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9 things successful people do differently
It's not just who you are—it's what you do. Are you at the top of your game—or still trying to get there?
Take your cues from the short, powerful 9 Things Successful People Do Differently , where the strategies and goals of the world’s most successful people are on display—backed by research that shows exactly what has the biggest impact on performance. Here’s a hint: accomplished people reach their goals because of what they do, not just who they are.
Readers have called this “a gem of a book.” Get ready to accomplish your goals at last.
Take your cues from the short, powerful 9 Things Successful People Do Differently , where the strategies and goals of the world’s most successful people are on display—backed by research that shows exactly what has the biggest impact on performance. Here’s a hint: accomplished people reach their goals because of what they do, not just who they are.
Readers have called this “a gem of a book.” Get ready to accomplish your goals at last.
Unknown Binding
Published January 1, 2012
212 people are currently reading
2215 people want to read
About the author
Heidi Grant Halvorson
15 books178 followersDr. Heidi Grant Halvorson is a social psychologist who researches, writes, and speaks about the science of motivation. She is the Associate Director of the Motivation Science Center at the Columbia Business School, and author of the best-selling books:
Succeed: How We Can All Reach Our Goals, Nine Things Successful People Do Differently, Focus: Use Different Ways of Seeing The World for Success and Influence (co-written with E. Tory Higgins), and The 8 Motivational Challenges.
HGH is also a contributor to the Harvard Business Review, 99u, Fast Company, WSJ.com, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and Psychology Today.
In addition to her work as author and co-editor of the highly-regarded academic book The Psychology of Goals (Guilford, 2009), she has authored papers in her field’s most prestigious journals, including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, European Journal of Social Psychology, and Judgment and Decision Making. She has received numerous grants from the National Science Foundation for her research on goals and achievement.
HGH is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and was recently elected to the highly selective Society for Experimental Social Psychology. She gives frequent invited addresses and speaks regularly at national conferences, and is available for speaking and consulting engagements, primarily in education, marketing, and management. She received her PhD in social psychology from Columbia University
Succeed: How We Can All Reach Our Goals, Nine Things Successful People Do Differently, Focus: Use Different Ways of Seeing The World for Success and Influence (co-written with E. Tory Higgins), and The 8 Motivational Challenges.
HGH is also a contributor to the Harvard Business Review, 99u, Fast Company, WSJ.com, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and Psychology Today.
In addition to her work as author and co-editor of the highly-regarded academic book The Psychology of Goals (Guilford, 2009), she has authored papers in her field’s most prestigious journals, including the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, European Journal of Social Psychology, and Judgment and Decision Making. She has received numerous grants from the National Science Foundation for her research on goals and achievement.
HGH is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and was recently elected to the highly selective Society for Experimental Social Psychology. She gives frequent invited addresses and speaks regularly at national conferences, and is available for speaking and consulting engagements, primarily in education, marketing, and management. She received her PhD in social psychology from Columbia University
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
December 3, 2012
I just read this book, and it is totally relevant if you are setting your goals and want to create good habits,leave the bad ones and get motivated. The book was written by Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD. The book it’s straight to the point, a fast read (106 pages) but with great quality and content. It gave me some really good insights.
On top of that, it comes in a great pocket book format so you can have it nearby when you need some help or to boost your motivation and get back on track.
On 9 Things Successful People do Differently (Harvard Business Review Press) , Dr Halvorson explains in a very simple and enjoyable way what these nine things are:
1) Get Specific – Dr Halvorson talks about the importance to get specific not just with your goals but also with the obstacles that lie in the way getting there. And explains about the mental contrasting technique.
2) Seize the Moment to act on your Goals
3) Know Exactly How Far You Have left to Go- On this chapter, Dr Halvorson explores the importance of monitor your progress and seek feedback on a to-date and to-go basis.
4) Be a Realistic Optimistic
5) Focus on Getting Better, Rather than Being Good
6) Have Grit – Grit is the persistence and commitment to long-term goals. This chapter is also about the importance of will power.
7) Build Your Willpower Muscle – Here we learn how to develop and train our will power.
8) Don’t Temp Fate
9) Focus on What You Will Do, Not what You Won’t Do.
On top of that, it comes in a great pocket book format so you can have it nearby when you need some help or to boost your motivation and get back on track.
On 9 Things Successful People do Differently (Harvard Business Review Press) , Dr Halvorson explains in a very simple and enjoyable way what these nine things are:
1) Get Specific – Dr Halvorson talks about the importance to get specific not just with your goals but also with the obstacles that lie in the way getting there. And explains about the mental contrasting technique.
2) Seize the Moment to act on your Goals
3) Know Exactly How Far You Have left to Go- On this chapter, Dr Halvorson explores the importance of monitor your progress and seek feedback on a to-date and to-go basis.
4) Be a Realistic Optimistic
5) Focus on Getting Better, Rather than Being Good
6) Have Grit – Grit is the persistence and commitment to long-term goals. This chapter is also about the importance of will power.
7) Build Your Willpower Muscle – Here we learn how to develop and train our will power.
8) Don’t Temp Fate
9) Focus on What You Will Do, Not what You Won’t Do.
July 31, 2015
A compilation of Dr. Halvorson's research on super-achievers.
The list:
1. Get specific
2. Seize the moment to act on your goals
3. Know exactly how far you have left to go
4. Be a realistic optimist
5. Focus on getting better, rather than being good
6. Have grit
7. Build your willpower muscle
8. Don’t tempt fate
9. Focus on what you will do, not on what you won’t do
Other pointers:
* What will success look like? How will you know when you’ve reached your goal?
* Believing what you do is interesting and inherently valuable is one of the most effective ways to stay motivated thru difficulties, setbacks, and unexpected roadblocks.
* Experiencing interest restores and replenishes energy. The replenished energy flows into what you do next as well.
* The best predictor of not giving up is what we explain to ourselves during a hard time.
* People who acknowledged the road to success as difficult have greater success because they take humungous action. They put in more effort, plan how to overcome problems that arise, and persist longer in the face of difficulty.
* Honestly assess the challenges that await you. Visualize the steps you will take to make success happen.
* If you haven’t reached the goal, you have no choice but to get there.
* As expected, people with confidence are far more likely to accomplish goals
* Ability is malleable, not a set quantity. You can acquire more ability if you want more.
* Imagine all the obstacles along the way, and how you’ll overcome them. If your first strategy doesn’t work, what’s plan B?
* Progress, not perfection. Don’t try to be good; you’ll often fail. Instead concentrate on being better than you were; then you’ll see any obstacle as a challenge and naturally overcome them.
* Interest restores energy and gives someone a tangible advantage in that task… and subsequent tasks as well.
* People interested in what they’re doing are far more energetic than even those who are happy. Feeling engaged is the best way to keep gas in your tank.
