Then reality hit. As I compared popular eBooks, I noticed that there were all sorts of formats. Some were wide screen, others were in portrait mode. Some used extensive backgrounds while others were just text.

I decided to take the plunge.

For my first attempt, I used Keynote on my MacBook to create the pages. This format would look good on the screen, and Keynote had lots of templates to choose from. I would start with a basic canvas and add from there. I started working with titles, pictures, and backgrounds. I had to adjust text sizes and fonts to fit the screen. Soon I had the first chapter done. I saved it as a PDF and viewed it on the screen.

This is where things went bad…

The book looked good on some screens, but was too big on others. The Mac fonts didn’t play well on a PC. The advance arrows were different, depending on the PDF software.

I started out of the box with a mess.

Frustration soon set in. I was dealing with too many variables. I couldn’t decided on an appropriate background and font set. The page sizes seemed all wrong, and then I went to print out some slides and discovered that they didn’t print well. After a few hours of frustration I closed the lid on my laptop.

I gave up on my first try.

A few months went by until I tried again. This time I would be a success, because I would take an eBook class. I signed up with a local writer and took her e-book course. I learned a lot about eBooks and was able to interact with other writers from my local area. The subjects and writing styles were eclectic, but I came away with a greater understanding of the process. Unfortunately, the teacher did not offer a template or advice on formatting. She said she used someone else to do that for her. After spending a day in class, I was left with a gaping hole in my eBook process. I had the words, but not the process. I was frustrated to say the least.

I decided I needed more information.

I continued to look at different eBooks and styles. I did some searches on Google. I read lots of material. I had the basics, but I wanted perfection. I wanted the create the best eBook on the market. Unfortunately I was making a classic mistake.

I was overthinking the whole process.

I wanted the moon, but what I really needed was a straight-forward process to get my words to my reader in a format that they could read. But I had too many choices. My creative mind couldn’t settle on a single style or format. I was really getting frustrated now. Then one day, quite by accident I met someone who changed everything.

I met Ali Luke.

She had done a guest post over at Copyblogger and talked about how to actually write and format an eBook. I was impressed with her writing style. She had a copywriter’s mindset. She also offered something that I really needed. She offered an eBook on writing eBooks that came with a template for MS Word (portrait and landscape). I decided to purchase her book and then things changed quickly.

Her book was written in a simple to understand style that led you through the process of creating the ebook from scratch. Her eBook was written using the same template she offered for her readers. I liked the look and it was different than so many other books that I’d read. It worked on my laptop as well as my PC. She created a compelling book, using chapter headings, text boxes, and great formatting. I loaded up her MS Word template in Word 2010 and then…

I started creating.

My words flew on the page. Her template and instructions helped me get my outline done in under an hour. Using the navigation mode in Word 2010 with her template, I was able to fill in the chapters of my template in record time. Soon my ebook was taking shape. The cool thing was, when I output it in PDF it looked good everywhere I tried it. It was simple but well done.

Once I was done with the basic text, I created a compelling cover with instructions from her book and added illustrations along the way. Now when I output the document, it grabbed my attention. With her template, I created an updated table of contents with one click and it showed right in the navigation screen.

I can’t tell you how easy this process was using her template and tools. I went from blank page to finished draft in just two days. Then it got even better. Since I was so impressed with her book, I decided to see if she would edit my book for me and create a compelling sales page.

She e-mailed me right back and was able to do the editing and sales page in a little over a week. Since she is a copywriter, her copy page came out great. I was really impressed with her words. One of the hardest things to do is write copy for your own product. She provided just the right tone at a reasonable price. The bottom line….

I would be excited to buy the book (even though it is free) after reading her copy.

Even though she lives in England, doing business online using Paypal was a breeze. If you have struggled with the whole e-book publishing process, I recommend you pick up her Irresistible Ebooks edition and template. Her straight-forward approach will have you published in no time.

I soft launched my new Productivity Hoax eBook last week on the sidebar, and you can get a copy for just signing up for my Success-Connect newsletter. The next step is to create a video page and then do a formal launch. Stay tuned as we finish the project out.

Question: Have you ever wanted to publish your own ebook?

