BLAH BLAH
I’ve got stuff to say. I’m a writer, duh.
So, here’s the gospel according to Shelly!
What can you accomplish today?
Living with depression I’ve lived with depression officially for 15 years but in truth probably closer to 20. I’m all good with that. It’s part of me. We manage. I know how it works and what to watch for and what to do about it. And when I’m having a low...
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How to write an executive summary
For the love of all that is right and good, PLEASE DO NOT WRITE YOUR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRST! Here’s why. The executive summary is the only part of a report you can guarantee will get read. So it needs to be the most powerful and well-written part. The...
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How to write faster
Time is money and all that. It’s true. I wish I knew how to calculate the value of the lost productivity that can be traced back to bad writing. It would be HUGE. So in my trainings that’s one objective lots of people have: How can I write faster? Speed up my...
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Do you need help?
My true home is on Great Barrier Island, where my ancestors lived. I only get there a few times a year, and when I do, nature has done its best to take over. Elephant grass up to our waists. Manuka seedlings, thistles, and rushes have their roots deep into the clay....
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Are you brave enough to be happy?
I woke up this morning, looked at the beautiful man beside me, and thought, it doesn’t get much happier than this. Gratitude I’ve been doing the gratitude thing this year and there’s NO DOUBT it’s making me happier, kinder, less sweating the small stuff. ...
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Things I have tried and failed
I consider myself to be successful. We all have different definitions of success. Defining success Mine is that I live a self-determined life for me and my family. I earn enough money for us to live a comfortable life and have great experiences. I have...
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How to proofread – quickly and efficiently
Read out loud. I’m not talking editing here. Your re-writing stage has to be finished. Proofreading is the final step. It’s the polishing – the cleaning up any rough edges. Reading out loud Reading out loud is the thing no one wants to do. It’s slower...
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How to reduce stress – do you own it?
I once had a friend staying with me, and she was worried about a small decision my daughter made. She later told me how stressful the visit was, because of that one thing. Let me explain a bit more (while still respecting the privacy of both my friend and my...
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Getting clarity – how do I write more clearly?
In all my trainings, with hundreds of professionals each year, this is the thing people ask for above all else: How do I write more clearly? The answer is so simple it’s almost embarrassing: Write the way you speak. Yes, really. Write the way you speak. In every...
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How do I live my best life?
OK, I hate that title. But it’s all about SEO – did you know if you title your blogs with questions people type into google, your content is more likely to be found? True story. And this post IS about living your best life. I just hate those words because I can hear...
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Sell them what they want, so you can give them what they need
OK, I need to take you on a little bit of a journey to explain what I mean here, so bear with me. I have a background as an educator. I trained as a high school English teacher. I started teaching at universities at 21 years old. I worked in indigenous tertiary...
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How to persuade and get buy-in
How not to argue If you’re in an energetic discussion with someone, what’s a sure-fire way to get them to dig their heels in? Flat-out tell them they’re wrong. Point out all the faults in their logic. Deny their point of view. The more you do that, the greater the...
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