* Giving yourself permission to not do everything perfectly - acknowledging that improvement takes time - takes anxiety right out of the picture. You’ll then connect with what’s interesting and rewarding about your work. This increases motivation to succeed ... but also dramatically reduces the chances you'll make any mistakes at all.
* You will need grit, which is the persistence and commitment to achieve long-term goals. Grit is not giving up in the face of difficulty… even when your tired, discouraged, or bored.
* The key to success and enhanced ability is deliberate practice : thousands of hours spent in mastering the necessary skills and knowledge.
* What do you blame when the chips are down? Successful people blame only those factors which are controllable:
——— Insufficient effort
——— Use of wrong strategies
——— Poor planning
* Resisting temptation is key: notice when you get tempted, and foil those moments ahead of time by scheduling other events.
The list:
1. Get specific
2. Seize the moment to act on your goals
3. Know exactly how far you have left to go
4. Be a realistic optimist
5. Focus on getting better, rather than being good
6. Have grit
7. Build your willpower muscle
8. Don’t tempt fate
9. Focus on what you will do, not on what you won’t do
Other pointers:
* What will success look like? How will you know when you’ve reached your goal?
* Believing what you do is interesting and inherently valuable is one of the most effective ways to stay motivated thru difficulties, setbacks, and unexpected roadblocks.
* Experiencing interest restores and replenishes energy. The replenished energy flows into what you do next as well.
* The best predictor of not giving up is what we explain to ourselves during a hard time.
* People who acknowledged the road to success as difficult have greater success because they take humungous action. They put in more effort, plan how to overcome problems that arise, and persist longer in the face of difficulty.
* Honestly assess the challenges that await you. Visualize the steps you will take to make success happen.
* If you haven’t reached the goal, you have no choice but to get there.
* As expected, people with confidence are far more likely to accomplish goals
* Ability is malleable, not a set quantity. You can acquire more ability if you want more.
* Imagine all the obstacles along the way, and how you’ll overcome them. If your first strategy doesn’t work, what’s plan B?
* Progress, not perfection. Don’t try to be good; you’ll often fail. Instead concentrate on being better than you were; then you’ll see any obstacle as a challenge and naturally overcome them.
* Interest restores energy and gives someone a tangible advantage in that task… and subsequent tasks as well.
* People interested in what they’re doing are far more energetic than even those who are happy. Feeling engaged is the best way to keep gas in your tank.
* Giving yourself permission to not do everything perfectly - acknowledging that improvement takes time - takes anxiety right out of the picture. You’ll then connect with what’s interesting and rewarding about your work. This increases motivation to succeed ... but also dramatically reduces the chances you'll make any mistakes at all.
* You will need grit, which is the persistence and commitment to achieve long-term goals. Grit is not giving up in the face of difficulty… even when your tired, discouraged, or bored.
* The key to success and enhanced ability is deliberate practice : thousands of hours spent in mastering the necessary skills and knowledge.
* What do you blame when the chips are down? Successful people blame only those factors which are controllable:
——— Insufficient effort
——— Use of wrong strategies
——— Poor planning
* Resisting temptation is key: notice when you get tempted, and foil those moments ahead of time by scheduling other events.
July 7, 2012
Some books fail to reach their potential to be great because they are too long. Their content is good, but it is either spread out or repeated in order to make the book longer. This is especially true for most personal development books. Nine Things Successful People Do is great because it’s so short. The ideas are concise and important (like #4, “Be a Realistic Optimist” and #6, “Have Grit”), and the book doesn’t waste a lot of time trying to pad its own length. Each section contains a short summary of a concept, citations of several studies that support it, and some tips for implementing that concept. At just under 40 pages, reading this book is the first thing that successful people should do.
February 18, 2019
الأمور التسعة هي
١- كن محدداً بما تريد بالضبط.
٢- اغتنم اللحظة لتحقيق ما تريد.
٣- اعلم بالضبط ما تبقى لك لتحقيق هدفك.
٤- كن واقعياً.
٥- ركز على أن تكون أفضل بدل أن تكون جيد.
٦- كن مثابراً
٧- قو عضلة إرادتك.
٨- لا تتصرف بتهور.
٩- ركز على ما ستفعل وليس على ما لن تفعل.
١- كن محدداً بما تريد بالضبط.
٢- اغتنم اللحظة لتحقيق ما تريد.
٣- اعلم بالضبط ما تبقى لك لتحقيق هدفك.
٤- كن واقعياً.
٥- ركز على أن تكون أفضل بدل أن تكون جيد.
٦- كن مثابراً
٧- قو عضلة إرادتك.
٨- لا تتصرف بتهور.
٩- ركز على ما ستفعل وليس على ما لن تفعل.
December 24, 2011
"We end up with lots of pots on the stove, but nothing is ever ready to eat." (p. 17) Wow, does this sentence describe modern life! Enjoyed this very short, direct, and practical book.
February 8, 2019
Concise summary of principles or mindsets that can help you to be more effective
If you are new to these theories or principles, this book may not be enough to help you understand and buy-in.
But if you are not new to these, this book works as a great summary and reminder. One that is worth re-reading every now and then.
If you are new to these theories or principles, this book may not be enough to help you understand and buy-in.
But if you are not new to these, this book works as a great summary and reminder. One that is worth re-reading every now and then.
July 18, 2017
Cheesy title? yes
helpful? yes
Notes from listening on Audible:
1. Get Specific: losing 5 pounds vs losing weight
- List specific outcomes (fit in size 8)
- List specific actions (gym on Wednesdays at 4pm)
- List specific obstacles (dinner with friends) (here we can use if-then planning, if I went to dinner with friends, I will order …)
2. Seize the moment to act on your goal
- Decide when and where in advance with specific actions (Every night at 9pm I will ..)
- if-then planning: (if Sofia sleeps at 1pm I will tackle this specific action .. obstacle: I might get tempted to read fiction, if that happens then …)
3. Know exactly how far you have left to go
- Track progress or the lack of it. Doing regular assessments is very hard but is needed.
-
4. Be a realistic optimist.
- Be optimistic but don’t underestimate how difficult it will be to reach your goal.
- Most goals worth achieving require time, planning, effort, and persistence.
- Studies show that thinking things will come to you easily and effortlessly leaves you ill-prepared for the journey ahead, and significantly increases the odds of failure.
5. Focus on getting better, rather than being good.
- Our abilities are not fixed. You just need to work on these skills by getting better slowly than just be good which can be unattainable.
6. Have grit.
- Grit is your willingness to commit to your long-term goals despite all the difficulties that you might face.
- Grit is what determines who succeeds and who doesn’t.
- Turns those who lack grit often it's as a result of not believing that they have these abilities but we know it’s not. It’s persistence, planning, efforts and strategies and so on.
7. Build your willpower muscle.
- Self control is a muscle if not trained it will become weaker with time.
- To build willpower, we should take on a daily challenge to sustain it. (do a daily problem?)
