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Now or Never: Your Epic Life in 5 Steps

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Alexi Panos and Preston Smiles, the internationally recognized next generation thought leaders, redefine what’s possible in relationships, career, and life.

Alexi and Preston went through periods in each of their lives where they felt like they were doing all the right things, but never got the desired results. They read all the best books in self-empowerment and positive thinking, took classes, and sought advice, but there was always something missing. After all of their soul-searching and personal development, they realized that they were missing a connection between mind, body, and soul.

Based on their 12-week successful online program The Bridge Method, Now or Never combines the couple’s years of training into five principles that can help you navigate the real world, learn how to overcome your inner obstacles, and become your best self. Filled with narratives and stories from the duo’s own lives as well as from those they have helped along the way, Now or Never shares exercises, insights, and challenges to help you attain the personal freedom you have always been seeking.

If you want to lead an ideal life, you must become the best version of yourself. Alexi and Preston can be your guides. Choose your life. It’s now or never.

240 pages, Hardcover

Published December 27, 2016

39 people are currently reading
638 people want to read

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Alexi Panos

3 books13 followers

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Chris  C - A Midlife Wife.
1,832 reviews462 followers
February 6, 2017
It was with some trepidation that I opened another book hoping for the answer to life’s questions, or at least my business answers. But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at the level of information and the message that completely hit home for me in this book.

The authors have a great way of speaking without the rhetoric and BS. I love that. They lay out how to find what is holding you back, how to work through it, and plan the life that your heart desires.

With easy to read chapters and little worksheets you can use, you can walk through the old, closed off junk that is holding you back and work towards what you are awesome at doing. You can truly do what you love.

The authors figure that once you follow your heart and what was intended for you personally, then doors will open and you can embrace your true path. I have to strongly agree. When I started answering the questions that are put to you in this book, I saw where I needed to focus. Plus, it is what my heart knows I am great at and what I love to do. Now I know I have to place more focus on that area in my business and really go for it.

This book is a wonderful eye-opening tool that can work for you in areas of personal relationships, self discovery, marriage, work, and even raising your kids. There is no magic switch but the authors look at life in a different, more open manner that is refreshing and smart. I love the insight and frankly, I am surprised!

I cannot wait to start putting what I learned into practice and focusing on my new direction! What a great read!

Full review - http://amidlifewife.com/now-or-never-...
Profile Image for Tara Brabazon.
Author 41 books530 followers
February 7, 2017
Oh dear. Oh dear dear me. I am not sure how socially or psychologically damaged you would have to be to apply what is in this book.

The only phrase and point I found of value was 'radical responsibility.' That is - the notion that whatever happens in your life, blame yourself for your decision making, rather than others.

That is why I blame myself for reading this book. You should make other choices.
Profile Image for Lee.
88 reviews5 followers
November 9, 2016
Now or Never: Your Epic Life in 5 Steps
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I chose it because the topic sounded intriguing, but once I started reading, I found myself disappointed. Soundbites that would have sounded better on a Twitter account than a book. The one thing that tipped the scales for me from "I dislike this book" to "I hate this book" was their stance on what they call "Radical Responsibility", where they suggest that you take 100% of your responsibility in everything that happens to you-even if you are a victim of a violent crime. If I could give negative stars, I would!
Profile Image for Chrystal Mahan.
Author 7 books19 followers
May 7, 2025
Now or Never by Alexi Panos and Preston Smiles is a powerful and transformative self-help guide that lays out a path to personal freedom and fulfillment. The book, based on the couple’s highly successful 12-week program, The Bridge Method, combines personal development principles with actionable exercises and insights to help readers overcome inner obstacles and live their best life.

The central message of Now or Never is about connecting the mind, body, and soul to achieve true personal empowerment. Panos and Smiles share their own journeys, where despite following traditional self-help practices, they felt something was missing. Through their experiences, they discovered the importance of holistic integration, and they now teach others how to bridge the gap between intentions and actions.

Structured around five key principles, the book offers a clear roadmap for navigating the complexities of relationships, career, and life in general. With exercises designed to push readers out of their comfort zones and into meaningful growth, Now or Never is a call to action. It challenges readers to take ownership of their lives, face their fears, and embrace the power of choice in shaping their futures.

The narrative is filled with personal stories from Panos and Smiles’ own lives, which make the principles feel real and relatable. The book also includes practical exercises and challenges to help readers apply the concepts in their everyday lives. These actionable steps make the book a hands-on guide to personal transformation.

While the principles and messages in Now or Never are inspiring and powerful, some readers may find certain exercises and insights a bit familiar if they are already well-versed in self-help literature. However, the book's emphasis on personal empowerment and holistic growth makes it a useful resource for anyone seeking to break free from limiting beliefs and achieve lasting change.

