Setting Goals for Success - A Book Review

Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals

Author: Michael Hyatt

Publisher: Baker Books

Publication Date: January 2, 2018

Length: 272 Pages



About the Author
Michael Hyatt is the former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, now part of HarperCollins. He began his career at Word Publishing while a senior at Baylor University. In the 30 years since then, he has worked in nearly every facet of book publishing.

A 5-Step Plan 
This book was released on January 2nd, but it is not just another book about New Year's resolutions. This book is a comprehensive guide on how to write, monitor and achieve goals for all areas of your life.

The author presents the following plan for achieving your most important goals;
1. Believe the possibility - Your beliefs shape your reality.
2. Complete the past - Gratitude makes the difference.
3. Design your future - Achievements and habits work together.
4. Find your why - Your what needs a why.
5. Make it happen - One journey is many steps.

"Based on decades of practical experience and the best current research on goal attainment and human achievement, this program is designed to help you find the clarity, develop the courage, and leverage the commitment you need to accomplish your most important personal and professional goals."

The Act of WRITING Goals Boosts Achievement by 42 Percent
I have a problem with writing down goals. I think about all the goals I want to accomplish this year, but they are soon forgotten. "Goals poorly formulated are goals easily forgotten." The author states that goals MUST be written down and suggests the following SMARTER model:

Specific
Measurable
Actionable
Risky
Time-Keyed
Exciting  
Relevant

This book is loaded with case studies and action steps that help you develop goals in all life domains; financial, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical, marital, parental, social, vocational and avocational.

The author provides examples of goals written in his Full Focus Planner at the end of the book. I found this format very helpful and it can be implemented in any planner or notebook.

This is the kind of book you read and then you go back and really study it in depth. I know there are many resources available on the subject of goal setting, but I believe this book provides exactly what you need for planning your best year ever. Highly recommended!

RATING: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I purchased a digital copy of this book with my own funds.

Thank you for reading this book review. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: New Year's Resolutions, Goals, Dreams and Aspirations by Suzanne Price

New Year's Resolutions, Goals, Dreams and Aspirations

Author: Suzanne J. Price

Publisher: Suzanne J. Price

Date: October 2, 2012



About The Author
Suzanne Price is a Personal Success Coach, Relationship, Interpersonal Skills & Personal Communications Coach, Life & Lifestyle Coach, Stylist & Image Consultant, Dating Expert, NLP Master Practitioner, TFT Consultant, Author & Workshop Facilitator and Professional Speaker.

Resolutions for the New Year
Are you writing your New Year's Resolutions today?

Do you have goals that you would like to achieve in the next 12 months?

It's the time of year which gives you the opportunity to wipe the slate clean. If you are up for the challenge and are willing to commit to the process, you may discover that achieving your goals could literally change your life.

Suzanne Price advices you to set "SMART" goals for the new year. SMART stands for;

• S - Specific or Stated in the Positive.
• M - Measurable.
• A - Achievable, Attainable, Actionable.
• R - Realistic.
• T - Timely or Tangible

Ms. Price introduces a series of exercises that will help you set crystal clear goals, prioritize and rate the goals and take action to achieve the goals.

I really like the following quotation from this book about the importance of taking action;

There is only so much planning and positive thinking a person can do before there comes a point in time where we just have to take action. After all, no matter how committed we are to a goal, or how determined we are to achieve it, we still must take action in order to reap the rewards.
 

Most people forget about their New Year's Resolutions by the first week of February. This book will teach you the secret to making 2013 your best year ever!

My Thoughts
This was a very inspiring and educational book to read on the last day of the year. If you are serious about making some changes in your life, this book will guide you in the right direction.

Suzanne Price introduces many concepts that are critical to making and achieving goals. I suggest you read and study this book as you write your own goals for the new year. The time you spend reading this book will be a great investment in your future.

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ This book is being offerered as a FREE digital download for the Kindle TODAY! Give yourself a great gift for the New Year and grab your copy NOW! These promotions do not last very long so please check the price before ordering.

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Book Review: My Summer Bucket List Ideas

My Summer Bucket List Ideas - Living Life To The Fullest

Author: Roger Thatt

Publisher: Roger Thatt ~ Amazon Digital Services

Date: July 31, 2012

Length: 48 Pages

About The Author
Roger Thatt is an author and adventure seeker. He has written three ebooks that are available on Amazon.

Bucket List Ideas
The term "bucket list" gained widespread popularity from the 2007 movie "The Bucket List" staring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. A bucket list is a list of things you want to do before you kick the bucket (die).

