Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Dan has over 35 years’ experience as a highly regarded speaker, consultant, strategic planner, and coach to entrepreneurial individuals and groups.
He is author of over 40 publications, including The Wall Street Journal Bestseller: Who Not How, The Great Crossover, The 21st Century Agent, Creative Destruction, and How The Best Get Better®. He is co-author of The Laws of Lifetime Growth and The Advisor Century.
Dan is married to Babs Smith, his partner in business and in life. They jointly own and operate The Strategic Coach Inc., with offices in Toronto, Chicago, and the U.K. New workshops are also being held in Los Angeles and Vancouver. Dan and Babs reside in Toronto.
*Pre-Reading Notes* I’m reading this book because I think the concept of VOTA is fascinating and powerful.
*Post-Reading Summary* Summed up in three sentences or less, the wisdom of this book is this: Your ability engage in VOTA-like thinking in every area of your life, at every emotional peak and valley is hugely impactful to your trajectory.
Instead of claiming that obstacles keep you from your goals, this book shows that obstacles are the material you can use to complete your goals.
I would say it this way. Creativity and ingenuity only come from limitations. The person who has only a little to work with will come up with more thoughtful solution than that person who has unlimited resources. This book is building on that idea.
Pretty great. I took a lot of notes. It was a little repetitive and perhaps overly enthusiastic but the basic ideas are so simple that they take a lot of reflection to apply, which is a sign of sophistication.
The most useful aspect for me was the framing of goals and obstacles as a mechanism for becoming unique and getting in touch with your own past and present experiences deeply. What a great perspective!
Interesting to learn the basic idea behind the Strategic Coach, and how the thinking behind it started. Additionally, the V(ision)O(bstacles)T(ransformation)A(action) is really useful to handle ideas and opportunities in life.