In the video above I’ll show you a practical and low cost solution I discovered for preparing quick meals with a minimum of fuss. The Cuisinart Griddler allows me to cook two meat patties along with buns or tortillas all at the same time. I just pre-heat the unit for a minute, put on my food items and come back five minutes later to a fully cooked meal. Since the unit cooks on both sides at once, I don’t have to constantly turn items or drain juices.

The unit features reversible grills for different items. One side is flat for pancakes, buns, and bread while the other is ribbed for meat and Panini style sandwiches. Cleanup is fast and easy as the grills click out for washing in the sink or dishwasher. Cooking a low carb meal couldn’t be quicker and easier. The ribbed grills allow fat and juices to drain off the back into a collection tray.

Watch the video above to see how easy this is.

In the video I used delicious Chicken-lime patties from Trader Joe’s along with whole wheat crumpets. You can easily substitute turkey, beef, or fish, and have your meals ready in minutes. While it’s better to thaw your meat beforehand, the grill works well with patties right from the freezer. Now that there a lot of low calorie bun choices, you can make a healthy low carb meal, that you take with you with a minimum of fuss.

Question: Have you ever used a two sided grill like this?

This is a guest post by Ali Luke. She is a writer and writing coach, and blogs about writing on her site Aliventures. You can find her on Twitter as @aliventures, where she’s always happy to answer questions about writing.

Although podcasts and videos are becoming more and more popular online, we still live in a text-heavy world. Whenever you put a page on your website, publish a post on your blog or even send an email, you’re communicating through words alone. If you’re a good writer, you’ll stand out; if your writing skills need some work, you could be failing to achieve the success you deserve.

I’ve met plenty of people who are incredibly smart – but unfortunately, in emails, they come across as careless or uneducated. I’ve met others who are great fun to be around – but their website copy sounds stilted and jargon-heavy.

Here are five quick tips for improving your writing today:

#1: Write in a Conversational Tone

Most of us learnt certain “rules” about writing in school. Do any of these sound familiar?

· Don’t write in the first person (“I”)

· Don’t use contractions (write “do not” not “don’t”)

· Don’t end a sentence with a preposition (Write “To where did the ball fall?” not “Where did the ball fall to?”)

· Don’t start a sentence with “and” or “but”

· Don’t ever use sentence fragments (sentences without verbs)

You can break all of these rules when you’re writing for your website or blog. If you write in the first person, using contractions, your web copy will sound much more friendly and immediate.

#2: Look Out for Jargon

Whether you’re writing a corporate website or a hobby-based blog, there’s a fair chance that some jargon’s going to sneak in. This can be alienating to potential clients or new readers. Watch out for:

· Technical terms that could be expressed more simply (or explained briefly in parentheses)

· Acronyms that your reader might not understand

Slang and in-jokes are also a form of jargon. Online, you’re often writing to a worldwide audience – so don’t assume that everyone will understand a regional expression.

If you need to have a lot of jargon on your website, you might want to create a glossary page that explains the different terms to new readers.

#3: Edit Your Writing

One of the most common causes of poor writing is hitting “publish” or “send” too fast. Make sure that you take a few minutes to re-read what you’ve written. This is especially crucial if you’re using a smartphone or another device with predictive text – sometimes, what you thought you wrote is very different from what’s appeared on the screen.

Careless typos make you look unprofessional, especially if they’re on prominent pages of your website. People will be more forgiving with casual blog posts and emails – but typos still have the potential to cause embarrassment or even offense. (I’ve heard plenty of tales from people who’ve accidentally typed “retards” instead of “regards” at the end of an email, for instance…)

#4: Ask Someone Else to Help Edit and Proof-Read

It’s hard to spot your own typos, and it’s also hard to spot areas of your writing where you’ve expressed something clumsily. Get a friend or colleague to help by reading through your work before you send it out into the world. Often, they’ll spot something that you can easily fix.

If you’re returning the favor, look out for:

· Missing words – a common form of typo that spell-checkers won’t necessarily pick up

· Awkward or confusing sentences – if you had to read it twice to understand the meaning, it probably needs rewriting

· A lack of flow or coherence in the piece – if it deals with several different points or subjects, you’ll want to suggest adding in some subheadings

#5: Borrow from Other People

When you come across a piece of writing that works well, borrow from it. If a headline on a magazine cover catches your eye, for instance, you could try using a version of it for your next blog post title. If you read a blog post that’s engaging and valuable, see whether you can use a similar structure for your next post.

