Your Best Year Yet!: Make the Next 12 Months Your Best Ever!

by Jinny Ditzler

A new edition of this best-selling book. Your Best Year Yet is the perfect guide to help you realise goals and overcome last year's limitations. The proven methods in the book will make this year into the most successful ever. Your Best Year Yet is the perfect handbook to help people realise their goals in 12 months. Jinny Ditzler has almost two decades of experience with the Best Year Yet programme. Her results are inspiring; in this clear-cut guide anyone can set aside three hours of their time and transform their life. Your Best Year Yet asks you challenging questions about your expectations, accomplishments and goals for the future. It is not until you take time to sit down and really think about what you want out of the next year that you can start working towards your goals. Ditzler asks us to outline our accomplishments, disappointments, limitations, personal values, goals, our roles in life and shows us how to develop our own programme to achieving our goals and learning from our mistakes.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Productivity, Business

Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Ron J Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The metaphor on page 10 sums up the intent of this book nicely: "while we wouldn't think of getting in a car and not knowing where we were going ... we gradually become passengers in our own lives. Years go by and we never get out of the car to see how it's doing or where it's going. We simply sit in the backseat preoccupied by our busy, busy lives, which are moving too fast to allow time to stop the car, take stock, consider alternate routes, or set goals to change direction -- in short, to get back into the driver seat."

[Freesiab BookishReview · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/2/21
This is my second year reading this book and doing the workshop. I believe this book helped me with goals through the first year of the pandemic. I’m looking forward to another year of positive change



This is is a very simple, no nonsense workshop and guidebook for goal setting and setting priorities. It’s not self help but there are is some great advice that you might find applicable to you. No matter what your skills at goal setting I think this book is wonderful. I got a lot out of it. It helped me look at my overall picture and then decide what areas to focus on. It took me more like a week to go through it but I’m sure it could be done in a few hours. I’d recommend this to anyone.

[Jenny Twomey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely the best book I could have chosen to read first in 2023. It’s really helped me to clarify a few concrete goals for the year ahead (writing, family, house stuff, self-confidence issues etc). I’d definitely recommend if you’re looking for something to help you focus on the important stuff that really matters and commit to doing the best you can. I’d like to think I’ll look back in December 2023 and still be really glad I read this book (and more importantly, implemented a lot of the changes I’d like to make).

[Andrea James · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the painful year of 2016 nears its end and I'm feeling physically (almost) well again, I wanted a boost to propel me to the end of the year and keep me flying (I'll be happy with hurtling) along in 2017.

I would normally have avoided such a cheesily titled book but a number of people mentioned that it was helpful and in my flailing desire for some help, I ordered late one night from Amazon. The content was somewhat better than I had expected and I thought the book had decent practical exercises (rather than being shallow clickbait-buzzfeed style nonsense).

I liked the book's approach of looking at the various roles we have in our life and how they relate to our values. In writing all the roles down, I can understand why I felt overwhelmed in my business.

I also thought the final one page summary of:
Guidelines
New Paradigm
Major Focus
Top Ten Goals - written as process goals that are under our control

would be especially useful when times are tough and we need to hunker down.

Given my propensity to mentally self-flagellate, I reckon it will be useful to see my guidelines and new paradigm regularly. And it was helpful that it took a reasonable amount of reflection and answering of questions (far more than 10 when you include all the sub-questions under each of those main chapter-heading questions) to get to that final summary.

I've worked through the book and I'm going to come back and review my overall plan again before the end of the year.

I'll report back at the end of 2017!

[Nancy Freund · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might be the wrong reader for this one. I got through the first step, listing your accomplishments and stuff you're proud of, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, from the previous year, and I'd filled a legal pad. I turned the page in 'Your Best Year Yet' and learned that people have trouble remembering three or four things for that list of what makes them proud (and it should be empowering to do so, therefore a great encouragement to start the bigger project). I took a look at my enormous scroll and decided I was already awesome. (I wasn't raised on Zig Ziglar for nothing! Thanks, Dad). It was tough to focus then on the next steps, list your disappointments, list your limiting beliefs, turn your limiting beliefs into actions for improvement...
I spent three days trying to phrase the actions right but finally decided (again) I was already pretty ok with things. So I guess that's not a bad result.
By the way, I loved the back story of Jinny Ditzler and her husband Tim -- two Americans in England long-term -- folks after my own heart. I do think this is a great book and it fills a real need. For right now though, I guess it's not my need. Though if Jinny D comes to Switzerland and does her three-hour workshop, I'd be tempted.

[Libbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have "done" this book a couple of times and, although I have never finished a full year of working on my goals in the YBYY way, I have found that some goals work their way into my lifestyle and sometimes just "seem to happen" later. Having said that, I follow a different goal setting system now. I found having ten goals to work on in one way, stressful and in another way, limiting. It was as if, by focussing on the written YBYY goals, other things in my life weren't as important; and if I didn't achieve my weekly and monthly targets I was failing as a person.
I have realised that I am a bit of an all or nothing girl and I do better focussing on one or two goals and getting them done - when I am ready - which leads one on to books about procrastinating.

[Cath Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read, especially for Dec/ Jan, when it's an excellent time of the year to review your year and set your intention and direction for the new year.

I particularly liked Jinny's style of asking 10 questions, rather than telling you what you "should" set as goals for the new year. They're simple, but powerful questions. And they're the right kind of smart questions that open up your thinking and help with problem-solving.

A highly recommended read - simple, straight to the point, low on fluff, solid stuff.

You can get the Bottom-line on Your Best Year Yet, along with my interview with the author, Jinny Ditzler, over at The Bottom-line Bookclub:
http://www.bottomlinebookclub.com/200...

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I promise this isn't a commercial. The last time I read and followed the advice in this book, decades ago, I was a college drop out, in debt up to my eyeballs, and drifting along with no real plans for my future. I have since graduated not just with my BA, but continued on and graduated with my MA (at age 48!) and have a family and career that I love. As I reflected back on my strange, crooked path, I realized what a tremendous help this little book was to me back in the day. I found it in my boxed up books, re-read it this week, did the exercises again, and am starting 2023 with profound hope that this will indeed be my best year yet (and I found a few copies and gifted them to people I love :-)
Cheers!

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great little book! I used it for first time few years ago, and was really impressed with the results. Well, of course, it won't work out of nothing. I mean, if you really want to see good results, you need to do the workshop, make your own plan, then work on weekly, montly, etc. plans.

The book is priceless at giving well structured information on how to build your own year plan by answering few simple questions. It helps you concentrate more on the result you want to achieve at the end of the year rather than writing a regular TO DO list.Also, it includes many examples that help the reader better understand the whole idea behind Best Year Yet plan.

[Colleen Wainwright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bar none, the best tool I've found for unearthing goals and mapping out plans to turn them into reality. I used it to help me commit to doing my 50-for-50 project this year; I've used it to do everything from successfully increasing my book reading (78 in 2010, 80 in 2011) to ditching spent relationships. A warning: it takes far, far longer than her suggested 3-4 hours to read through and do the exercises. Like, 2 weeks longer.

But the program itself is sound. She and her husband developed it themselves, then test-drove it in hundreds of workshops. It's kind of a holistic, year-long version of The Artist's Way, minus the woowoo.

[Maria Raynal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Indeed, as my friend Ruth notes, this echoes the work of Stephen Covey and Norman Vincent Peale. Good stuff, but available elsewhere.

Yet, I like the author's straightforward style...none of Covey's shopworn corporatespeak, and more action-oriented than Peale, who tends to fall into the think-it-and-it-will-come camp.

This book pulls it all together into an easy-to-follow plan and I don't need the $150 leatherette, three-ring agenda to make it happen. This I can appreciate.

[Cleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love about this book is that it's not just about setting goals -- it encourages us to set goals according to our personal values, so that when we hit the rugged spots on the way to our goal (which is inevitable), we know why the heck we're doing this! Since I sometimes have trouble remembering the big picture, this book gave me exactly what I needed.

[Bea Elwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read and inspiring. I've already started some of the work to make 2018 my best year yet and this book was very inspirational in how to identify what my values are and my roles in life so I can align my future goals to them. I'm excited to finish setting my goals and checking in throughout the next year to see how I'm doing.

[Teodora Grigorie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like books that challenge me to take a good look into myself and discover things I am not usually aware of. Though a simple exercise, aswering these ten questions really brought some new information to the surface. Have a go, discover what lies inside of you.

[Jenny Perin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devo dire che inizialmente ero molto diffidente rispetto questo genere di libri; questo libro in particolare mi è stato consigliato nel momento giusto, da una persona che ha capito che volevo dare un cambiamento alla mia vita. Questo libro è una guida per capire quali sono i nostri limiti, o meglio, quali sono i limiti che ci imponiamo senza rendermene conto e, abbatterli. Il libro è una guida per farsi le domande giuste e darsi risposte ancora più giuste. Lo consiglio vivamente a chi sta vivendo un brutto periodo ed anche a chi vuole solo migliorarsi o vedere nuovi orizzonti.

