I have been notoriously bad all my life asking for help when I most needed it but over the past few years have realised the importance of asking for help. For example when I had the original idea for On the Threshold I realised I couldn’t do it all nor did I have the skills to do so, so promptly found someone to work with me on marketing, someone else to design the brand and more recently when I’ve wanted help with PR or PA type work. But I still find it hard to ask for help for me personally.

But something has just happened that has made me realise I need help and I’m asking for it in this blog and all other means available to me. So let me tell you about it. Over the past couple of years I have been working on my book “Journey to Chocolate” and as I near the end of that project I have wanted have some kind of a party to celebrate the achievement. I want to have a launch and donate the proceeds to the Joanne (Joe) Bingley Memorial Foundation, the charity of which I’m a trustee and feel so passionate about. Imagine my dismay when I realised I would need about £5000 to make this dream come true. I thought it could never happen.

24 hours later I realised I had been telling myself an old story and I invented a new story that it would happen and the money would be there in my bank when I needed it. I have no idea how so I’m asking for help from anyone out there who reads this. As I see it, help can come from you and others directly buying my life coaching services or booking a place on one of the women’s workshops I am running in the summer or referring me to friends, family or colleagues; but I’m also looking for other ideas: creative collaborations, sponsorship, anything else you can think of.

So please get involved in my 2011 challenge which will result in that £5000 being in my bank account October 1st along with a copy of my book in the hand. And remember help can come in the form of support and encouragement as well. Thank you for reading this and I look forward to hearing from you.

Finally I want to acknowledge my friend and colleague, Elaine Hanzak, who has so bravely asked for the help she needed after the death of her beloved partner, Clive Gott. Her courage has inspired me.

Have you ever said to yourself that you need to sort your life out and then have you gone on to say “I’ll do it when I’ve got time”? What you do then is put yourself at the bottom of your metaphorical in tray. But how often do you actually get to the bottom of that tray? Not often because you’re always looking after someone else’s needs and not your own. So the thought of contacting a life coach to get some help is just not on your radar. It’s another job on that enormous to do list. But in the meantime your life moves inexorably onwards and it really doesn’t feel any better.

But what if the life coach recognised that and created a way of you being able to work with her when it suits you? The children are in bed, your partner’s watching the television and you can take some time out for you for half an hour or so. You switch on your computer and start working on the next module which may be discovering your values, managing stress, learning about balance and choice or setting short, medium and long term goals. You interact with your coach in the virtual world at a time which suits you both. In the module you find reflective questions to answer; you send them to her in your own time and she “listens” to your answers and responds in her own time.

In relation to the rest of your life it feels really calm, peaceful and slowed down, giving you time out just for you and time to reflect. I’ve spent the last few weeks writing that programme and am now really excited to say it’s ready, so please feel free to get in touch if you want to know more.

But not only that you can also complete the “How Fulfilled are You”? reflection on my website and enter into a very brief and free coaching conversation with me, again in your own time!

I know I’m not alone in getting a great deal of pleasure from sitting down in the evening and relaxing over a glass of wine, paying attention to my own needs after a day’s work. Make this be your “glass of wine” moment, time when you make the choice to do something for yourself.