- It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier, and that’s the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on more challenges and step-up your self-control workout.
8. Don’t tempt fate.
- Willpower is limited. When you’re low on willpower, don’t over do it.
- Don’t take two challenges at once (diet + quit smoking for example).
9. Focus on what you will do, not what you won’t do.
- Don’t focus on the “Don’ts”. Focus on the “Do’s”.
- “Don’t think about white bears!”) has shown that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind.”
- Instead of don’t check this website, have a do rule instead. “If get tempted to check blah, I will do that other thing” or “If I am starting to feel angry, then I will take three deep. breaths to calm down.” instead of “don’t get angry” which doesn’t really help.
helpful? yes
Notes from listening on Audible:
1. Get Specific: losing 5 pounds vs losing weight
- List specific outcomes (fit in size 8)
- List specific actions (gym on Wednesdays at 4pm)
- List specific obstacles (dinner with friends) (here we can use if-then planning, if I went to dinner with friends, I will order …)
2. Seize the moment to act on your goal
- Decide when and where in advance with specific actions (Every night at 9pm I will ..)
- if-then planning: (if Sofia sleeps at 1pm I will tackle this specific action .. obstacle: I might get tempted to read fiction, if that happens then …)
3. Know exactly how far you have left to go
- Track progress or the lack of it. Doing regular assessments is very hard but is needed.
-
4. Be a realistic optimist.
- Be optimistic but don’t underestimate how difficult it will be to reach your goal.
- Most goals worth achieving require time, planning, effort, and persistence.
- Studies show that thinking things will come to you easily and effortlessly leaves you ill-prepared for the journey ahead, and significantly increases the odds of failure.
5. Focus on getting better, rather than being good.
- Our abilities are not fixed. You just need to work on these skills by getting better slowly than just be good which can be unattainable.
6. Have grit.
- Grit is your willingness to commit to your long-term goals despite all the difficulties that you might face.
- Grit is what determines who succeeds and who doesn’t.
- Turns those who lack grit often it's as a result of not believing that they have these abilities but we know it’s not. It’s persistence, planning, efforts and strategies and so on.
7. Build your willpower muscle.
- Self control is a muscle if not trained it will become weaker with time.
- To build willpower, we should take on a daily challenge to sustain it. (do a daily problem?)
- It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier, and that’s the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on more challenges and step-up your self-control workout.
8. Don’t tempt fate.
- Willpower is limited. When you’re low on willpower, don’t over do it.
- Don’t take two challenges at once (diet + quit smoking for example).
9. Focus on what you will do, not what you won’t do.
- Don’t focus on the “Don’ts”. Focus on the “Do’s”.
- “Don’t think about white bears!”) has shown that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind.”
- Instead of don’t check this website, have a do rule instead. “If get tempted to check blah, I will do that other thing” or “If I am starting to feel angry, then I will take three deep. breaths to calm down.” instead of “don’t get angry” which doesn’t really help.
January 13, 2018
النجاح ليس بسبب موروثات جينية, وإنما بتحديد الأهداف , قرأت الكثير من الكتب عن هذه الخلاصة , ولكني وجدتها هنا بهذا العرض والإيجاز تغنيك عن الكثير مما ماثــلها , ويبقى التتنفيذ .. تعرف على التسعة : 1-كن محددا , 2-إغتنم اللحظة لتعمل على تحقيق هدفك ,3-إعلم تماما ماتبقى لك لتحقيق هدفك ,4-كن متفائلا ,5-ركز على أن تكون أفضل بدلا من أن تكون جيدا ,6-كن مثابرا , 7-قو عضلة إرادتك ,8-لاتتصرف بتهور , 9-ركز على ماستفعل وليس على مالن تفعله....
January 1, 2012
I have read a lot of self improvement books. The difference Of Nine Things Successful People Do Differently is that this one is based in research. I got the impression that it was more like an esay that a simple pocket book on sale. Good Book.
August 29, 2020
"Most of us look at people at the top of their game—the captains of industry, the wielders of political power, the movers and shakers in the arts, film, and music—and explain their successes using words like “genius,” “ability,” and “talent.” Which would be fine if most of us understood how genius, ability, and talent work. Being successful is not about winning the DNA lottery; it’s about reaching goals. It’s about making smart choices, using the right strategies, and taking action."
Apa sih arti sukses menurut anda? Hidup mewah bergelimang harta? Mungkin untuk sebagian orang ini yang mereka cari, yang ingin mereka capai, sebuah mimpi indah yang kadang tidak bisa dicapai oleh sebagian atau mungkin banyak orang. Tapi sukses tidak harus selalu seperti itu, pertama-tama kita harus meredefinisi arti kesuksesan, singkirkan sterotipe itu untuk menghargai diri sendiri. Berolahraga secara teratur juga bisa disebut sukses, makan makanan yang sehat juga bisa disebut sukses, sukses dalam mencapai tujuan, ketika kita mencapai tujuan itu kita akan lebih menghargai diri sendiri atas pencapaian kita. Tapi, jangan cepat berpuas diri.
Seorang Social Psychologist, Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD dalam buku ini akan menunjukkan jalan mengenai cara kita menggapai tujuan atau 'kesuksesan' yang ingin kita capai. Ringkas, jelas, dan padat, saya pikir beginilah buku self-impovement yang dibutuhkan kita. Dilengkapi pula dengan scientific paper hasil penelitian sebagai bahan further reading dari apa yang dibahas.
Here are the nine things :
1. Get specific
2. Seize the Moment to Act on Your Goals
3. Know Exactly How Far You Have Left to Go
4. Be a Realistic Optimist
5. Focus on Getting Better, Rather Than Being Good
6. Have Grit
7. Build Your Willpower Muscle
8. Don’t Tempt Fate
9. Focus on What You Will Do, Not What You Won’t Do
Apa sih arti sukses menurut anda? Hidup mewah bergelimang harta? Mungkin untuk sebagian orang ini yang mereka cari, yang ingin mereka capai, sebuah mimpi indah yang kadang tidak bisa dicapai oleh sebagian atau mungkin banyak orang. Tapi sukses tidak harus selalu seperti itu, pertama-tama kita harus meredefinisi arti kesuksesan, singkirkan sterotipe itu untuk menghargai diri sendiri. Berolahraga secara teratur juga bisa disebut sukses, makan makanan yang sehat juga bisa disebut sukses, sukses dalam mencapai tujuan, ketika kita mencapai tujuan itu kita akan lebih menghargai diri sendiri atas pencapaian kita. Tapi, jangan cepat berpuas diri.
Seorang Social Psychologist, Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD dalam buku ini akan menunjukkan jalan mengenai cara kita menggapai tujuan atau 'kesuksesan' yang ingin kita capai. Ringkas, jelas, dan padat, saya pikir beginilah buku self-impovement yang dibutuhkan kita. Dilengkapi pula dengan scientific paper hasil penelitian sebagai bahan further reading dari apa yang dibahas.
