I am writing this from an Orlando hotel room. My youngest son and I traveled to Orlando for a basketball tournament at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports. His team, the Kentucky Defenders, finished the tournament on Sunday and placed 3rd out of 52 teams. We’ve had an enjoyable time and even soaked in some of the Disney magic while we were here.
What is my favorite Quote for the Day?
First, think. Second, dream. Third, believe. And finally, dare. ~Walt Disney
What am I celebrating?
I celebrated a birthday in July. We had our children and their friends at our home for dinner. We grilled lamb burgers, and instead of birthday cake enjoyed a key lime pie from a local bakery. I feel good about being 54 and look forward to all the good things this year will bring.
What am I reading?
A Spoon of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler. Literary Fiction. If you love character development and stories that display family life and relationships with families, Anne Tyler never disappoints. She’s from Baltimore and all her books are set in Baltimore. This book takes many twists and turns, keeping me interested as I read. This was a book I picked up last summer at a “take a book, share a book” shelf at a small hotel in Saugatuck, MI.
What am I learning?
I do love Instagram. I am learning how to use Instagram more effectively to engage and connect with others rather than using Instagram to get inspired through pretty photos. I’m committing to more IG stories and DMs to connect with real people! Head on over to Instagram to join the fun @greenapron. And, DM me. I’ll DM back. That’s a real connection that we can’t get from just looking at the pretty photos.
What am I letting go of?
Expecting others to behave a certain way before I feel good and have fun. Guess what? People are going to say or do whatever they want to say or do. The good news is, it doesn’t have to affect me or my experience of the world. That’s my job to think thoughts that drive my experience of the world, and not relying on the actions of others to drive my experience. It all begins with how I think about things.
What can I share that you may find helpful?
Think of your best friend. Imagine your best friend sets a new, big goal. You’re so excited for them and cheer them on. Would we ever interfere with their goal or not cheer them on? They’re our friend!
Now, imagine that that best friend is you and that you’ve set a big goal. Here’s the good news: You deserve to treat yourself with the same respect you treat your best friend. You deserve to not let yourself interfere with your big goal.
When we interfere with our own goals it’s called self-sabotage. We self-sabotage our own work toward our goals in one of four ways: we procrastinate, we buffer negative emotion with alcohol, drugs, shopping, or other addictions like mindless social media or Netflix in order to create false pleasure to make ourselves feel better, we don’t show up for our appointments with ourselves to do the work toward our goal, or we quit.
My hope is that you take a look at your big goals. Make some plans to reach those goals. Show up for yourself. Don’t quit. Be willing to feel a negative emotion. It’s never going to hurt you. Cheer yourself on. Treat yourself like you would treat your best friend.
Cookbook author, editor, and Culinary Dietitian Maggie Green, RDN, LD coaches first-time cookbook authors during the pre-publication phase of writing a cookbook.
Would you like to write a cookbook, but feel alone in the pre-publication phase of writing?
Are you stuck thinking about your cookbook idea or has you project fizzled?
Do you feel overwhelmed with publishing options and the recipes, photography, and publishing process?
I’ve been there. I know first-hand that there’s not a lot of support for first-time cookbook authors who don’t have an agent or a publisher yet. That’s why I started my work as a cookbook writing coach.
Here are a few resources for you as you venture into the world of cookbook writing:
Checklist
An 11-point checklist that helps you answer the question, “Am I Ready to Write a Cookbook?”
10 Reasons to Hire A Cookbook Coach