[Carol Sente · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this book in 2004, and every year since, I have followed an annual introspective ritual of reviewing this book and completing the ten questions to prepare myself for the coming year. I have found this book and these exercises to be life-changing! To me it is so much more than just goal setting for the new year. By contemplating through these questions, writing down my answers, deciding what “roles” I want to assume for the coming year, which one role is most important for the coming year, listing the goals I want to accomplish in each role, etc. I have achieved so many of my dreams and life goals. But this book has produced more than a once a year occurrence. Once this annual introspective effort is completed, I post it in several locations and look at my roles on a weekly basis EVERY Sunday evening before planning my coming week. Two to four times a year, I evaluate how I’m doing in my roles and actually give myself a score. This list of goals does not confine me; when new opportunities arise, I change the goals midstream, when I am prompted to do so. Yes I am a driven, Type A personality that loves strategy and planning but it is precisely my planning that allows me also to be spontaneous. If you have dismissed goal setting books or New Year’s resolutions in the past, I highly encourage you to give this slim book a try this year. You won’t regret it. On years I don’t go out to celebrate with friends, this is part of my favorite NYE activity. I bring home my favorite carry out meal, pour a glass of wine, finish my review of this book (which I do over a two week period), and then watch a movie. What better way to usher in the new year and a plan for a successful and rewarding coming 12 months!

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book borrows VERY heavily from Steven Covey and Norman Vincent Peale. VERY. especially in terms of being positive (be proactive) and different spheres of your life and how you have different roles in life and to make goals that relate to your specific roles.. I found nothing new here that I hadn't read before; which is not to say its not a useful book, but definitely for me, a re-hash of stuff I've already read.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friend said this program changed her life and she has used it for quite a few years now. It will be a while before I can evaluate it, but I found the plan well thought out. I like the idea of aligning goals with personal values and the strategies for implementation sound promising.

[Raluca Laslo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book for goal setting. It's quite clearly written and it doesn't contain a lot of too bold promises or magic bullets like other self-help books.

[Anca Balaban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Merită recitită la fiecare început de an nou.

[Samantha Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I didn't necessarily love all of the reading in the book (and felt like half as many words would have done the job), I did really love the exercises and the way the book made me think about things I don't normally think about in my year-end review. I particularly like the work on personal values and the roles I assume in life and how to prioritize within those roles. I'm glad I read the book and while I won't read it every year, it will absolutely put into practice the things I took from the book.

[Faraa Musa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally my new year mood booster! This book helps me a lot in planning my new year (realistic & achieveable) resolution. Create your own top 10 goals based on 10 questions given. Besides, i've learned about how to shift our limiting paradigm or mindset into "i can do it" and positive mindset. Our outer actions is a reflection of our inner thoughts. We are what we think and we say to ourselves! If we can handle & control our mindset & emotions, we can achieve anything.

[Lee-Anne Bigwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

First chapter spent far too much time convincing me that I should be doing the questions in chapter 3. I found it really annoying to constantly be told to skip ahead. I did do the 10 questions in chapter 3 over 5 hours with some breaks and I do feel significantly more positive and optimistic about the year to come... But the style of writing really wasn't for me.

[Angie Jones-Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for those who are new to Self Help and Life Coaching.

It covers some great points and has a fail safe formula that Jinny has developed to give the reader their best year yet.

I really enjoyed reading it and will take some aspects through to my dissertation.

Thanks for the encouragement and enthusiasm!

[Mirthe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I skipped reading this book and went straight to the eight questions at the end of the book. I do it every year, and every time I did it, something in my life has shifted for the better.
The eight questions seem to draw everything out that is needed for me to change my life for the better, step by step. I love it!!

[MindOverMatter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, great help for reviewing the past year and setting up goals for the next. Combines emotions with reasoning and provides an effective way to live well and in accordance to values. Glad that I read it, will reread end of next year. Love it and can only recommend it!

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this after I handed in my notice on my current job and am looking for something else. Trying to make sure whatever I do next I am happy with it and I own that decision. This book gave structure to my thoughts and was helpful.

[Vatsal Mavani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not enjoy the writing style. But it has some really powerful actionable advice rather than "do this... do that..." kind of preaching. I particularly liked the "role playing" concept. It's so simple yet effective. It gives you laserlike focus for your REAL wants.

[Anita (Hearts and Whodunits) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a step by step process of reflection and creating goals for the next year. It encompasses what you liked and disliked the previous year, and your values. I recommend it to anyone who needs more focus in his/her life.

[Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential re-reading every December!