Here are the nine things :
1. Get specific
2. Seize the Moment to Act on Your Goals
3. Know Exactly How Far You Have Left to Go
4. Be a Realistic Optimist
5. Focus on Getting Better, Rather Than Being Good
6. Have Grit
7. Build Your Willpower Muscle
8. Don’t Tempt Fate
9. Focus on What You Will Do, Not What You Won’t Do
September 27, 2024
Excellent short to the point summary. My notes-
- [ ] Be specific (eg goals)
Mental contrasting (imagine specifically how achieving it feels/looks like)
- [ ] Make “if then plans”. Removing thinking
- [ ] Check your progress frequently. Feedback is important for motivation
- [ ] Be a realistic optimist
- [ ] Focus on getting better instead of being good
- [ ] Have grit
- [ ] Build your will power muscle. Will power can deplete. Dont test yourself with temptation. Tackle one difficult challenge at a time.
- [ ] To avoid some habit, focus on what you will do in its stead
- [ ] Focus on what you will do. Not what wont do
- [ ] Be specific (eg goals)
Mental contrasting (imagine specifically how achieving it feels/looks like)
- [ ] Make “if then plans”. Removing thinking
- [ ] Check your progress frequently. Feedback is important for motivation
- [ ] Be a realistic optimist
- [ ] Focus on getting better instead of being good
- [ ] Have grit
- [ ] Build your will power muscle. Will power can deplete. Dont test yourself with temptation. Tackle one difficult challenge at a time.
- [ ] To avoid some habit, focus on what you will do in its stead
- [ ] Focus on what you will do. Not what wont do
December 23, 2024
Magnífica carta de presentación para novatos y excelente resumen para gente avanzada en temas de desarrollo personal.
Me ha gustado mucho que se describan las claves para tener éxito haciendo referencia a estudios científicos, que avalan los conocimientos que se transmiten.
Si eres una persona que le gusta marcarse propósitos de año, creo que es una lectura ideal para finales de año, ya que te ayudará a tener éxito en ellos.
Este libro me ha hecho reforzar el mensaje de que el éxito es alcanzar tus metas. Me quedo con una frase clave que resume todo el contenido: “Logra tus objetivos por lo que haces, no por lo que eres.”
Me ha gustado mucho que se describan las claves para tener éxito haciendo referencia a estudios científicos, que avalan los conocimientos que se transmiten.
Si eres una persona que le gusta marcarse propósitos de año, creo que es una lectura ideal para finales de año, ya que te ayudará a tener éxito en ellos.
Este libro me ha hecho reforzar el mensaje de que el éxito es alcanzar tus metas. Me quedo con una frase clave que resume todo el contenido: “Logra tus objetivos por lo que haces, no por lo que eres.”
October 14, 2024
Una lectura obligada a la hora de establecer metas. Son 9 consejos de facíl implementación que hacen toda la diferencia.
Read
August 6, 2018This direct, little book was perfect to read during vacations, a quick and easy read which at the same time helps you organize your mind and set goals. Through every chapter it teaches its readers to acomplish their goals while providing specific ways to achieve this. A great book to start improving basic bad habits.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2023
Lectura que detalla herramientas y ejemplos para ser aplicados.
November 23, 2014
This little book is enough to help someone get started on improving their habits. The habits that a book like this cover are tough ones so it is best to read a book like this after reading some heavier material about how to change habits. This is just a refresher for those near the end of their success strengthening program.
If you are looking for a book that will put into a rock solid plan what this book talks about then you will want to sit down and study The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. That book will help you to understand how to frame situations in your head, how to look at problems with reliable solutions, and provide you with a game plan on how to fix those issues. Becoming an effective person is no easy job, it requires constant self-discipline, very strict will-power, and excellent problem solving skills.
Another fun book to read is What the Most Successful People Do before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam. If you are not a morning person but know you need to get more work done, try this book out and learn why your boss will always out perform you in life.
If you are looking for a book that will put into a rock solid plan what this book talks about then you will want to sit down and study The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. That book will help you to understand how to frame situations in your head, how to look at problems with reliable solutions, and provide you with a game plan on how to fix those issues. Becoming an effective person is no easy job, it requires constant self-discipline, very strict will-power, and excellent problem solving skills.
Another fun book to read is What the Most Successful People Do before Breakfast by Laura Vanderkam. If you are not a morning person but know you need to get more work done, try this book out and learn why your boss will always out perform you in life.
October 2, 2012
The thing these days is to spend a fair amount of time listing your credentials and referring to them often—except now, you write a really short book, with very short chapters, etc. I suppose if most of your reading happens on blogs and Twitter, this is nice, but, for me, it fails to persuade.
If the information in here is actually new to you, I suppose the tight format will help you remember and use it. I find it unlikely much of anything will be new to anyone who has read even one business/self-help/success book before this, however.
July 19, 2015
Good points: Short. No cruft. Straight to the point. The nine strategies are common sense, but I find it convenient to have them expressed clearly in writing.
Bad points: the strategies are common sense.
Bad points: the strategies are common sense.
July 26, 2015
It's a very good summary for Halvorson's other book "Succeed: How We Can Reach Our Goals"; almost everything is here from there, destilled into a short essence of the topic. I would recommend reading Succeed first.
November 23, 2016
The ideas that mentioned in the book are easy to understand and common. But I don't know how much I would follow after reading the book. Will check my own behaviors in one month and see whether this book has made a difference or not.
February 15, 2013
I liked the chapter about grit, and also the tactic to set get better goals vs be good goals.
April 22, 2019
For the size of the book, rating it 5 stares. Very compact book which I will read again in the future as a reminder to what needs to be done.
Heidi says in the beginning of the book that you might know some parts, but others will be surprising. I want to say there was some nice surprising parts. Especially when they supported by studies and experiments on people.
Some quotes from each chapter:
#1 Get Specific
- You can't just win or achieve something. You need to put it in numbers, to track it. Lose 5 KGs. Be able to run 10 KM continues. Wake up everyday 5 am for a week.
- "Daydreaming about how great it will be to land that job can be very enjoyable, but it won't actually get you the job. Mental contrasting turns wishes and desires into reality by bringing attention and clarity to what you will you need to do to make them happen."
#2 Seize the Moment to Act on Your Goals
- Studies showed that planning will help your brain to detect and seize the opportunity when it arises, increasing your chances of success by
300%.
- The if-then rule.
#3 Know Exactly How Far You Have Left to Go
- Marathon runners care about what is left to finish race.
- "It's just not possible to stay motivated without feedback."
- "As a result we wind up with lots of pots on the stove, but thing is ever ready to eat."
- "Never congratulate yourself too much on a job half-done. Save it for a job well - and completely - done"
- "Create reminders for yourself to perform your assessments."
