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Stop Talking, Start Doing: A Kick in the Pants in Six Parts

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There’s never been a better time, or a more urgent time, to start doing the things you want to do. Perhaps you feel your career is stuck in a rut – or maybe you’re in the wrong job altogether. Or maybe you have a great business idea but something is stopping you from actually getting started. You may already be running a business but struggling to get to it to where you want it to be. Or perhaps you just want to be more successful in general – without knowing exactly what your vision of success is - yet!

If you want to do something but secretly fear you’re never going to do it, whatever that might be, then this will help you.

Stop Talking, Start Doing is a short, clear and cleverly illustrated book that will inspire you to take action.   Whatever you want to achieve, this is the kick in the pants you need to get to where you truly want to be.

It’s great that you know you can do more, but just thinking about it, won’t make it happen. It’s doing that makes the difference. DO IT.  If you’ve got something you want to do… now is a good time to start.

137 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2011

70 people are currently reading
857 people want to read

About the author

Shaa Wasmund

13 books17 followers

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5 stars
154 (20%)
4 stars
217 (28%)
3 stars
248 (33%)
2 stars
88 (11%)
1 star
43 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
Profile Image for Vivek Jaiswal.
14 reviews
January 12, 2015
Easy read and some really good motivation to get started! A must read for those who keep day dreaming but are never able to put their thoughts to action.
Profile Image for Martin Frost.
1 review
October 31, 2014
A bit disappointed

For the money it was a short book that I got through in a few hours. Most of the content was based on a lot of quotes and some drawings to pad it out.
Knowing who Shaa was and her accomplishments I expected much more.
As a motivational read it's good but doesn't offer many golden nuggets I thought might have been included from her vast experience.
There are some good quick tips for reaching a goal and tips quoted from Richard Wiseman's 59seconds.
It isn't a starter guide for someone wanting to go self employed or reach a goal, just tips on how you might do it and reminders that you should just do it, over and over.
Profile Image for NoNameLoves2Read.
147 reviews57 followers
August 26, 2016
This book really didn't teach me much more than I already knew. It was somewhat motivating but not what I was looking for. This was a very fast read. If you already know the basics about setting goals and pursuing them in "small chunks", then you probably won't get much out of this book.
Profile Image for Cocobean.
15 reviews2 followers
September 9, 2012
Very good coaching-style advice; helped me to understand my reasons for not starting or completing goals and projects; psychologically, it was very motivating and helped me to stop feeling guilty or depressed about my previous failures; I high-lighted many pointers in the book; glad I bought it.
Profile Image for Hessah Alhashash.
86 reviews90 followers
June 9, 2016
الثلث الاول من الكتاب غريب .. لا يشدك ولا يساعدك على مواصلة القراءة .. لكن ما ان بدأت الثلث الثاني حتى بدأت الصفحات تتغير والقراءة يصبح لها طعم مختلف .. هذا الكتاب للمبتدئين ومن يبحثون عن التحفيز لتحقيق اهدافهم .. نجمتين لأن عرضة للمعلومة ممتع
Profile Image for Onyeka.
307 reviews7 followers
February 22, 2024
❤️❤️💔🤍🤍 2.5/5

“There’s no universal right answer, only the answer that’s right for you.” Shaa Wasmund - Stop Talking, Start Doing

This is a book full of quotes from notable figures / famous people, anecdotes from her life and career, and motivational mantras to inch the reader closer to who they aspire to be.

Whether it’s getting a promotion, or starting a business or losing weight, she shares “practical” advice to move from words to actions. However, I felt like the advice was generic; which is understandable given it’s a mass appeal self-development book.

“There’s a natural order of things: decide then act.”
Profile Image for Asia Ryćko-Bożeńska.
14 reviews5 followers
June 10, 2024
Lektura do połknięcia w jeden wieczór, choć już do wdrożenia potrzeba więcej czasu. Bardzo ładnie odziera z szat króla, który staje się nagi i już nie ma wymówek. Mocne momentami. Podoba mi się forma, że jest dużo nagłówków, ilustracji, to ułatwia czytanie przy moim ADHD (i próbie powrotu do czytania dłuższych tekstów). Niektóre opisy były przydługawe. ;-) Jako całość udane i skuteczne, biorę sobie niektóre z rad, albo raczej stwierdzeń, do serca.
Profile Image for T.
91 reviews3 followers
March 28, 2024
Unemployed gal procrastinating getting shit done by listening to audiobooks about getting shit done 🤝🏻

Big fan of the figure out your interests and pursue a life that aligns with them philosophy!! Also it made me buy a planner to write goals and intentions so that’s a step in the right direction 🤠
Profile Image for Uzoamaka.
265 reviews
July 10, 2024
A really good book with plenty tips and action points to get you moving towards that goal or intention. Better active than passive and a short read too so it's memorable. I read a revised version that factored in the 'new norm' post-pandemic (C-19, CoVID, Coronavirus, COVIP-19).
Profile Image for قصي بن خليفة.
306 reviews31 followers
April 17, 2014

