When I started out writing my book, “Journey to Chocolate”, one of the tasks assigned to me was to do some research in book shops. Where would my planned book sit on the shelves? What were its competitors? I reluctantly set myself to looking through the self-help books. Why reluctantly? Because I didn’t like what I saw. Authors were making great claims about the level of change that could be achieved in as little as a week and, presumably, making money on the back of those claims. But worse still, as far as I was concerned, was that these claims were exploiting vulnerable people. But my book does belong in that genre, it is intended to help people help themselves, it acts as a guide as my readers set out on their own personal development journeys. It is my hope that the tools and techniques that I have included in the book will help them as they have helped me.

To explain more about what I mean let me use the words of Elaine Hanzak-Gott who wrote the foreword of my book:-

“Often personal development books are written at us – we are supposed to think that these perceived ‘greater beings’ have all the right answers and we are failing and useless in some way. The authors and speakers appear ‘to have it all’. Ann writes about herself, but with us and for us, in a way that as a woman makes you think me too. She inspires by sharing aspects of her journey which have been painful, and that inspires us to take action from where we are in life right now to where we would like to be.”

Neuroscience shows us that we can change the way we think, feel and behave, it is never too late. But real change does not happen overnight. Our brains have worked in the same old way for a long time and the pathways in our brain are well embedded. It takes time for us to lay down new ones. However one way we can do that is to repeat a new behaviour or the same affirmation every day without fail for 30 days. Only then will that affirmation start to be who we are or that new behaviour become easier.

The New Year is a time of new beginnings and it is often the time when we do make that resolution to do something different. I am writing this blog on Jan 8th. If your will power is fading or you think you will never be able to achieve that goal or dream you long for keep going. A week is never long enough. And, remember, there are people like me who are life coaches and whose purpose in life is to help and encourage people along their way and to help them overcome the barriers that are in the way.

To start off with why don't you download a chapter of my book or even buy it!!

This is what someone said about it in an e mail this week: “I must tell you that your book is so beautifully written and intuitive, it has certainly struck many a chord with me. I am still working through the end-of-chapter exercises, realizing how little time I really take to be insightful about myself. Anyway, thank you for the experience your sound advice is allowing me.”