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.
About the Author Ed Dron enjoys writing fun little stories that capture a child’s short
attention span. He loves the challenge of condensing a story into as few
words as possible, without losing its charm or narrative.
Ed
believes that, first and foremost, a children’s book needs to be fun. It
should not only nurture their curiosity but also spark a lifelong love
of books and reading.
No Sleep - No Problem! Olive the rabbit loves to leap and bounce all over the place. One day, she meets a sheep and challenges him to a race. He does not have time to race because he is late to his jumping club.
Members of the Pillow Parade Jumping Club jump over a fence to help children fall asleep at night. Everyone knows that counting sheep will make you sleepy, right? Olive wants to join the jumping club because of her passion for jumping and her desire to help the children. Unfortunately, only sheep are allowed to join the jumping club. Olive is a rabbit and would not be accepted in this exclusive club for sheep. Olive does not let this rejection get her down and she does not give up. She BOUNCES into action and hatches a great plan for helping children who are not able to see the sheep jumping over the fence because they live in a tall apartment building.
But, Olive did not pout or cry. She simply smiled and waved goodbye. And as a clever bunny would, She had a plan that was quite good.
Olive becomes an honorary member of the Pillow Parade Jumping Club because of her great jumping skill and her kind heart.
Never Give Up Until You Are Proud This book illustrates a wonderful growth mindset and the power of passion, perseverance and resilience.
The rhyming text is fun and the beautiful color illustrations provide value to the story. I read a digital version of this book on a 7" Kindle ereader and the formatting is very good. This book is a bedtime story for children and so much more. Rejection is very difficult to deal with for children (and adults). We all want to be accepted and embrace a feeling of belonging. When Olive was not allowed to join the Pillow Parade Jumping Club, she immediately started thinking about "Plan B". She did not waste time feeling sorry for herself or getting revenge on those who rejected her. She "had a plan that was quite good."
I highly recommend this book for children of all ages. My Rating: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS FYI ~ The author sent me a free digital copy of this book and asked me for an honest review. Please SUBSCRIBE to my blog. I would love for you to share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance Author: Angela Duckworth Publisher: Scribner Publication Date: May 3, 2016 Length: 353 pages About the Author Angela Duckworth, PhD, is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She is the founder of the Character Lab, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance the science and practice of character development in children. “Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.” Grit has two components: passion and perseverance. Passion means having enduring interest in the job you are doing. Perseverance means being persistent and never giving up. Are You Gritty? Dr. Angela Duckworth developed the Grit Scale to measure an individual's grit score. The Grit Scale correctly predicted which cadets at West Point would pass the Beast Barracks, which National Spelling Bee participants would advance to the next rounds and which sales people would be able to retain their jobs. I encourage you to test your grit level by completing this short survey. “as much as talent counts, effort counts twice.” Effort helps develop skill. Talent x Effort = Skill Effort also helps put our skills to good use. Skill x Effort = Achievement. Interest, Practice, Purpose and Hope You must be passionate about something that interests you most. Practice requires that you do things that interest you better than you did yesterday. It is essential to identify how your work is connected to your own well-being and the well-being of others. We must be able to get up after a setback. Hope prevails. Hope is an expectation that things will be better tomorrow. My Thoughts I was introduced to the work of Angela Duckworth in the Foundations of Positive Psychology Specialization on Coursera. This book offers many examples about how effort, perseverance and resilience play important roles in achievement and success. Finding something that you are passionate about is the key. It is natural to want to practice and improve skills that you are passionate about. After many years of effort and practice, you can use your skills for the greater good of society. In our public schools, the children who have the highest IQ scores are often put in special "gifted and talented" classes. It is good to challenge children who have natural talent, but Dr. Duckworth found that these gifted students sometimes lack the grit that is needed for academic and professional success. Grit is not the only predictor of future success but it is an important part of the equation. The chapter on gritty parenting gives some specific strategies that can be implemented to encourage the development of grit in children. These same strategies could be used by teachers. Parents should be demanding and supportive of their children. Wise parents are loving, warm, respectful and demanding. Children will emulate their parents, so parents must demonstrate perseverance and passion for their own personal goals. Dr. Duckworth believes that you can grow grit from "the inside out" by developing your most passionate interests with practice, purpose and hope. Grit can be grown from "the outside in" by seeking guidance and direction from parents, coaches, teachers, mentors and friends. There is a reading list at the end of this book that provides more information on the topics that are covered in this book. My goal is to be a "gritty reader" and read all the books listed in this bibliography. I found this book fascinating and highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the subjects of psychology, achievement and success. My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5 FYI - I read a print copy of this book from my public library. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or tweet me @JanetteFuller.
The Joy Plan: How I Took 30 Days to Stop Worrying, Quit Complaining, and Find Ridiculous Happiness Author: Kaia Roman Publisher: Sourcebooks Date of Publication: July 11, 2017 Pages: 321 pages About the Author Kaia Roman has a twenty-year background in public relations and marketing. She is currently a Mindfulness Teacher for elementary school students and a regular contributor to numerous mindfulness, happiness, and wellbeing blogs. She lives in Santa Cruz, CA.
Kaia Roman felt down-and-out after her business collapsed. She was seeking direction in her role as a wife, mother, friend and business woman. She consulted a friend and decided to devote the next 30 days of her life to creating JOY! Ms. Roman discovered that The Joy Plan was much more than a 30 day project. Joy and happiness became a lifestyle that would change her life and the lives of her loved ones. This is both a memoir and a self-help book for anyone who is seeking joy and a positive lifestyle. My Thoughts What is a joy plan and how do you make one? I think we would all like more joy in our lives. While happiness is a state of mind based on circumstances, joy is an internal feeling that disregards circumstances. Kaia Roman explained how she started the joy plan by asking a single question; "Does this feel good?" As the author learned to choose positive thoughts and attitudes, her life took a joyful turn. She was attracting positive people and experiences into her life. I enjoyed this book very much. Ms. Roman provided a detailed account of the ups and downs that she experienced on her quest for joy. She cited an impressive number of references and resources for further study. There is an excellent discussion guide at the end of the book to be used with a study group or just a review of the reading material. I am currently taking a MOOC on Positive Psychology at Coursera. The experiences chronicled in this book demonstrate that positive emotions CAN change your life for the better. I applaud Ms. Roman for writing this book and thank her for showing us how to "stop worrying, quit complaining, and find ridiculous happiness." MY RATING: 5 STARS OUR OF 5 FYI - I received a digital review copy of this book from Net Galley. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below. I will reply to all comments and questions.