إخراج لطيف وعرض جميل لمجموعة من الحِكم العملية ولذا لا يعدو هذا الكتاب تجميعاً لها بطريقة سعت الكاتبة لحث القاريء على النهوض التحرك لإنجاز شيء وكان لها ما أرادت ولكن بنجاح أظنه محدوداً
يذكر لها محاولة الربط بين أجزاء الكتاب ليبدو كأنه فكرة عملية مترابطة
أعجبني من الكتاب فكرة أننا جميعاً نظن أننا مركز العالم ولذا نقيد أنفسنا بقيود لا وجود لها وهو رأي الآخرين والخوف من الاستهزاء
قلة المال أو كثرته كلاهما قد يأسرك إن لم تنتبه
لا تضحك على نفسك: تظن أنك تعمل شيئاً عندما تتسوق أو تبحث عن معلومات أو تغرد في تويتر – هذا ليس إنتاجاً
الأهداف غير الواقعية وهي أحلام وكفى ولذا تحمل عذرالفشل معها فتقول بفخر هدفي عظيم وقد لا يتحقق! لم تضعه هدفاً؟ هذا هو السؤال
Profile Image for Humaira.
307 reviews71 followers
July 18, 2025
I was sent this book for review by Tandem Collective, but all opinions are my own.

Really enjoyed this book, it’s fast, punchy and short and does what it says on the tin, in that it is a kick up the pants to start doing.

There’s a lot of words and pictures, not as much substance as I’d like but it’s like having a really good friend motivate you to start doing rather than talking about doing.

I would definitely recommend this book to non-readers or people allergic to traditional business or self-help books.
Profile Image for Robert Tetteroo.
192 reviews5 followers
January 5, 2020
(Herlezen in het kader van goede plannen voor 2020)

Excellent book, I gave 5 stars as this actually where all the other self improvement and hapiness guru's need 500 pages for: just start doing what you are aiming for.

This is a short easy to read and very much inspiring. In short: let me now stop reviewing and start doing what I am supposed to do!

This little treasure will definetily change my way of working.
6 reviews
October 7, 2025
This is my first read of Shaa and I must say it was a total disappointment. The book is just a collection of bunch of quotes and graffitis. Author links things out of nowhere.
It was a fast read. Expected a lot looking at the title, but the content was very poor.

I finished the book, but hardly there are any takeaways except a couple of quotes.
Profile Image for Sultan Alharthi.
6 reviews
January 18, 2017
كتاب خفيف و سلس و بعيد عن التكلف و سرد الإحصاءات المملة. لغته بسيطة لجميع الفئات أعتقد أن المستفيد الأكبر من قراءة هذا الكتاب هو الشخص المنظِّر و مدّعي المثالية! و الذي يزعج من حوله و يزعج نفسه أيضاً بكثرة الكلام. فالكتاب يأخذك من دائرة التنظير إلى دائرة العمل.
Profile Image for Lisa Isabella.
Author 7 books14 followers
February 20, 2019
This book was so boring in a while as the majority of it is a lot of cliche sayings. I still grabbed the motivational quote from it regardless but would not recommend it.

Rating Book: ★★☆☆☆ ( (2,7/5)
Profile Image for Hazal Gunduz.
73 reviews2 followers
February 21, 2020
A very shallow look on what to do. Reading/hearing things like this could be nice to hear, for that time but I don't see how it will change someone's life. This book says absolutely nothing new, discusses nothing. Just re-summarizing of what has been said and written for over 30 years.
Profile Image for Steffie secret.
29 reviews5 followers
March 15, 2015
Handig boekje wat mij enorm heeft gemotiveerd om gewoon te doen!
1 review
April 19, 2016
" قرأت النسخة المترجمة "
كتاب خفيف و ممتع قرأته ثلاث مرات او اكثر
Profile Image for Ugur Serkan Taskin.
23 reviews5 followers
December 17, 2016
No need to write or talk much about it, Start reading it now:) Ok, let me give you some more hints: it says that just start doing what you are aiming for, in a creative and practical way.
Profile Image for سعد عبدالكريم.
37 reviews
August 9, 2017
الكتاب جميل يختلف عن كتب التحقيز الاخرى انه مختصر ولا يحتوي على كلام زائد لا فائدة منه انصح به
هو باختصار يدعوك لتحقيق حلمك ويوضح لك ذلك بشكل مختصر رائع
Profile Image for Ann Jo.
21 reviews
March 18, 2022
It was easy to catch up with words and the design of content was interesting!!
Profile Image for Luca Nicoletti.
239 reviews2 followers
April 28, 2023
Summary

A selection of notions, sorted by order of execution to get you started on the journey that you mostly want to follow. What’s your biggest itch? What are you dreaming about? Follow the suggestions that the author provides and you will get started on your dream, and you are now capable of achieving it, just keep going, as suggested, shown and encouraged in the book.