In conclusion, Now or Never is a motivating, practical guide that offers valuable lessons for anyone looking to create a more fulfilling, empowered life. It’s an excellent read for those ready to take bold steps toward personal freedom, success, and happiness.








115 reviews2 followers
January 8, 2019
This was a simple and easy-to-read personal development book of ~ 219 pages. The structure and layout of the book was easy on the eyes. The main content focused on 5 ways you can live a more fulfilling life and get from where you are to where you want to be.

The FIVE steps presented in the book were as follow
step 1: make conscious decisions; this will empower you!
step 2: be radically responsible; this will get you unstuck!
step 3: act now; this will break the cycle!
step 4: embrace your authentic self; live in your truth and don't ever compare yourself to others!
step 5: have fun! make fun a priority even if you have to schedule it into your day!

My favorite chapters were steps 1 (you always have a choice) and step 2 (Be radically responsible). I liked the exercises and three of the questions in step 1. If you're looking to become more self-aware this is a great chapter to read in its entirety. Step 2 had to do with taking 100% responsibility for creating, allowing and perpetuating events in your life . It touched on the forgiveness process that needs to take place, use of language (the way you speak to yourself to advance your beliefs and ideas into reality), and the integrity to keep promises that you make to others as well as promises that you make to yourself. The other chapters were okay but did not resonate with me as much.

Each of the 5 chapters have highlight reels with the main points discussed as well as some key questions to contemplate. There were a few exercises to try out and put what was discussed to practical use.

I felt the other chapters needed more development work. Also, the stories (Preston's Story and Alexi's Story sections) were not very impactful or memorable. Most (maybe none) of it did not need to be included in the book to drive home the main points of the chapters.

Overall, a good book to read if you're looking to start doing transformation work. If you're further along, than this book is not necessary. Also, if you're into worldly materials and traditional success, this book is not necessary and might seem offensive; you shouldn't waste your time reading it because the message will get lost.
9 reviews4 followers
January 5, 2017
What do you want out of life? What do you want for your life?

New house? New job? New Car? More money?

Are these things really what you want?

Or do you actually want to feel like you matter – like you are living a life that is worthwhile from the inside out.

Do you want the things – the trappings of success? Or do you really want the the feeling that the “things” represent?

What authors and recognized thought leaders, Alexi Panos and Preston Smiles discovered through the experience of changing their own lives, as well as the insights they received from the people they were also helping, is that most humans want to feel successful – and not in the monetary sense.

Humans want to wake up with a feeling of self-worth – not the kind that comes from ego “I’m Awesome! I’m Wealthy! I’m Powerful!” – but the kind of self-worth that comes from living in a way that makes them feel good about being alive and how that feeling influences other people in their lives – whether family, friends, customers or total strangers.

Now or Never Your Epic Life in 5 Steps by Alexi Panos In Now or Never: Your Epic Life in 5 Steps, Panos and Smiles challenge you to look at what is right in front of you – the answer you already know about yourself but are refusing to acknowledge because the moment you do – you have to shut up or put up.

The answer to living the life you really want to be living lies in getting honest with your own self-sabotage.

Some people read self-help books all year long and never put the advice in any of them to good use.

Some people like to talk about “doing the work” on themselves – without actually doing the work. Talk is cheap and easy and you can use it as a smokescreen to throw up in front of friends and family – a way of convincing them that you are actually working to create the life you keep talking about wanting.

In the steps outlined in Now or Never you start taking action immediately. No prevaricating allowed. You need to be willing to go for it – dive in and get started making change happen – but in a way that is positive and fun.

Fun?

Isn’t change supposed to be scary and torturous and cluttered up with boxes of tissues?

Not really.

Personal change can be painful – but it doesn’t have to be distressing. This isn’t a complete psychological tear-down and rebuild. This is about a redesign. It’s about taking bite-sized pieces of your life one at a time and transforming them from annoying stumbling blocks into exciting building blocks.

Let’s just gut one room of your mind – the room you keep hiding in with all of the stuff your ego doesn’t want to let go of – all of the stuff that actually keeps you stuck in that room – the “social/cultural/emotional stuff” that you think you are supposed to be defined by – especially some “stuff” you did not even realize was holding you back. Panos and Smiles ask you to take a look at those ideals, those old stories, those behaviors that you decided, for whatever reason, were the “right” ones to embrace.

Because if all of your current choices are the right ones, why do you keep looking out of the window of that one room – whispering to yourself that you would feel so much better if you were “out there” living a different life?

The authors make an excellent argument that maybe it isn’t fear of change holding you back – maybe it’s not knowing what specifically needs to change.

Aha. Lightbulbs just flickered on. Do you begin to see?

How do you identify just the pieces of you that aren’t actually working in harmony with your life? And how do you rebuild them so that they do?

