Stephanie Philp’s an old hand at producing self-help books but was thrilled late last week to see her fifth title published.
That’s partly because ‘Goal Setting: 7 Principles to Achieve Remarkable Success’ is – as she puts it – her first “book book”.
“I’m surprised how excited I was to finally have a printed book … the others are all e-books,” she explained to the Chronicle shortly after receiving, hot off the press, the first copies of her latest publication at her Norrie Avenue home.
But she was also delighted because the courier delivery of 200-odd books came less than a day before she flew down-country to talk about her new book at a conference.
Much better, she said, to have copies on her as one of five keynote speakers at a Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) event held in Christchurch last weekend. It would have been a missed opportunity without the books, she said.
Having a physical book in her hands – actually being able to touch it – was something of a new sensation, she added. “The next goal is to get my e-books and Kindle books to book-books.”
Stephanie’s latest title is all about goal setting using the P.E.R.F.E.C.T. acronym, a strategy she’s devised to make it easy. “I don’t want people to think it’s woo-woo,” she laughs of the material in her latest book. “It’s not woo-woo stuff, it’s scientific.”
She says she’s incorporated the latest research from neuroscience and quantum physics with spiritual laws, metaphysics and NLP to provide an easily accessible goal setting and goal achievement book.
Setting realistic goals and looking at them in a holistic way is the key, she says. It’s no use pursuing a goal at the expense of everything – for instance, losing your family and/or friends along the way.
Nor is it any use setting goals like ‘I want to be confident’ when confidence is a state not a goal, she says.
Then there’s the challenge of maintaining enthusiasm for a goal once it’s been set, to ensure it’s achieved. “It’s no good writing it out and never looking at it again … so things like setting up systems need to be in place … overcoming the hurdles that stop you achieving.”
Having the gear ready for that daily exercise, for instance, is important as is having an “accountability partner” or coach for support, she points out.
Stephanie says being part of a small group of like-minded Raglan women, who meet every Tuesday, helps with her own goals. In fact ‘Goal Setting’, the book, was written this year after discussion with the group around the idea of expanding on an earlier e-book about goals and the traps that get in the way.
The same group of women – including Pisey Leng from Raglan Bakery, who recently launched her bestseller ‘The Wisdom Seeker’ – have organised Stephanie’s official book launch at the Old School next week to coincide with its availability on Amazon, the largest internet-based retailer in the US.
The evening event is for anyone who wants to know how to achieve goals but hasn’t been able to, says Stephanie.
A goal she hopes to achieve herself this year is to set up an additional website to that of ‘MetaMorphosis’ through which she coaches and trains people who want to develop either professionally or personally.
Stephanie envisages “more of a blog”, with online coaching and training rather than the face-to-face workshops she’s become known for in Raglan since moving here from Auckland eight years ago.
Edith Symes
‘Goal Setting: 7 Principles to Achieve Remarkable Success’ will be launched in the theatre room at Raglan Old School Arts Centre in Stewart Street, Wednesday July 6, 5.30-7pm. $1 from every book sold will be donated to Whaingaroa Environment Centre.