#4 Be a Realistic Optimist
- "Realistic optimists send out more job applications, ..., work harder on their rehabilitation exercises".
- "Believing that the road to success will be rocky leads to greater success."
- "Don't visualise success; visualise the steps you will take in order to make success happen"
- Realistic optimist consider risk factors while believing they achieve the goal.
#5 Focus on Getting Better, Rather Than Being Good
- Anxiety is productivity killer.
- Interest doesn't just keep you going despite fatigue it actually replenishes your energy.
- ** "Don't compare yourself and your current performance to others; compare it to your own past performance. Are you improving? That's the question that matters."
#6 Gave Grit
- "Effort, planning, resistance, and good strategies are wha tis really takes to succeed."
- "You can get more ability if you want more. All you need it grit."
- ** "It's critical to examine your beliefs, and when necessary, challenge them."
#7 Build Your Willpower Muscle
Very good read if you didn't do that before.
#8 Don't Tempt Fate
- "Many people are overly confident in their ability to resist temptation."
- "Successful people know not to make reaching a goal harder than it already is." - If you are quitting smoking, that's a hard thing to do, don't make it harder by hanging out with people who will smoke around you and might offer to join.
#9 Focus on What You Will Do, Not What You Won't do
- Do not think about white bears. -- Research 'Though Suppression'
- "Trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind." Chapter discusses this.
Heidi says in the beginning of the book that you might know some parts, but others will be surprising. I want to say there was some nice surprising parts. Especially when they supported by studies and experiments on people.
Some quotes from each chapter:
#1 Get Specific
- You can't just win or achieve something. You need to put it in numbers, to track it. Lose 5 KGs. Be able to run 10 KM continues. Wake up everyday 5 am for a week.
- "Daydreaming about how great it will be to land that job can be very enjoyable, but it won't actually get you the job. Mental contrasting turns wishes and desires into reality by bringing attention and clarity to what you will you need to do to make them happen."
#2 Seize the Moment to Act on Your Goals
- Studies showed that planning will help your brain to detect and seize the opportunity when it arises, increasing your chances of success by
300%.
- The if-then rule.
#3 Know Exactly How Far You Have Left to Go
- Marathon runners care about what is left to finish race.
- "It's just not possible to stay motivated without feedback."
- "As a result we wind up with lots of pots on the stove, but thing is ever ready to eat."
- "Never congratulate yourself too much on a job half-done. Save it for a job well - and completely - done"
- "Create reminders for yourself to perform your assessments."
#4 Be a Realistic Optimist
- "Realistic optimists send out more job applications, ..., work harder on their rehabilitation exercises".
- "Believing that the road to success will be rocky leads to greater success."
- "Don't visualise success; visualise the steps you will take in order to make success happen"
- Realistic optimist consider risk factors while believing they achieve the goal.
#5 Focus on Getting Better, Rather Than Being Good
- Anxiety is productivity killer.
- Interest doesn't just keep you going despite fatigue it actually replenishes your energy.
- ** "Don't compare yourself and your current performance to others; compare it to your own past performance. Are you improving? That's the question that matters."
#6 Gave Grit
- "Effort, planning, resistance, and good strategies are wha tis really takes to succeed."
- "You can get more ability if you want more. All you need it grit."
- ** "It's critical to examine your beliefs, and when necessary, challenge them."
#7 Build Your Willpower Muscle
Very good read if you didn't do that before.
#8 Don't Tempt Fate
- "Many people are overly confident in their ability to resist temptation."
- "Successful people know not to make reaching a goal harder than it already is." - If you are quitting smoking, that's a hard thing to do, don't make it harder by hanging out with people who will smoke around you and might offer to join.
#9 Focus on What You Will Do, Not What You Won't do
- Do not think about white bears. -- Research 'Though Suppression'
- "Trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind." Chapter discusses this.
December 27, 2020
เป็นหนังสือขนาดเล็กที่ดีเกินคาดมาก อัดแน่นไปด้วยการสรุปเนื้อหา ยอมรับเลยว่าคนเขียนสามารถจับใจความและเขียนได้ดีมาก
ถึงหนังสือจั่วหัวว่า “Do” แต่เนื้อหากลับเน้นที่ “How to Think” หรือ “Mindset” ซึ่งโอเคมากสำหรับผม
หนังสือสรุปแนวคิด สำคัญๆจากศึกษาและการค้นพบต่างๆ ในยุคนี้
สิ่งที่ผมได้จากหนังสือเล่มนี้
1) “If-Then” Plan
คือการวางแผนล่วงหน้า ว่าถ้าเจออะไร แล้วจะทำอะไร (If... , Then...) ซึ่งคือการ “ตัดสินใจ” ล่วงหน้าว่า เมื่อเจออะไร แล้วเราจะทำ action อะไรเลย