My evaluation

What did I like the most?

The shortness and concentration of the book: not a huge amount of pages, useless promises and stories, just the basics: what you really need to get you started and get things done.

What didn’t I like?

Barely anything, this book was one of the best ones I’ve read this year so far, full of knowledge, examples (without speculation and losing yourself into useless details or side notes that doesn’t matter with the subject).

What would I have done differently?

I would have used harsher words, the author seems like she’s forcing herself to be nice with the reader; even the subtitle says: “a kick in the pants”, I would have simply used “a kick in the ass”, to get you started the right way!
Profile Image for Erica Basnicki.
123 reviews3 followers
November 8, 2021
It’s lighter than most on the really crappy motivational BS, but what I really love is that it flips a lot of motivational BS on its head and says things in a way that resonates, as opposed to coming across like a terrible Instagram quote. So, for a series of really good “flips” that escaped my BS detector, it gets 4 stars.

Without that, it would be a 3 at best. It’s a quick read and a bit thin in terms of substance. But I also think that’s kind of the point. We’re all just scared and reading a heavy tome isn’t really going to change that (even though I desperately wish there was an entire encyclopaedia I could spend the rest of my life reading to fully understand why I’m scared. You know, so I never have have to actually deal with it).

Yep, I’m docking it a star for making me acknowledge my own BS. I’m petty like that.
Profile Image for Kate Jane.
23 reviews4 followers
February 17, 2022
3.5*

Very easy to read - zipped through it in an evening. Good quotes from various successful, and famous, people both current and historical, and fairly motivational.

One gripe would be that, despite touting itself as starting out as a guide to those wanting to change career but becoming a book for 'anyone teetering on the brink of anything', it still very much reads as being a book for people wanting to change career with some examples about weight loss or writing a novel thrown in.

All in all, the speed at which you can read it, and the comprehensive spread of quotations from people whose opinions arguably carry weight, outweigh the cons of the book and so I recommend.

Who knows, I may even go to the gym tomorrow morning having read this book . . . .
Profile Image for Mary Casas.
45 reviews
December 31, 2022
ᴀ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜɪs ʏᴇᴀʀ ɪɴ ᴘʀᴇᴘᴀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏғ 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟹 ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ᴀ ʀᴇᴍɪɴᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴ ᴛᴏᴘɪᴄ ғʀᴇǫᴜᴇɴᴛʟʏ ɪᴛ sᴜʀᴇʟʏ ʙᴏᴛʜᴇʀs ʏᴏᴜ, sᴏ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜɪs sɪɢɴ ᴀɴᴅ sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴛᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs. ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴀʟᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀʟᴋ. ᴀɴᴀʟʏsɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀsᴏɴs ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪs ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ sᴜʀᴇ ɪᴛ’s ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ᴄʀᴏᴡᴅ. ɪᴛ’s ᴀʟʟ ᴅᴏᴡɴ ᴛᴏ ɪɴᴅɪᴠɪᴅᴜᴀʟs ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴄɪsɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀʀᴛ. ɪᴛ ᴀʟʟ sᴛᴀʀᴛs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ sᴛᴇᴘ, ɪᴛ sᴛᴀʀᴛs ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴍɪɴᴅ. ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ғɪɴᴅ ᴀɴ ᴇxᴄᴜsᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ғɪɴᴅ ᴀɴ ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. ᴅɪsᴄɪᴘʟɪɴᴇ ᴅᴏᴍɪɴᴀᴛᴇs ᴍᴏᴛɪᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.
Profile Image for PrettyFlamingo.
740 reviews7 followers
May 15, 2023
Looking at the length of time I took to finish this, it would seem that I really needed the book! To be honest, I put it down and forgot about it and only picked it up again last week, and finished it in a day. It wasn't what I expected; I thought it would be more about procrastination in general rather than for a specific aim like setting up a business or similar. I have taken a few snippets out of it though for future use.
Profile Image for Otis.
73 reviews
January 29, 2024
Short, to the point, does what it says on the box. A quick little kick in the arse to get you moving in the right direction. This book doesn't do long case studies or delve into psychology. It's just short, sharp pieces of advice that push you to actually start getting stuff done.

Only real critique is the never ending quotes that the reader is bombarded with. Hard to have an inspirational book without some quotes, but there were far too many here in my opinion.
Profile Image for Jill.
268 reviews5 followers
February 15, 2018
So I’ve read this before but needed a bit of a kick this morning. Read it in one sitting and now feel a bit more like doing!!! So far I have stuck to my hourly plan today three things ticked off the to do list and I feel so much better. It’s never gonna be an instant cure all but it has done really valid pints that make you think and then act!!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews

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