Be alert to the sort of writing that grabs your attention – and the sort that turns you off within a couple of lines. You’ll almost certainly find a clever trick you can use in your own writing – or something to avoid!

If you’ve got a great tip for better writing, leave it in the comments below…

Ali’s Blogging Guides can help you with your writing, blogging, or creating an e-book. Check them out for straightforward, action-focused support for your business goals.

Why are November and December so hard on the waistline?

Every year I tell myself I’m not going to gain any weight over the holidays, but it is usually a losing battle. When I actually sit down and research what happened, I come away with one powerful answer…

It’s their fault!

Yes… it’s the Starbucks and their Peppermint Lattes. It’s Applebee’s and their holiday pies. It’s all the people in the office with their home made fudge, brownies, and Christmas cookies. It’s our friends and family who give us See’s candy for the holiday.

It’s not my fault… really it isn’t.

I’m helpless to resist!

Every year I try, but the temptation is too great.

Sugar, white flour, and all sorts of unseen fat are combined in a myriad of different ways to trip me up. This combines with the fact that it has become very cold outside and my daily runs/walks have gone away.

So what really happens?

It really comes down to this…

For two months out of the year I’m taking in more calories than I’m burning. Usually about 500 extra calories a day.

500 calories/day x 7 days/week = 3500 extra calories/week

3500 calories equals one pound.

By the time I realize the damage, 10 weeks have gone by, and 10 pounds have found my midsection.

It’s simple math really!

So to lose 10 pounds I need a 500 calorie deficit every day to lose a pound a week.

I can do this two different ways…

I can restrict my calories by 500/day or burn an extra 500 calories with exercise.

Or I can do both.

Both sounds good.

Here is the challenge. I need to find a way to burn an extra 500 calories a day and develop a diet that I can stay on that restricts my calories by 500 below my baseline.

It has to be fun and enjoyable

It has to work!

Tomorrow we’ll look at a mysterious diet secret …

Question: How were the holidays on your waistline?

Failure can offer great insight.

Failure can help us change direction

Failure can offer abject proof of something that didn’t work.

Unfortunately, admitting failure is usually painful. In so many cases, it’s easier to just move on, than to actually analyze the situation and learn from it. And here is one thing that I know for sure…

If we don’t learn from our mistakes, we are bound to repeat them.

So.. on this note I decided to come up with a failure checklist.

It works very simply…

You write down and describe the failure and then you answer four questions…

1. What can we learn from this?

2. How could we have done things differently?

3. Where do we go from here?

4. What does this make possible?

Actually taking a few minutes and writing down the answers can yield some amazing results. Putting things on paper allows our mind to consolidate thoughts and come up with solutions.

To make this easier for you, I’ve created the failure checklist in a MS Word template that you can download and print out for free.

If you had some things that didn’t go so well last year, why not write them down and take a few minutes and go through the questions.To help you get started, you might want to read a couple of posts on the subject that might give you greater insight…

How to Fail Well, a guest post by Nathan Rouse

What Does This Make Possible, by Michael Hyatt

This simple exercise has given me greater clarity as I plan out my goals for the New Year. It has given me some surprising answers to some tough problems. The act of actually writing them down has allowed me to visualize the problems and come up with solutions.

Question: Do you think a sheet like this might be helpful? Are there other questions that you might ask?

  1. Twenty Steps. The first place to start is to determine your top goal for the New Year. Brian Tracy talks about a simple technique to help you find your top goal in his book, Success Secrets of Self Made Millionaires. It’s actually rather simple.