โครงสร้างประโยคก็ If X happens, Then I do Y. เช่น ถ้าถึง 6โมงเย็น, ฉันจะไปออกกำลังกายก่อนกลับบ้าน หรือ ถ้างานนี้ยังไม่เสร็จตอนเช้า, ฉันจะทำเป็นอย่างแรกในตอนบ่าย
ซึ่งการวางแผนแบบนี้จะมีโอกาสสำเร็จสูงกว่า การบอกว่าจะทำอย่างเดียวพวก ฉันจะออกกำลังกาย หรือ ฉันจะทำงานให้เสร็จ งานวิจัยบอกว่าได้ลองกับคนออกกำลังกาย คนใช้ If-then มีโอกาสสำเร็จ 91% แต่คนไม่ใช้จะสำเร็จ 39%
จริงๆเคยอ่านเจอจากเล่มอื่น ว่านี่เป็นเทคนิคเดียวกับ Stress Managment ที่ให้คิดล่วงหน้าไว้เลยว่า ถ้าเจอเหตุการณ์ที่ไม่ชอบให้ทำอย่างไร ผมใช้ประจำและเวิร์คมาก
2) คิดแบบ To-Go
คิดแบบ To-Go คือมองว่า ต้องทำอะไรต่อถึงจะเข้าใกล้เป้าหมาย การคิดแบบนี้จะทำให้เราได้ประเมินว่าตัวเองว่าอยู่ตรงไหนและมองไปข้างหน้าว่า ต้องทำอะไรต่อ อะไรต้องทำให้สำเร็จบ้าง เพื่อที่จะได้บรรลุเป้าหมาย วิธีคิ���แบบนี้ต่างจากอีกแบบคือ To-Date ที่หมายถึงคิดว่าเราได้ทำอะไรประสบความสำเร็จมาแล้วบ้างจนถึงวันนี้
จริงๆ ทั้งสองแบบไม่ผิดนะ แต่อยากให้เน้นแบบ To-Go มากหน่อย
3) Be Realistic Optimistic
เราอาจจะเคยได้ยินกันมาบ้างว่า ถ้าเรามีความเชื่อ เราจะประสบความสำเร็จ แต่แค่เชื่อแล้วจะสำเร็จจริงๆหรอ เค้าก็มีการศึกษา แล้วพบว่า ต้องเชื่อแบบเป็นไปได้ด้วย ไม่ใช่เชื่อแบบเกินจริง เกินตัว
รวมถึงการมีความเชื่อด้วยว่า เป้าหมายของเราจะต้องมีอุปสรรค และ เราจะผ่านไปได้
คืออ่านแล้วรู้สึกว่า ข้อนี้คมมาก ... เชื่อแบบสมจริง เชื่อว่ามีอุปสรรค และ เชื่อว่าเราผ่านไป และ ถามว่า เราจะก้าวข้ามไปได้อย่างไร หนังสือก็บอกว่า ใช้ If-Then Plan ไง555
นอกจากนี้ที่ไม่ขอเล่า เพราะจะกลายเป็นสปอยหมดเล่ม ก็หลักคิดพวก Grit, Growth Mindset, Will Power จะว่าไปก็ไม่ใหม่นะ แต่เค้ารวบรวมเรื่องที่เกี่ยวข้องมาไว้ด้วยกัน
สรุป เหมาะมากสำหรับท่านที่กำลังตั้งเป้าปีใหม่ และ อยากจะลองหาวิธีในใหม่ๆที่จะให้ทำตามเป้าได้
ถึงหนังสือจั่วหัวว่า “Do” แต่เนื้อหากลับเน้นที่ “How to Think” หรือ “Mindset” ซึ่งโอเคมากสำหรับผม
หนังสือสรุปแนวคิด สำคัญๆจากศึกษาและการค้นพบต่างๆ ในยุคนี้
สิ่งที่ผมได้จากหนังสือเล่มนี้
1) “If-Then” Plan
คือการวางแผนล่วงหน้า ว่าถ้าเจออะไร แล้วจะทำอะไร (If... , Then...) ซึ่งคือการ “ตัดสินใจ” ล่วงหน้าว่า เมื่อเจออะไร แล้วเราจะทำ action อะไรเลย
โครงสร้างประโยคก็ If X happens, Then I do Y. เช่น ถ้าถึง 6โมงเย็น, ฉันจะไปออกกำลังกายก่อนกลับบ้าน หรือ ถ้างานนี้ยังไม่เสร็จตอนเช้า, ฉันจะทำเป็นอย่างแรกในตอนบ่าย
ซึ่งการวางแผนแบบนี้จะมีโอกาสสำเร็จสูงกว่า การบอกว่าจะทำอย่างเดียวพวก ฉันจะออกกำลังกาย หรือ ฉันจะทำงานให้เสร็จ งานวิจัยบอกว่าได้ลองกับคนออกกำลังกาย คนใช้ If-then มีโอกาสสำเร็จ 91% แต่คนไม่ใช้จะสำเร็จ 39%
จริงๆเคยอ่านเจอจากเล่มอื่น ว่านี่เป็นเทคนิคเดียวกับ Stress Managment ที่ให้คิดล่วงหน้าไว้เลยว่า ถ้าเจอเหตุการณ์ที่ไม่ชอบให้ทำอย่างไร ผมใช้ประจำและเวิร์คมาก
2) คิดแบบ To-Go
คิดแบบ To-Go คือมองว่า ต้องทำอะไรต่อถึงจะเข้าใกล้เป้าหมาย การคิดแบบนี้จะทำให้เราได้ประเมินว่าตัวเองว่าอยู่ตรงไหนและมองไปข้างหน้าว่า ต้องทำอะไรต่อ อะไรต้องทำให้สำเร็จบ้าง เพื่อที่จะได้บรรลุเป้าหมาย วิธีคิ���แบบนี้ต่างจากอีกแบบคือ To-Date ที่หมายถึงคิดว่าเราได้ทำอะไรประสบความสำเร็จมาแล้วบ้างจนถึงวันนี้
จริงๆ ทั้งสองแบบไม่ผิดนะ แต่อยากให้เน้นแบบ To-Go มากหน่อย
3) Be Realistic Optimistic
เราอาจจะเคยได้ยินกันมาบ้างว่า ถ้าเรามีความเชื่อ เราจะประสบความสำเร็จ แต่แค่เชื่อแล้วจะสำเร็จจริงๆหรอ เค้าก็มีการศึกษา แล้วพบว่า ต้องเชื่อแบบเป็นไปได้ด้วย ไม่ใช่เชื่อแบบเกินจริง เกินตัว
รวมถึงการมีความเชื่อด้วยว่า เป้าหมายของเราจะต้องมีอุปสรรค และ เราจะผ่านไปได้
คืออ่านแล้วรู้สึกว่า ข้อนี้คมมาก ... เชื่อแบบสมจริง เชื่อว่ามีอุปสรรค และ เชื่อว่าเราผ่านไป และ ถามว่า เราจะก้าวข้ามไปได้อย่างไร หนังสือก็บอกว่า ใช้ If-Then Plan ไง555
นอกจากนี้ที่ไม่ขอเล่า เพราะจะกลายเป็นสปอยหมดเล่ม ก็หลักคิดพวก Grit, Growth Mindset, Will Power จะว่าไปก็ไม่ใหม่นะ แต่เค้ารวบรวมเรื่องที่เกี่ยวข้องมาไว้ด้วยกัน
สรุป เหมาะมากสำหรับท่านที่กำลังตั้งเป้าปีใหม่ และ อยากจะลองหาวิธีในใหม่ๆที่จะให้ทำตามเป้าได้
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
January 18, 20171. Get specific. When you set yourself a goal, try to be as specific as possible. “Lose 5 pounds” is a better goal than “lose some weight,” because it gives you a clear idea of what success looks like. Knowing exactly what you want to achieve keeps you motivated until you get there. Also, think about the specific actions that need to be taken to reach your goal. Just promising you’ll “eat less” or “sleep more” is too vague — be clear and precise. “I’ll be in bed by 10pm on weeknights” leaves no room for doubt about what you need to do, and whether or not you’ve actually done it.
2. Seize the moment to act on your goals. Given how busy most of us are, and how many goals we are juggling at once, it’s not surprising that we routinely miss opportunities to act on a goal because we simply fail to notice them. Did you really have no time to work out today? No chance at any point to return that phone call? Achieving your goal means grabbing hold of these opportunities before they slip through your fingers.
To seize the moment, decide when and where you will take each action you want to take, in advance. Again, be as specific as possible (e.g., “If it’s Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, I’ll work out for 30 minutes before work.”) Studies show that this kind of planning will help your brain to detect and seize the opportunity when it arises, increasing your chances of success by roughly 300%.
