Emerald Book Reviews: My First Goal-setting Book

I always say, “A review to an author is like applause to an actor.” This is ‘thunderous’ applause! What an absolutely amazing way to start the week and new month, and to end the year! With the New Year just around the corner, last month I reached out to some reviewers for my little goal-setting book –  since it’s the season of New Year’s Resolutions – and was thrilled to find this review today. I was so touched and humbled that it actually made me cry!

I cannot thank the reviewer enough, so I have copied it here. If you’d like to read the original review, and discover other great reads and reviews, click on this link: Emerald Book Reviews.

 

“Making a positive difference in people’s lives.”

REVIEW

By Piaras on December 3, 2018 (Emerald Book Reviews)

I really enjoyed reading this book. And, I suspect all fans of the Self-Improvement genre will love having a read of this one also! My First Goal-Setting Book: How To Effectively Set & Achieve Your Life Goals, is a very well written life improvement book. This book is intelligent, wise and packed to the rafters with practical common-sense advice. It becomes very obvious as you read through this page turner that the author is imparting his wisdom and understanding as to what happiness and success really means. It’s an excellent guide for putting things into perspective.

The book description gives a sneak preview: ‘Have you always wanted to get more out of life? Have you wondered why some people are more successful than others? Do you make New Year’s Resolutions, but never seem to keep them? If so, this book is for you.

In this concise, easy-to-read book you will learn the simple secrets to setting SMART goals, learn how to create a strong reason why you want to achieve your goals to keep you motivated along the journey, and create a simple action plan that will ingrain new habits to help you achieve every goal you set in life.

Written in plain English, the author shares his experience and knowledge gathered over the past two decades working with people of all ages from around the world. His life purpose is simple: “To make a positive difference in people’s lives”.’

This book will help you to clarify your thinking, process your feelings, and make better decisions. If you are you ready to stop drifting and design a life you love, this read will help you on your journey. The author has put his heart in the pages of this book and will encourage and give hope to the reader. So many wonderful and courageous people share their experiences through books, and I thank this author for sharing his.

The overall tone was simply imparting knowledge, personal experience and wisdom in a gentle and generous way. His words will help to better equip you to interpret and handle life in a whole new way, which in turn will bring peace, love and joy into your life. If you are looking for inspiration and encouragement in the face of serious issues, this would come highly recommended from me.

No matter what your situation is today, this book will put you on the right path to better things. I’ve been around the block a few times myself and even I found this read to be very insightful. This wonderful new book will show you how to properly tune into life and the simple rules you must follow to achieve this. This by far is one of the best Self-Improvement books I’ve read in a long time. The author must be commended for his time and effort for producing such an insightful book. Also, the writing style is friendly which makes for an enjoyable read.

My First Goal-Setting Book: How To Effectively Set & Achieve Your Life Goals is a wonderful read that will leave you feeling like a better person for having read it. It’s an impressive work for author Anthony James Donnelly and I’ll certainly be looking forward to reading more from him in the future. I would highly recommend this perceptive and intuitive read. A well-deserved five stars from me.

Taken from the original review here: https://emeraldbookreviews.com/2018/12/03/my-first-goal-setting-book-how-to-effectively-set-achieve-your-life-goals/

If you would like to buy a copy of the book for yourself or a friend, please click here or on the book cover image. Many thanks!

The Essence of Goal-Setting
A step-by-step approach for moving from your status quo to your heart’s desire

By Mary Vinnedge

               If most goal-setting and action plans seem overly complex and intimidating, read on. Motivational coach-author Anthony Donnelly distills the process into easy-to-understand steps in My First Goal-Setting Book: How to Effectively Set & Achieve Your Life Goals. Goal-setting might seem new to you, but Donnelly says in practice, you do it constantly: getting out of bed at 6:30, doing your laundry, etc. The trick is to be conscious and intentional with goal-setting. “If you’ve been waiting for your wishes and dreams to come true, but nothing’s happened so far, it’s most likely because you are leaving it up to chance,” he writes.

               Begin by jotting down notes about what you want, possibly related to health, leisure, family, career, education, health and/or giving back. Be sure each is something you’re extremely passionate about. Passion is the fuel that drives every successful person, Donnelly says.

               Also key: Zero in on a modest goal from your wants. For instance, if you’d like to launch a business, try selling online or persuading a merchant to give you a corner display rather than leasing a 15,000-square-foot building straightaway. If you want to run a marathon but have never done more than dash to your front door in the rain, aim for a 5K race (3.1 miles)―not a half-marathon (13.1 miles)―in two months.

               A key early step in Donnelly’s strategy is the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) planning tool outlined by Albert Humphrey in the 1960s. Divide a blank sheet of paper into SWOT quadrants and fill them in honestly and without rushing. Your strengths might include technical skills and tenacity. Perhaps weaknesses are impatience or shortage of money. Opportunities? Maybe a trade show or a mentor offering help. Threats could be competitors or a recession. Donnelly explains that this exercise forces you to think deeply and long-term, revealing problems to fix or avoid.

               Now develop your goal statement based on SMART―aka Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound―guidelines. Don’t just write, “I want to quit my day job and be a solopreneur.” Instead be precise about your quest, establish a metric (perhaps a startup treasury plus emergency fund total), make sure it’s realistic (honest assessment), be certain the goal suits you (do you see yourself still reveling in this achievement well into the future?), and determine a deadline, something like “I will raise $15,000 and quit my job to do XXXX by next Dec. 31.” Type or write it out, and read it to yourself aloud for a positive affirmation.

               Also write down five reasons why your goal matters. An example for an aspiring personal trainer: “I feel great about helping others become fit.” Incorporate the reasons into a paragraph that starts, “The reason this is important to me is…” Read this reasons statement silently and aloud. If you don’t feel thrilled about the five-point summary, put your paper aside, perhaps overnight, Donnelly says. Then revise the statement until it feels empowering. Add it below your SMART goal statement, and read these statements at least twice every day, aloud if possible. Doing so at bedtime is especially beneficial as your brain will mull them as you rest and provide you with fresh insights after you awaken.

Of course, the best plan in the world means nothing unless you act.

The next step in Donnelly’s process is the creation of action items and intermediate goals. Referring to that $15,000 needed by Dec. 31, state what needs to happen after nine months (savings of, say, $12,000), six months, three months, two months and one month. Write out these interim goals and deadlines and track your achievements. Personal-development experts emphasize the importance of celebrating each milestone with a reward such as a new book, massage or special coffee drink.

As you push forward, write weekly goals and focus on each while also visualizing the big picture, that final goal. Donnelly considers the ability to visualize your progress to be crucial for success.

               Once you experience great results from setting and reaching that first modest goal, Donnelly predicts you’ll incorporate goal-setting into every area of your life, with your objectives becoming ever more ambitious.