The words “simple” and “tax time” have probably never been uttered in the same sentence. Well, not until now at least. The key to a stress-free tax season is being organized all year-round. Trying to organize a week before or, even worse, the night before April 15th is setting yourself up for failure. Why You Should Organize for Tax Time Organizing for tax time helps you avoid misplacing important receipts and documents. Your stress level will be lower because you won\’t be rushing around at the last minute trying to get to the tax preparer and/or post office. Being... Read More

In what way is retirement an end phase of life? For women who are still working outside the home as the time for retirement approaches, retirement is an important transition signaling the end of a career. That career may have occupied all of their adult years or have been launched when they stepped out of the parenting role. It might have been part time to supplement or complement the family income or as the primary provider. For the majority of women, that career was juggled with responsibilities in the home and in the community. The transition may be fuzzier or non-existent for women who chose... Read More

Learn how to successfully market your book with these 10 valuable book marketing tips. 1. Take Risks. Be willing to put yourself in uncomfortable situations (like speaking and selling) to market your books. Pretty soon you won\’t be uncomfortable anymore and you will be selling books. 2. Accept Mistakes. Not everything you try will be effective. Some of the promotions you dream up will fall flat and others will be very effective. You have to test your marketing plan, and accept the mistakes as a guideline for what NOT to do the next year. 3. Don\’t Take Criticism Personally. The act... Read More

Do you feel you\’re getting off track? Those of you who have been following my columns with NABBW may have noticed that my last new column was a few months back. Quite often my patients assume that because I am a therapist, I am immune to the ups and downs of life. They forget that I learned my professional skills in school and through years of practice, and that, underneath the professional veneer, I am the same vulnerable and sometimes off track human being that they are. In fact, most appreciate when I occasionally share my personal experiences (which I do only after I feel I have begun... Read More

The Three Elements Have you heard me talk about the Leverage Triangle yet? As entrepreneurs and pursuers of our dreams and passions, we all have 3 elements to work with when we start a business: Time, Expertise, and Money. Most of us have very little of each of these in the beginning of our journey-but as we grow our business or our dream of any kind, we begin to have more of each and thus more leverage. And interestingly enough–successful individuals learn to leverage other people\’s time, expertise and money too. And when we do that, we often help other people reach their dreams.... Read More

…by Prill Boyle Have you ever wondered what your calling is? A few weeks ago, I began a speech by asking how many members of my middle-aged audience still didn\’t know what they wanted to be when they grew up. After a few giggles, more than a quarter of the people in the room raised a hand. Some might argue that if you haven\’t found a calling by the time you\’re in midlife, chances are you won\’t. Meg Wolitzer, author of The Ten-Year Nap, goes even further. In a recent New York Times interview, she declares: “The notion that everyone has a calling, that everyone... Read More

Achieving balance in our lives is accomplished by saying no when we need to and learning to set priorities. And we cannot achieve balance without understanding what our particular needs are. Balance is different for everyone. It means that you have identified your priorities and have not overextended yourself. Balance means you are aware of the dangers of burnout. Balance means that when asked the question, “Are you happy?” you can answer yes. The following are 4 core values I use to live a balanced life and achieve my dreams easier. One–No Guilt Allowed One of the biggest struggles... Read More

…by Prill Boyle To be successful in any endeavor, you have to stick with it. And that\’s a lot easier to accomplish when you\’re doing what you enjoy. Passion is the purest fuel around. But even when you\’re doing what you love, it\’s easy to lose steam. Whether you\’re an aspiring novelist like me, an established businesswoman, or an astronaut, it takes an enormous commitment of time and energy to keep a dream moving forward. So if you\’re in danger of stalling, here are a few things to try: Divide your goal into smaller steps. When I complained... Read More

…by Mary Pearsall I have heard it again and again – “I am exercising every day for an hour and I am just not getting the weight off like I was before. What is the problem?” Well, it could be a variety of things, but invariably I find that most people are doing the same kind of exercise every day with out varying any of the components – intensity, duration or mode. One of the fastest and easiest ways to remedy this is with introducing interval training one or two times a week. It works wonders. Why? The acceleration in intensity for brief spurts is good for your heart.... Read More

Marketing plans are great guides for business owners. And a book marketing plan is the specific tool you will use to find and create places to sell your book(s). Consider these six areas when developing your marketing plan. The Audience: Who did I write this book for? Make sure you narrow your focus and target specific groups. Try to network with networks instead of one-on-one. The Product: What kind of book is this? Check out your competition; see what the latest trends are with books similar to yours. One current trend is to sell your how-to book at the end of free how-to teleseminars. The... Read More