3. Know exactly how far you have left to go. Achieving any goal also requires honest and regular monitoring of your progress — if not by others, then by you yourself. If you don’t know how well you are doing, you can’t adjust your behavior or your strategies accordingly. Check your progress frequently — weekly, or even daily, depending on the goal.
4. Be a realistic optimist. When you are setting a goal, by all means engage in lots of positive thinking about how likely you are to achieve it. Believing in your ability to succeed is enormously helpful for creating and sustaining your motivation. But whatever you do, don’t underestimate how difficult it will be to reach your goal. Most goals worth achieving require time, planning, effort, and persistence. Studies show that thinking things will come to you easily and effortlessly leaves you ill-prepared for the journey ahead, and significantly increases the odds of failure.
5. Focus on getting better, rather than being good. Believing you have the ability to reach your goals is important, but so is believing you can get the ability. Many of us believe that our intelligence, our personality, and our physical aptitudes are fixed — that no matter what we do, we won’t improve. As a result, we focus on goals that are all about proving ourselves, rather than developing and acquiring new skills.
Fortunately, decades of research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely wrong — abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact that you can change will allow you to make better choices, and reach your fullest potential. People whose goals are about getting better, rather than being good, take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.
6. Have grit. Grit is a willingness to commit to long-term goals, and to persist in the face of difficulty. Studies show that gritty people obtain more education in their lifetime, and earn higher college GPAs. Grit predicts which cadets will stick out their first grueling year at West Point. In fact, grit even predicts which round contestants will make it to at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
The good news is, if you aren’t particularly gritty now, there is something you can do about it. People who lack grit more often than not believe that they just don’t have the innate abilities successful people have. If that describes your own thinking …. well, there’s no way to put this nicely: you are wrong. As I mentioned earlier, effort, planning, persistence, and good strategies are what it really takes to succeed. Embracing this knowledge will not only help you see yourself and your goals more accurately, but also do wonders for your grit.
7. Build your willpower muscle. Your self-control “muscle” is just like the other muscles in your body — when it doesn’t get much exercise, it becomes weaker over time. But when you give it regular workouts by putting it to good use, it will grow stronger and stronger, and better able to help you successfully reach your goals.
To build willpower, take on a challenge that requires you to do something you’d honestly rather not do. Give up high-fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching, try to learn a new skill. When you find yourself wanting to give in, give up, or just not bother — don’t. Start with just one activity, and make a plan for how you will deal with troubles when they occur (“If I have a craving for a snack, I will eat one piece of fresh or three pieces of dried fruit.”) It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier, and that’s the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on more challenges and step-up your self-control workout.
8. Don’t tempt fate. No matter how strong your willpower muscle becomes, it’s important to always respect the fact that it is limited, and if you overtax it you will temporarily run out of steam. Don’t try to take on two challenging tasks at once, if you can help it (like quitting smoking and dieting at the same time). And don’t put yourself in harm’s way — many people are overly-confident in their ability to resist temptation, and as a result they put themselves in situations where temptations abound. Successful people know not to make reaching a goal harder than it already is.
9. Focus on what you will do, not what you won’t do. Do you want to successfully lose weight, quit smoking, or put a lid on your bad temper? Then plan how you will replace bad habits with good ones, rather than focusing only on the bad habits themselves. Research on thought suppression (e.g., “Don’t think about white bears!”) has shown that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind. The same holds true when it comes to behavior — by trying not to engage in a bad habit, our habits get strengthened rather than broken.
2. Seize the moment to act on your goals. Given how busy most of us are, and how many goals we are juggling at once, it’s not surprising that we routinely miss opportunities to act on a goal because we simply fail to notice them. Did you really have no time to work out today? No chance at any point to return that phone call? Achieving your goal means grabbing hold of these opportunities before they slip through your fingers.
To seize the moment, decide when and where you will take each action you want to take, in advance. Again, be as specific as possible (e.g., “If it’s Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, I’ll work out for 30 minutes before work.”) Studies show that this kind of planning will help your brain to detect and seize the opportunity when it arises, increasing your chances of success by roughly 300%.
3. Know exactly how far you have left to go. Achieving any goal also requires honest and regular monitoring of your progress — if not by others, then by you yourself. If you don’t know how well you are doing, you can’t adjust your behavior or your strategies accordingly. Check your progress frequently — weekly, or even daily, depending on the goal.
4. Be a realistic optimist. When you are setting a goal, by all means engage in lots of positive thinking about how likely you are to achieve it. Believing in your ability to succeed is enormously helpful for creating and sustaining your motivation. But whatever you do, don’t underestimate how difficult it will be to reach your goal. Most goals worth achieving require time, planning, effort, and persistence. Studies show that thinking things will come to you easily and effortlessly leaves you ill-prepared for the journey ahead, and significantly increases the odds of failure.
5. Focus on getting better, rather than being good. Believing you have the ability to reach your goals is important, but so is believing you can get the ability. Many of us believe that our intelligence, our personality, and our physical aptitudes are fixed — that no matter what we do, we won’t improve. As a result, we focus on goals that are all about proving ourselves, rather than developing and acquiring new skills.
Fortunately, decades of research suggest that the belief in fixed ability is completely wrong — abilities of all kinds are profoundly malleable. Embracing the fact that you can change will allow you to make better choices, and reach your fullest potential. People whose goals are about getting better, rather than being good, take difficulty in stride, and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.
6. Have grit. Grit is a willingness to commit to long-term goals, and to persist in the face of difficulty. Studies show that gritty people obtain more education in their lifetime, and earn higher college GPAs. Grit predicts which cadets will stick out their first grueling year at West Point. In fact, grit even predicts which round contestants will make it to at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
The good news is, if you aren’t particularly gritty now, there is something you can do about it. People who lack grit more often than not believe that they just don’t have the innate abilities successful people have. If that describes your own thinking …. well, there’s no way to put this nicely: you are wrong. As I mentioned earlier, effort, planning, persistence, and good strategies are what it really takes to succeed. Embracing this knowledge will not only help you see yourself and your goals more accurately, but also do wonders for your grit.
7. Build your willpower muscle. Your self-control “muscle” is just like the other muscles in your body — when it doesn’t get much exercise, it becomes weaker over time. But when you give it regular workouts by putting it to good use, it will grow stronger and stronger, and better able to help you successfully reach your goals.
To build willpower, take on a challenge that requires you to do something you’d honestly rather not do. Give up high-fat snacks, do 100 sit-ups a day, stand up straight when you catch yourself slouching, try to learn a new skill. When you find yourself wanting to give in, give up, or just not bother — don’t. Start with just one activity, and make a plan for how you will deal with troubles when they occur (“If I have a craving for a snack, I will eat one piece of fresh or three pieces of dried fruit.”) It will be hard in the beginning, but it will get easier, and that’s the whole point. As your strength grows, you can take on more challenges and step-up your self-control workout.