He devised a simple four step process that anyone can take to get started on this path to success. Here are the instructions…

1. Take out a sheet of paper and write down ten goals you would like to accomplish in the next 12 months. Things you want to have, do, or become.
2. Look at all ten goals and ask yourself this question. If you could only accomplish one goal on this list, but you could accomplish it in 24 hours, which one would would have the greatest impact on your life? Brian says in most cases it will jump out at you. Write the goal down in bold writing and set a completion date.
3. Turn the paper over and write down twenty action steps to accomplish this goal. This step will be easy at first but will become harder as you progress down the list. Don’t stop until you have filled in all twenty.
4. Each day take at least one action step to accomplish your goal

To make this easy for you, we have a free worksheet to get you started. Just download the  two sided MS Word document called the Top Goal Worksheet that has ten boxes on the front and twenty on the back. Unzip it, and open both sheets in Microsoft Word. You can add text to the document in Word or print it plain to fill in with a pen or pencil.

When you are ready, print it front and back on both sides of a sheet of letter sized paper.

To fill it out, just follow the four steps above.

You’ll find complete instructions here

If you are having trouble with your Top Goal, you might want to go through Michael Hyatt’s Life Plan first

2. Goal Setting Toolkit. Now that you have your top goal written down, along with some action steps to take, you’ll need to keep this goal top of mind. The easiest way to do this is to write your Goal(s) down using our Goal Setting Toolkit. This kit includes 9 different pocket sized cards that you can take with you in your pocket or purse. You can stick the cards up at work, at home or even in your car.

You’ll find complete instructions for using this kit here along with the free download.

3. Daily Planner. Now that you have your goals set and your action steps listed, it’s time to take daily action. This is where the daily planner comes in. This one sheet, MS Word document has a place at the top for your top 6 priorities for the day as well as a complete section for creating a daily to-do list. It’s simple to use and it will keep all of your priorities listed in one spot.

You’ll find complete instructions here.

Overall: These three items should get you started for the year. Why not take some time today to download them and put yourself in the driver’s seat for the New Year.

Question: What Is Your Top Goal For The New Year?

In 2011, there were very few places to make money with investments…

The Stock Market ended up basically flat, with a whole bunch of wild swings and volatility along the way. Putting your money in the bank faired no better, with interest rates at an all-time low. If you invested in Real Estate, you probably lost money on your investment as home prices continued to fall. Gold was the only bright spot, up about 10% from the beginning of the year. It had wild swings too, so many people bought while it was wildly going up and now it’s back down to reality.

The job market was dismal, with more employers laying people off and the real unemployment rate staying stubbornly high.

So… what does 2012 hold in store?

Analysts are not too keen on stocks as Europe looks ready to drop into a recession. Home prices are bouncing around the bottom, with banks releasing foreclosures at a more rapid rate, Gold is an unknown, and interest rates look to stay low for the foreseeable future. The job market is still bleak with real unemployment running over 15% in many areas.

So do we just put our money, what little we may have, in a mattress and take the year off, or is there a bright spot?

That is a really good question…

The best investment advice I have ever heard was to buy items with intrinsic value when no one else wants them and sell things when they are in high demand.

So… many analysts are saying stocks may drop this year if Europe drops into recession. Probably a good time to wait out investing here. Real estate prices are low but not poised for a comeback here for a few years… It might be a good time to start looking for cash flow from buying income property and renting it out. The rental market is booming in some areas.

Gold is a crap shoot. Is it in a bubble or poised to go higher?

Lots of questions… very few answers…

I’ve actually only seen one area that makes me very comfortable at all.

2012 may be the year to start a business or write a book.

I know this sounds crazy, but it might be one of the best times to take matters in your own hands and make something happen. Especially if you can help the rest of us with a new product or new ideas.

So where do you start?

On of the least expensive ways to get off to a great start in the New Year is to pick up a step by step book and take action. I have found a few that can help. Here are three popular ones that can get you started today.

1. Life Plan: This is the best place to start. Download Michael Hyatt’s free e-book and take a few hours and fill it out. This will help you plan out your year in advance and create a plan for action. One you have a plan in place, download our goal setting toolkit and write down your goals.

2. Freelancing Guide: One of the most pro-active things you can do in the New Year is to start a blog. This can help you get the word out about your business and with proper planning it can actually become your business. In the Bloggers Guide to Freelancing, Ali Luke shows you how to make money from your writing and take control of your career.