That’s what Panos and Smiles are so good at – helping you narrow down the parts of your ego that are holding you back and tweaking those parts so that they not only fit you better – but help you function as a whole human – rather than as the person who gets up everyday feeling like a stranger in your own life.

They give you 5 tips (instead of chapters) that help you whittle away, one by one, the self-made bits of clutter that get in your way and help you uncover your Basics – your starting point. And it isn’t painful or scary or horrifying.

In fact, reading this book is an energizing experience. It’s fun when you begin to see their strategy working for you. Instead of weeks in expensive therapy – you can be making positive long-term changes in less than a week. The results can make you feel far better than you imagined (because so many of us imagine the worst will happen when we attempt change, right?).

Through the questions they ask you to answer, Panos and Smiles give you complete permission to tell your big bad ego to sit in the backseat for awhile so you can be the driver and take a road trip through the countryside of your heart and mind.

But if you cannot do that – if you cannot drive forward because blaming a multitude of other
reasons for your stasis in life is just easier – dreaming the dream is easier than doing the dream –
then don’t read this book. Nope. You’re not ready for good energy and fun and turning dreams into reality.

This book is for doers. This book is for people who have had enough of catering to their self-protecting mythology. It is for people who understand that their excuses are not working for them any longer and are ready to step up to the challenge of figuring out why they keep standing on the outside of their lives looking in.

Stop putting up a million “I can’t” “I don’t know how – I don’t have money – I don’t have support
I don’t have time” excuses.

You do not know if you will have tomorrow.

So if you are not living a life that gives you a sense of self-worth – and you want to be – this book is for you. It’s now or never. (Clever title, comes in handy for book reviewers.)

And if you choose never – then you really need to recognize what you are saying to yourself.

Because choosing Never is a choice.

Frankly -with all of the help Panos and Smiles are offering – choosing NEVER seems like an enormous waste of time and energy. In this book you have two authors who want you to feel fulfilled, to feel worthwhile when you get out of bed each day and get down to the business of being CEO of your life.

They have done the work themselves. They are the results. They have helped others through the same process. And they are giving you a clearly marked path – all you have to do is follow in their footsteps, quite literally, in order to arrive at your particular destination.

It’s time to choose NOW.

Profile Image for Michele.
82 reviews3 followers
April 5, 2018
I wanted to like this book. The topic and cover was very appealing. However, I was disappointed. Some of the ideas were scattered, vague, and some real-life powerful details could have been added to move its audience.

Perhaps I'm being unfair because I've just read some powerful motivational books and maybe the comparison between the former books were so influential and impactful that this review may be the cause of my distorted view. In the end though, I was not moved and some of the advice was heard before and very common.

On the good note, I looked up videos on the authors and I do have to say they are a fine couple and charismatic. I'm more moved by their videos than their writing. :). I wish them the best.
Profile Image for Amanda.
99 reviews2 followers
April 14, 2017
This book was a short read, with only 5 main simple ideas (most of which are popular ideas in countless books of the self-help genre). I felt like the ideas presented were a bit over-hyped and underdeveloped. This book is a good light read when you are travelling or relaxing. It reads like a magazine article which can be a good or bad thing depending on if that is a style you like. I did find some entertainment in this book, so it was not a waste of time.

*Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review*
Profile Image for Colette.
573 reviews7 followers
December 31, 2016
Wonderful little snippets of empowerment. Not a life altering book but certainly a good enough book to help boost your attitude. We all need a little lift now and then and this book does just that. Keep a positive attitude and even when things are down you won't feel the need to wallow in it.
Profile Image for Brian Tucker.
61 reviews8 followers
January 9, 2017
Preston and Alexi are two great life & transformation coaches who I have learned a lot from. This book is the written version of their Bridge Method intensive online training program. Simple, practical, and a great way to start a new year.
Profile Image for Marina (marinainw0nderland).
150 reviews32 followers
July 30, 2018
This was a good listen. There was some good information and easy to follow prompts to think about the information that was presented in the book. This is a book that I would love to own a physical copy of so I am able to mark it up.
Profile Image for Duduzile.
72 reviews
September 4, 2021
The reader is prompted to answer key questions at the end of each section, I loved this because it encourages the reader to reflect and be aware of how they have been sabotaging themselves. The structure of the book was all over the place at times with a lot of repetitions.
Profile Image for Yazo GM.
79 reviews10 followers
September 12, 2018
It’s a book that need to be review and practice the exercises. I think is a good reminder that we are what we want to be. We have the power.
Profile Image for Paige.
1 review
July 14, 2020
I really enjoyed this quick read, and it has actionable things you can do to make your life better!!
36 reviews1 follower
December 28, 2023
An engaging read, with a lot of energy. A good booster to get back on track.
Profile Image for Dan.
80 reviews
February 27, 2019
Do you have the guts to find out who you really are?
Do you want to know what's in your blind spots?
The most dangerous lie is the one we tell us about ourselves.
This book is a help to see the blunt truth about ourselves and and how to do it.
I expected a higher average rating. But maybe most of us don't really want to know the truth?
1 review
January 19, 2017
Amazing!!

