because let's face it...my day is so routine I really don't need to map it out. Get up, go to work, run errands, go home. Rinse and repeat Monday through Friday.
Visualization...I normally do this at night before bed or during my commute to work, or while I'm walking from the train to work, or while I'm at work when I'm just sitting in my boss' office while he's sorting through papers on his desk. LOL I love to pretend that I'm somewhere other than where I am. Sometimes when I'm walking to work I pretend that I'm only up that early because I have a business meeting with Tyler Perry to discuss turning one of my books into a movie. LOL hey faith it til you make it, right? :-)
Number 5 doesn't apply to me.
If you are a morning person more power to you...if you are a night owl like me...and you want to do the things listed in that article in hopes of being more productive and successful then I'm sure you can train your body to be a morning person. We can train our minds and bodies to do just about anything we want by creating those habits. I for one would much rather create the work environment that corresponds to my body's natural way of being. And naturally my body loves sleeping in without an alarm clock so...what does that tell you...I need to create a work environment where I get up on my own schedule and allow my body to get up organically. THAT my friend will help me to be more productive and successful because I'm not being forced to behave in a way that my body naturally disagrees with. IMO.
Go read the article:
5 Things Super Successful People Do Before 8 AM
Stay Blessed....Stay Tuned!
Monday, October 14, 2013
Joel Osteen-Choose Blessings For Your Future
Hello Everyone!
It's been a minute since I posted last. I just want to fill you in on what's been going on. Well a lot of personal drama has been going on in my family that I won't go into details about but let's say they were major distractions however we are continuing to overcome all obstacles placed before us by the Grace of God.
As far as my career, I'm still writing. The last book I published was in September. I was going over some notes that I had written down a year ago when I first started writing back before I had published my first book. I had the idea of writing my stories as webisodes in book format, what most would consider a serial however I was not planning to publish each episode weekly but publish as a season each having about seven or so episodes. I abandoned that idea and started publishing novellas.
Well about a month or two ago I was listening to the Self Publishing Podcast on YouTube and Sean Platt, one of the writers of the Yesterday's Gone Serial, mentioned that they were changing their delivery method for their serials to publish seasonally vs publishing per episode weekly. So hearing him say that and finding my notes from a year ago I decided to go back to the idea I originally had.
My idea was a good one I just didn't execute it but now I have confirmation that I should do it. So that's what I'm working on now. I found an app for my phone last week called Kingsoft Office. I absolutely love it. I can now work on my writing on my phone on the train as I commute to work and even at home when I want a break from being in front of a computer. In the 30-40 minutes that I'm on the train I can get a good 600 words done and it's so easy to drown people out because I'm so focused on my story. It's better than reading on the train because sometimes when I read with that long of a commute I'm sleepy again before I even get to work.
So my next story is called Mr. Yummy Chocolate. It's a romance serial. I think it will be about 42 episodes so approximately three seasons. I will probably do paperback versions of these books since they will be the length of short novels (40K words each).
SO that's what you can expect from me as far as my writing goes, more serial style writing. I love writing this way. I see the story in my head clearer and I think I pace myself better. My goal is to do two episodes a day, so approximately 6K words daily minimum 3K, with weekends off unless I just want to write on the weekends. If I can keep this writing schedule up weekly, I can have a good number of titles up each year. Minimum 6 new titles.
Ok...enough about me...on to why I started this blog post. I'm a little stuffy today and I rarely get a cold. So everyone is like you have a cold? I'm hesitant when I answer because I don't want to say I have a cold. I just tell them I'm a little stuffy. But even that isn't good enough. What my answer should be is, I'm getting better. I don't like to say that I'm something when I actually don't want to be that. Meaning I don't want to keep saying to everyone that asks, Yeah I have a cold. Because guess what, I will keep experiencing the effects of a cold to agree with the words that I'm speaking over my situation. This coincides with the message that I received in my inbox this morning from Joel Osteen. I will share the message below.
Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned
Choose Blessings for Your Future |
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE |
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” |
(Deuteronomy 30:19, NKJV) |
TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria |
Your words have creative power. With your words, you can either bless your future or curse your future. If you want to know what your life is going to be like five years from now, just listen to what you’re saying about yourself today. Too many people go around saying, “I’ll never get well. I’ll never get out of debt.” “It’s flu season. I’ll probably get it.” “This marriage is never going to last.” Then they wonder why they don’t see things turn around. It’s because they’re calling defeat into their future. They’re calling in mediocrity. Don’t let that be you!
When you wake up in the morning, no matter how you feel or what things look like, instead of using your words to describe your situation, use your words to change your situation. Make a declaration of faith by saying, “This is going to be a great day. I have God’s favor. He’s directing my steps.” When you do that, you are choosing to bless your future. You are calling in favor, increase and opportunities. You are opening the door for God to move on your behalf so you can live the abundant life He has for you!
|
A PRAYER FOR TODAY |
Father, thank You for the blessings You have prepared for my future. I submit my ways and my words to You. Help me to speak what You speak and keep me close to You. I give You the glory in all things in Jesus’ name. Amen. |
— Joel & Victoria Osteen © 2013 Joel Osteen Ministries |
Labels:
career,
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Joel Osteen,
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Saturday, September 21, 2013
New Release: One Man's Trash Another Man's Treasure (Bundle)
Hey Peeps!
Quick announcement....Get two books for the price of one!! Yay!!!
Books 1 & 2 of the Musicology Series (Diamond and Ryder)!
Okay....off to write!
Have a blessed day...and as always,
Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned
One Man's Trash Another Man's Treasure: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Available Now at following retailers:
Amazon
Kobo
AllRomance
Smashwords
Quick announcement....Get two books for the price of one!! Yay!!!