3. Create an Ebook: Once you have a blog up and going, a great way to start making money from it is to write and promote helpful E-books. I have read a number of books on the subject, but none have been more helpful than Ali Luke’s Guide for creating Irresistible E-books. Her step by step help and fully documented templates have helped me put my books together and actually get them off the ground. If you want a low cost way to create a sellable product in the coming year, pick up this guide. She offers a money back guarantee so there is no risk at all.

Overall: Why not start the year with a plan? The three books above can help you get a quick start.

Yet each time my personal goal has come to fruition, I’ve felt a little empty.

There always seems to be something missing.

It’s hard to put a finger on

An invisible concern

Discontent

Yesterday something changed

I read something very profound

It brought things into a better focus

It finally answered that nagging question

How do I set goals that are truly meaningful and lasting?

I found the answer in a very unusual place. It wasn’t in a book, podcast, or lecture.

It was in a mysterious, almost ethereal place.

It was a tower!

A tower that you construct.

A tower that has amazing implications.

People live and work in this tower. They consume your ideas, your inventions, and your art.

Their lives are changed.

The tower continues to grow, year after year.

The tower you create exists, even after you die.

You see, the tower represents your LEGACY.

You add to this tower when your goals and actions include others.

Life is a series of purposeful choices that can produce great rewards from great
effort. Choose to craft your life around creative work that goes up like a tower and out to the world.

There is a sign on the side of the building with this admonition…

We must work on our lives the way we would work on any other project. Instead of knowledge, pleasure, or happiness, the purpose of life is to create something meaningful that will endure after we’re gone.

Every day, wake up and think about these two things:
•     What am I making today?
•     Whom am I helping today?

After reading the Tower Manifesto by Chris Guillebeau, I realized that the missing link in my goal setting plan was simple. Mine were strictly personal goals. They were inward focused. They didn’t include others.

With a simple focus change, I can change this.

My goals can now have IMPACT!

They can create enduring and lasting value.

The secret is the focus…

We’ll look at some examples in a future post…

Question: Are you building a legacy?

This is a similar experience that I have had with goal setting. I’ll be going along just fine with a freshly polished goal and then someone or something will break my continuity. It may be a holiday, a weekend, or an unexpected event. All of a sudden my best laid plans to complete the goal are thrown off. Many times I won’t even realize it is happening.

The problem is, if I don’t take action quickly to correct it, the goal dies an immediate death. The longer I wait to do the correction, the harder it is to get going again.

Here are three areas that can cause you to stumble…

1. Intersections: If you are on a diet (goal) and you open a restaurant menu highlighting Sugar Free Jello and a Chocolate Mousse Pie (intersection), you may be tempted to have the Chocolate Pie. If you hadn’t encountered the intersection, the temptation would not be there. As with our train example and also with goal setting, the problems come at the intersections. The more intersections you encounter the greater the chance is for failure.

Solution: Just like your mother said, avoid dangerous intersections

2. Friends: In the areas of goal setting, some of the hardest things to overcome is the actions of your friends or family. Take the diet example we used above. Just let one of your friends bring over a special recipe, homemade apple pie to your holiday party. She cuts it into slices and hands you one on a plate. Obviously you could say you are on a diet, but your friendship and hospitality are at stake. In most cases you’ll have a piece (albeit a small one). It’s funny how our friends can know about our goals but sabotage us just the same. I remember my friends playing with my train set. They loved to make it go full speed around the corners and fly off the track. It was fun for them, since it wasn’t their train.

Solution: Mom was right again. Pick your friends wisely. If they are constantly sabotaging your results, you may need to make some new friends.

Sidenote: Sometimes your friends can be de-motivators. They will disparage your goals and give you every reason not to do them. Sometimes this is due to jealousy, other times it may be fear or lack of information. The best way to deal with this is to keep your goals close to your vest. Tell only a select few people about them and make sure they have a positive outlook. Coaches and mentors are key here.

3. Schedules: If you don’t schedule time to do your goal activities ahead of time, you won’t do them. This is so true with activities such as fitness training and long distant running. When planning a goal it’s best to plan and schedule it way in advance. 12 weeks works well for many types of goals (we have a 12 week planning sheet and one for fitness goals). When planning long term, it’s always a good idea to have buffer days when you aren’t doing anything. That way, if you have to miss a scheduled day, you can always make it up on your free day. I remember my train set. My parents gave me an additional locomotive one Christmas, and put it on the same track as my other one. If I didn’t schedule them right, they would run into each other causing a derailment.