Loved how practical the steps are. It is very to start making changes as you are reading through the book. Total game changer!
Profile Image for Anca.
53 reviews4 followers
March 12, 2017
Fun read, but nothing revolutionary. I'd still recommend it for a nice dosage of inspiration and good vibes (especially the audio book).
12 reviews
March 7, 2017
A clearly written advice book for anyone who feels stuck in their life. I agreed with most of their advice, but not the blaming of oneself. Random things happen in life that no one can control, and nobody is at fault. Recommend to all seeking wisdom. Thank you, Goodreads, for awarding me this book in a giveaway!
Profile Image for Sara Inman.
Author 2 books9 followers
March 14, 2018
So a couple months ago while I was doing research to see if there were any books that would be anything like the one I'm writing/editing now available on a Barnes and Noble bookshelf in the Personal Growth category, I came across this book. Out of probably 25 books that I was interested in enough to leaf through, skim, and sample- this was the only one that I felt was a good match for my particular interests. Although it was nothing like my book, (and neither was anything else that I saw) I bought 2 copies. One for myself, and another one for my husband. We read the book at the same time and we both loved it! We found it helpful in guiding us to where we are now- which is us working together in his business and me working on writing my own books and now also blogging.
The introduction starts like this, "Well, well, well, look who's here. Hello, you sexy beast!" My first thought after reading that was, well obviously this book was meant for me... lol! Is it you too?
I recommend it for anyone seeking clarity on in which direction they should go with their professional life as it felt geared towards understanding certain aspects of yourself and using that information to help guide you to creating a more enjoyable life situation for yourself.
Profile Image for Ionia.
1,471 reviews74 followers
January 8, 2017
In the way of inspirational books, this one is awesome. I particularly liked that the authors used examples from periods in their own lives to show how much positive thinking can change the course of your life.

This book is like a ball of energy between two covers! The information in it is written clearly and is easy to understand and easy to implement in your own life. The steps are there for you to follow and the authors break down each one so the reader can fully understand them. I read this book in sections, practising the advice a bit at a time, and felt much more energetic and positive when I was finished.

If you are looking for a book to help change the way you think about yourself and offer you advice for success both now and in the future, this is a great choice.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Chantel DaCosta.
380 reviews21 followers
February 6, 2017
Now or Never: Your Epic Life in 5 Steps' by Alexi Panos and Preston Smiles is a sweet little self-help and awareness book that can help create that shift needed to move into reconnecting with our authentic freedom.
The five steps:
1: You always have a choice.
2: Be radically responsible
3: Act now
4: Own who you are
5: Have a blast

Simple steps now it's time to transform this information into wisdom by doing and keep doing and having fun.
750 reviews16 followers
November 26, 2016
I received a digital copy of "Now or Never" from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book is a quick read, meant to be uplifting & give you a push towards changing your mindset. The chapters are short, with take away thoughts & questions to ponder at the end of each. I expect someone who is looking for a positive push may glean something from this. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't "enlightening" nor "radically new" information.
Profile Image for Deborah Bailey.
Author 19 books345 followers
December 4, 2016
3 1/2 stars
A book for those who desire motivation to take action in their lives. It features five steps to help you to move from where you are to where you want to be. The writing is very enthusiastic and at times borders on trying too hard,. If you're looking for a self-help book that's less spiritual and more like a boot camp, then this is one to check out. If you're looking for more depth and introspection, look elsewhere. (I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)
Profile Image for Christina.
861 reviews9 followers
December 5, 2016
Short and sweet, with some fluff in between. Not particularly enlightening though.
1 review
December 19, 2016
This is suck a good book. It got me to thinking about my life and what I can do with it.
Profile Image for Martha Garcia.
42 reviews
Read
January 8, 2017
This is a book you can use over and over. Use it now points and projects at the end of each chapter are very helpful. Great read
Profile Image for Jo.
514 reviews9 followers
April 26, 2017
I would characterize this as one part cheerleading, one part new age guru, and two parts life coaching. I don't really mean that in a negative way; I'm sure the authors' seminars are very inspirational. They have solid credentials. But the five sections (You always have a choice, Be radically responsible, Act now, Own who you are, Have a blast) incorporate a lot of typical new agey buzz words, and it won't be a quick fix to overhaul your "relationships, career, and life" and "become the best version of yourself." Those are pretty lofty goals.

Now or Never is a quick, easy read, though, with lots of personal stories from both authors included to help it flow. It was also mostly error free. The bullet points at the end of each section were a nice touch. Panos was one of only 11 to be named a Noteworthy Millennial by the Huffington Post (not sure what year).
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