8. Don’t tempt fate. No matter how strong your willpower muscle becomes, it’s important to always respect the fact that it is limited, and if you overtax it you will temporarily run out of steam. Don’t try to take on two challenging tasks at once, if you can help it (like quitting smoking and dieting at the same time). And don’t put yourself in harm’s way — many people are overly-confident in their ability to resist temptation, and as a result they put themselves in situations where temptations abound. Successful people know not to make reaching a goal harder than it already is.
9. Focus on what you will do, not what you won’t do. Do you want to successfully lose weight, quit smoking, or put a lid on your bad temper? Then plan how you will replace bad habits with good ones, rather than focusing only on the bad habits themselves. Research on thought suppression (e.g., “Don’t think about white bears!”) has shown that trying to avoid a thought makes it even more active in your mind. The same holds true when it comes to behavior — by trying not to engage in a bad habit, our habits get strengthened rather than broken.
May 27, 2017
9 things successful people do differently by Heidi Grant Halvorson was exactly what it sounds like, a book sharing nine habits that successful people do. And while the book itself was smaller than my left hand, it packs a punch leaving readers with a lasting impression. The premise behind the book is that people don’t succeed strictly because of who they are; more often, people succeed because of what they do. And this book provides the to-do to make you a more effective person when it comes towards reaching your goals.
This book is much more concise than the other 378 page self-development encyclopedias you can find on the market. Halvorson does a solid job of presenting each habit, clarifying it, providing examples of its application and usefulness, and finally leaving the reader with a “putting it into practice” checklist. The habits themselves are universal and it is clear that anyone who implements these into their daily lives would be better off. I only had one quarrels with the book. Some of the “putting it into practice” checklists are scant. Granted some of the habits are more situational, it would have been nice to have at least a few actionable items for each habit that could be started right now.
This book is much more concise than the other 378 page self-development encyclopedias you can find on the market. Halvorson does a solid job of presenting each habit, clarifying it, providing examples of its application and usefulness, and finally leaving the reader with a “putting it into practice” checklist. The habits themselves are universal and it is clear that anyone who implements these into their daily lives would be better off. I only had one quarrels with the book. Some of the “putting it into practice” checklists are scant. Granted some of the habits are more situational, it would have been nice to have at least a few actionable items for each habit that could be started right now.
October 9, 2019
“9 Things Successful People Do Differently” is a must-read for those looking to improve their efficiency. The author, Heidi Grant Halvorson, so wonderfully takes methods used by some of the world’s most influential people and condenses it into nine feasible skills. Basically, I do really like this book. At first, this book was just another book my mom suggested I read. Now, it will be just another book I will suggest that my own children read. Looking back, I do believe that this book turned out to be an easier read than I had first thought. The author not only made the book more comprehensible by taking all of her wisdom and shortening it to nine steps, but she also uses a vocabulary that won’t make you feel like you need a PhD. I believe those who would enjoy this book the most are people looking to go into the field of business. But honestly, I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t benefit from this. Ask any adult, they will tell you that it is much better to learn the skills to succeed now than later in life. So do yourself a favor! Make yourself stand out in the industry of your choice! Show the world that you know what successful people do differently.
May 7, 2025
Este libro me gustó mucho, es breve, ameno y tiene estrategias prácticas para mejorar en la búsqueda del éxito. Los nueve secretos no son en verdad un secreto, pero lo parecen porque están allí y no los llevamos a cabo. El trabajo de la autora, entonces, es hacernos conscientes de estas estrategias para llevarlas a cabo. Por ejemplo, el uso de la fuerza de voluntad, cuántas veces no hemos escuchado hablar de eso, pero aquí se nos dice cómo ejercitarla y aprovecharla para nuestros propósitos.
Hay muchos libros de autoayuda y es un género literario que para muchos es baladí, pero yo creo que no está mal leerlos, porque siempre es bueno "escuchar" a los demás sobre cómo le hacen o creen que deberíamos hacerle para que nos vaya mejor en lo profesional o en lo personal.
Este libro es recomendable por ese propósito, pero, además, porque al final de cada capítulo te da esas valiosas instrucciones prácticas y no se queda solo en la teoría o en el relato de una anécdota.
Hay muchos libros de autoayuda y es un género literario que para muchos es baladí, pero yo creo que no está mal leerlos, porque siempre es bueno "escuchar" a los demás sobre cómo le hacen o creen que deberíamos hacerle para que nos vaya mejor en lo profesional o en lo personal.
Este libro es recomendable por ese propósito, pero, además, porque al final de cada capítulo te da esas valiosas instrucciones prácticas y no se queda solo en la teoría o en el relato de una anécdota.
October 18, 2020
Given this book was published in 2012 this feels slightly out dated review.
While approachable as a small book with quick take-aways I think some of the suggestions are either derivatives of other research such as SMART objectives or seem very counter intuitive.
Chapter 6/7 were slightly repetitive and somewhat dismissed the the idea of natural abilities. The message was that you should develop good habits to get better as oppose to becoming perfect. I think this can create significant risk of someone focusing on weaknesses as oppose to developing their strengths.
Overall, a good book to take time to challenge your behaviour in short bursts but not by any means a comprehensive book to rely upon and given the original price of £7.99 I would recommend alternatives.
While approachable as a small book with quick take-aways I think some of the suggestions are either derivatives of other research such as SMART objectives or seem very counter intuitive.
Chapter 6/7 were slightly repetitive and somewhat dismissed the the idea of natural abilities. The message was that you should develop good habits to get better as oppose to becoming perfect. I think this can create significant risk of someone focusing on weaknesses as oppose to developing their strengths.
Overall, a good book to take time to challenge your behaviour in short bursts but not by any means a comprehensive book to rely upon and given the original price of £7.99 I would recommend alternatives.
March 26, 2019
Nine tips from research on very successful people, 'strategies they use to set and pursue goals (sometimes without consciously realizing it) that, according to decades of research, have the biggest impact on performance.' At the end of each short chapter there are questions to help you make the techniques practical in your own life.
After all, 'success is about reaching goals. It's about making smart choices, using the right strategies, and taking action.'
This powerful little book deserves to be read and reread. There is so much that needs to be done in this world, and with these techniques we may be able to at least begin some of it.
After all, 'success is about reaching goals. It's about making smart choices, using the right strategies, and taking action.'
This powerful little book deserves to be read and reread. There is so much that needs to be done in this world, and with these techniques we may be able to at least begin some of it.
March 15, 2019
Not bad, but mostly repackaging of stuff you’ve seen a hundred times. It is sort of what I expected, because many of these books are. Sometimes you are just more ready to hear a rehashed message with new ears. Other times the author may have a particularly effective way of relating an idea you’ve already heard. In this book, neither of those things were true. The book's primary strength was its brevity and the fact that it did present pretty solid subject matter. Quick read. Won’t be sorry, but neither will you be transformed.
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