Power of an Hour
But that’s my own interpretation before even reading the book. Power of an Hour is much more detailed than that – it’s all about using the power hour as a catalyst for change. The author takes you through various aspects of your life and business, with a view to you spending an initial hour on each and forming a plan for consistently moving in the right direction. Very inspiring.
I have to say that I haven’t methodically worked through the book yet – just had one quick read through. At the end I was very tempted to go straight back to the start and follow each hour. However, I’ve got a fear that if I do so I’ll come up with all sorts of ideas for improvement, with a detailed action plan for each, and end up with an even scarier to-do list than I’ve already got. What I don’t want to do is overcommit and end up not doing what I’d planned … yet again. Instead, I’m using the power hour concept to work through my current task and project list with a view to clearing the decks ready to throw myself into the process whole-heartedly.
If you are feeling like you need some help making improvements in your life and/or business then I would recommend reading this book (and perhaps even following it!). I’ve certainly taken quite a bit away from just one reading, even if I haven’t yet followed it to the letter.
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What’s Stopping You?
What an interesting book! And what a refreshing change to read a book that doesn’t say “follow these steps and it will change your life” but instead gives an overview of techniques from various sources.
The idea that Robert Kelsey puts forward is that self-help books are flawed because they offer a quick fix when there is no such thing as a quick fix. BUT that they are not worthless – the techniques they use can help you improve if used in the right way. What a refreshing concept and one that makes me thing that it’s ok that I haven’t turned into superwoman, despite all the self-help books I’ve read. There’s hope for me yet, but maybe setting a goal of becoming superwoman isn’t the right goal for me…
The premise of the book is that people are split between High AMs (achievement motivation) and High FFs (fear of failure). The author explains why he is a High FF and the book is aimed at other High FFs (because High AMs don’t need it). This is something that I struggle with as it means that I must have a high fear of failure – not sure that I’m willing to accept that label but let’s not dwell on that. Whether I want to put myself in that bracket or not, the book is extremely engaging and applicable to anyone who is interested in self-improvement.
What did I particularly like about this book?
- The personal detail – the author uses his own experiences to provide examples – it’s worth reading just for that
- The idea that no one self-help book will have all the answers (I can’t help it, I’m going to use the word ‘refreshing’ again)
- The intelligent commentary on self-help techniques – all with citations. What a comprehensive coverage. Some of the books cited I have read and some I now want to read (or read again)
What’s Stopping You? definitely provides food for thought. I haven’t put it down thinking “this is what I need to do to achieve my goals”, but it’s not as easy as that is it? However, I feel that with a more considered reading I will be able to form a solid plan. There is no doubt that this is a book I will come back to time and time again.
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