Roger Thatt shares his personal bucket list in an inspiring and entertaining manner. The author states his purpose for writing this ebook in the following way;

"I try not to think of this as a list of things to do before I die, but rather an ongoing process to broaden my horizons and cram as much interesting stuff into my life as humanly possible".
 

Mr. Thatt tries to keep this list as specific and tangible as possible. He has divided his list into the subjects of travel, sports, personal, sensual, arts & entertainment and winter activities.

My Thoughts 
This is a short but inspiring read about living life to the fullest. The author shares his personal bucket list and then explains why each of these activities are important to him. He writes in an informal and casual manner that encourages the reader to relate to the author and to his dreams.

I think the real value of this ebook is to inspire readers to dream big and start making a list today. Many of the activities on Mr. Thatt's list do not appeal to me, but that is OK. The important thing is that he has a plan and he is in the process of broadening his horizons each day.

If you have been thinking about making a bucket list, this is a great little book to get you started. Yes, I am going to do it. I am going to start a little list today and see where it takes me.

My Rating: 4 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received this ebook from Amazon.Com when it was offered as a free download. Please check the current price before purchasing.




Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below. 

Make Hay While The Sun Shines

Make hay while the sun shines - that's smart; go fishing during harvest - that's stupid.  Proverbs 10:5 (From The Message by Eugene Peterson)

He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.   Proverbs 10:5 (From the New Kings James Version of the Bible)

I live in a rural area of southeast Texas. The grass is allowed to grow and our neighbor cuts, rakes and bales the grass into large round bales of hay. He takes the hay to feed to his horses or sells the hay to ranchers for their cattle.

This week was our first harvest of hay in the 2012 season. It is very nice to see our grass green and the freshly baled hay in the field. Texas suffered a historic drought in 2011 and our grass dried up and died. We didn't have a single harvest of hay the entire year.

I started thinking about the saying "make hay while the sun shines." In general, it means to make the most of one's opportunities while you have the chance. It means to complete your work as soon as possible because you don't know what tomorrow will bring. It means to store up for bad times while things are good.

It goes back to the time when hay was cut by hand with a scythe. It had to be cut while the grass or grain was dry, so when the sun shone, it would dry out enough for hay to be cut. If you waited another day, it might rain, and the hay would begin to rot, and you wouldn't have enough to feed your stock in winter, and they, and you, would die. Life was dependent on getting things done at the right time.
So. The proverb means "take advantage of opportunity as soon as it arises. Your life may depend on it." John S.

One of Aesop's most famous fables was the story of The Grasshopper and the Ant. The ant was very wise and stored up food in the summer when there was plenty. He knew he would need the food to survive the winter. He was thoughtful and serious. The grasshopper was the merriest creature in the word. He sang all summer long, but when the winter came he died of hunger and cold.

Are you taking advantage of the opportunities that are available to you? Are you making hay while the sun shines?

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below?

Goal Setting

Do you have a set of written goals that direct your endeavors? Can goals really make a difference in your life?  Have you ever wanted to accomplish something, but been unsure how to get started? Or maybe you started something, but couldn't figure out the right actions to take?
Goal Setting: Discover What You Want in Life and Achieve It Faster than You Think Possible, by SelfMadeEasy.Com, is a 20-page ebook that explains why you need goals, how to set them and how to review your progress. This book is currently being offered as a FREE Kindle book at Amazon.com.

What Is Goal Setting?
Goal setting is the process of writing down specific, measurable and time-targeted objectives. You figure out what you want, you write your desires down, and then you work toward achieving them.

How Do You Write Goals?
The author suggests the following five steps for the goal setting;

• Define Your Goals
• Create An Action Plan
• Affirmations
• Take Action
• Review

Evaluation
There are two types of evaluation you should do. The first involves frequent evaluation of your daily actions.

• Are you sticking to your original plans?
• Could you improve upon your actions in any way?
• Have your results met your expectations?
• What can you do to improve your results?

The other type of evaluation should focus more on your long-term progress.

• Are your plans moving you in the right direction?
• Can you think of any ways to improve your original plans?
• What are you learning about yourself through this process?
• Are you beginning to think of even larger goals you can achieve in the future?

This is an amazing little book because.....
it is a complete goal-setting primer presented in a way that will motivate you to take action. It is presented in a step-by-step format that can be used by a novice or experienced goal setter. This book will guide you in developing your own focused, targeted, personalized map - a map that will lead you wherever you choose to go.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments section below.