Solution: Schedule your goals in advance to keep from being derailed.

Overall: While setting goals is relatively easy, sticking to them can be a different story. Avoiding dangerous intersections and friends that don’t have your best interests at heart can help you along the path. Scheduling them ahead of time, will make sure you have time to complete them. Our Goal Setting Toolkit can help. Good luck in the New Year!

Question: What things have sabotaged your goals in the past?

However… if goal setting is so easy, why don’t we all have buff bodies, books on the bestseller list, and ribbons from the Boston Marathon?

Why can’t we stick to our goals once we set them?

The shocking truth is we give up way too soon.

At the slightest bit of trouble we bail

We can’t stick with it

We give up

We fail

But why?

Why do we stop?

Why can’t we keep going?

Why do we stop when we’ve just got started?

Why does it feel impossible to complete the task?

I’ve pondered this topic for years. It seems like such a simple problem, but it isn’t. In talking with others it is a rampant problem. It’s widespread. It affects professional people and lay people alike. While there are many factors at play, I’ve found three that will really trip you up. Here they are…

1. Broadcasting To The World That You Set A Goal. I used to think this was a smart thing to do. Why not have all your friends hold you accountable for that goal that you set? But from experience, I’ve found that two things happen.

• Your friends or co-workers will tell you a thousand reasons why you will fail. You’ll get a barrage of negative messages. Some of your friends may be jealous that you are attempting something new. Others may have had a bad experience in the past. You’ll hear things like… Diets always fail, Running will blow out your knees, Nobody will want to read what you write… I’m sure you’ve heard many things like this. Negative messages can stop you cold.
• You’ll get the same emotional boost from telling everyone what you are going to do as you will from actually doing it. So when the first day of the goal comes, you may find yourself dreading it. Instead of wanting to accomplish the goal, now you have to do it. Having to do something becomes a chore quickly. The joy disappears and you end up hating yourself for taking on the goal. You look for excuses or just hope everyone forgets about it.

Solution: While it’s great to have someone hold you accountable, it’s best to confide in only a few people and these people need to be positive motivators. This is where a good coach or mentor comes in. Positive people will help you move forward. Negative people will tear you down.

2. Focus on the future instead of the task at hand. While a goal is just a dream written down, many people continue in the dream stage way too long. To actually accomplish the goal, you need to write it down, break it into action steps, and focus on the action steps , one at a time.

Focusing on the finished goal can stop you dead in your tracks. While it’s good to focus on your progress from time to time, to get the job done, you need to break tasks down into small actionable steps. Things you can actually do. Then schedule time to do them.

For example. Lets say you want to do a weight training regime to get six pack abs. Focusing on the six pack abs will give you an initial motivation, but you need to focus on the individual exercises to move forward. Focusing on the 50 pushups at hand or the 12 rep bicycle crunch will move you along. Creating a schedule and a checklist will keep you on track. The six pack abs will come with time, if you perform each exercise in your plan over time.

3. Trying To Accomplish a Goal All By Yourself. The hardest person to motivate is yourself. While you may have great intentions, your internal voice can constantly find excuses and diversions to knock you off track. Procrastination will raise its ugly head. Finding a good coach or mentor is key. They will help you create a strong personal discipline and be there to monitor your progress.

Look at any championship football or baseball team and you will find a great coach. While the individual players need talent, a great coach will add motivation, drive, and determination. If you truly want to experience greatness, find a great mentor or coach with your best interests at heart.

Overall: Speaker Myles Munroe said it best, When you announce to the world you are going to do something, it is obliged to test you. The criticism and challenges will come fast and hard. If you are not prepared, it will knock you down cold.

Why not give yourself an advantage. Keep your goals close to your vest. Announce them after you have accomplished them, not before. Find a trusted coach or mentor to help you get there. Focus on the individual steps and your goal will take care of itself.

Question: Have you experienced challenges and criticism after announcing your goals?