Books 1 & 2 of the Musicology Series (Diamond and Ryder)!
Okay....off to write!
Have a blessed day...and as always,
Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned
One Man's Trash Another Man's Treasure: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Available Now at following retailers:
Amazon
Kobo
AllRomance
Smashwords
Saturday, September 14, 2013
New Release: Another Man's Treasure
Hey Peeps!!
Book 2 of the Musicology Series is now available on all your local eRetailers!!
See Diamond and Ryder's love story unfold from his perspective!!
Happy Reading!
A special shout out to all my fans!! Love you much!!
As always,
Stay Blessed....Stay Tuned!
Another Man's Treasure: New Adult Contemporary Romance Novella
Available Now at following retailers:
Amazon
Kobo
AllRomance
Smashwords
Book 2 of the Musicology Series is now available on all your local eRetailers!!
See Diamond and Ryder's love story unfold from his perspective!!
Happy Reading!
A special shout out to all my fans!! Love you much!!
As always,
Stay Blessed....Stay Tuned!
Another Man's Treasure: New Adult Contemporary Romance Novella
Available Now at following retailers:
Amazon
Kobo
AllRomance
Smashwords
Monday, August 19, 2013
The Key To Making It As A Writer!
Image credit: dr911 / 123RF Stock Photo
Everybody wants to know the key to success!
Well I've been listening to a few people lately...messages I've heard before but sometimes I need a reminder.
Will Smith-
"There's no reason to have a Plan B because it distracts from Plan A."
My Plan A: Ultimately, to live a life of freedom working from home full-time supporting myself easily and effortlessly as an author & if I can add "New York Times Best-Selling Author" after my name that will be a bonus!
Every step I take today and the many days after will lead to my ultimate plan.
Tyler Perry (I love this dude he's a true inspiration to me)-
With my 100% commitment to being the best storyteller I can be and by God's grace and favor I will succeed!
Hugh Howey- My Advice To Aspiring Writers
"The key to making it as a writer is to write a lot, write great stories, publish them yourself, spend more time writing, study the industry, act like a pro, network, be nice, invest in yourself and your craft, and be patient. If you can do all of these things, you’ll earn some money. Maybe enough to pay a bill every month. Maybe enough to get out of debt. Maybe enough to quit your job. Thousands of writers are doing this, and we are welcoming all comers with open arms."
Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned!
Monday, August 12, 2013
Focus On Becoming A Better Storyteller!
Image credit: ivelinradkov / 123RF Stock Photo
So I mentioned that I started a new year in my writing career. I've decided that I need to focus on improving my craft and creating content. I need to spend less time on promoting because that's a major distraction that takes away from my writing. Especially for a new writer like myself who don't have a lot of product and who needs to create better writing habits. When I released my last novella I was so focused on spreading the word that I haven't even started writing my next book yet.
This may not be an issue for most people but I recognize my shortcomings and weaknesses so I need to work on perfecting my craft and building a better work ethic and getting more inventory. I honestly think that I get better with each story that I write.
So my ultimate goal for the next 12 months is to focus on becoming a better storyteller!
I follow the blogs of Dean Wesley Smith and Hugh Howey. They both suggest doing what I'm going to focus on for the next year.
Hugh Howey- My Advice to Aspiring Writers
This may not be an issue for most people but I recognize my shortcomings and weaknesses so I need to work on perfecting my craft and building a better work ethic and getting more inventory. I honestly think that I get better with each story that I write.
So my ultimate goal for the next 12 months is to focus on becoming a better storyteller!
I follow the blogs of Dean Wesley Smith and Hugh Howey. They both suggest doing what I'm going to focus on for the next year.
Hugh Howey- My Advice to Aspiring Writers
"When I finished my first novel, I was on a complete high. This is when you think your book is the shit and you wonder why Oprah hasn’t called. You’re gonna be rich!
This feeling lasted a few days. That’s when I started writing my next work. My father at the time wondered why I wasn’t spending all of my time promoting that first book. I told him I had my entire life to promote my works. I only had now to write. I stuck to that principle for years, writing and publishing several novels or short stories a year.
....My father now agrees with this approach and sees the value of having a dozen titles available. This is going to sound strange, but you are MUCH better off with your 10th work exploding than your 1st work. You’ll never have quiet time to crank out quality material ever again. And when your backlist matches the growth of your first breakout, you’ll do very well for yourself. Be patient. It’s been said by many others, but I’ll repeat it here: self-publishing is a marathon."
Dean Wesley Smith- Maybe You Wrote A Good Book
"It really is that simple.But putting the responsibility squarely back on the writer’s shoulders to write better stories is scary. Especially to new writers who really don’t understand what it takes to write a quality story that hundreds or thousands or millions will want to read. New writers don’t even know what they don’t know. They just don’t have the study or the practice or the words under their fingers yet.Writing good stories is a skill that takes time to learn. It can be learned. It’s not a talent, it’s a craft that can be studied and learned with enough effort and drive and practice.But writing and learning need to be the focus.So if you are out promoting your third novel and wondering why it’s not selling, maybe your time would be better served to learn how to write a better story. Just maybe.Just saying…"
So other than announcing on my blogs, Facebook, and uploading to my different author platforms, I won't be going hard in promoting. I'll focus on producing great content and building relationships with my readers and other authors (which I'll do on Sundays). I started a small group on Facebook where we help each other promote our books so of course I'm always going to help my fellow authors promote their work and they will do the same for me but once I make that initial announcement.....I'm off to writing my next book!
Stay Blessed...Stay Tuned!
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