Success Is a Choice: Make the Choices that Make You Successful

by John C. Maxwell

Are you tired of not reaching your full potential? Do you feel you have the talent to succeed but are unappreciated and trapped?

Based on his New York Time bestselling book, Beyond Talent, John Maxwell asks if you are tired of not reaching your full potential and feel you have the talent to succeed but are unappreciated and trapped. If this describes you, in Success Is a Choice, you can learn the right choices that lead to success from John Maxwell, the go-to-guru for business professionals across the globe. Take the next steps that successful people chose,


Believing in themselves
Firing up their passion
Initiating action
Focusing their energy
Cultivating good relationships
Embracing Practice
The choices you make in addition to your talent make the greatest difference. With authentic examples and time-tested wisdom, Maxwell shares fourteen choices you need to make to live the life of your dreams. It's time to go beyond talent by making right choices that will help you really stand out.

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

197 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2020

About the author

John Calvin Maxwell is an American author, speaker, and pastor who has written many books, primarily focusing on leadership. Titles include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. Some of his books have been on the New York Times Best Seller List.

Reviews

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

John C. Maxwell’s “Success Is a Choice: Make the Choices that Make You Successful” is a compact but potent manifesto on the quiet power of daily decisions. It refuses to romanticize success as luck or genius and instead insists that the real differentiator is the series of intentional choices we make long after the novelty of our talent wears off. Drawing from decades of leadership experience, Maxwell lays out fourteen key choices—believing in yourself, firing up your passion, focusing your energy, embracing practice, persevering, building character, nurturing relationships, and leaning into teamwork, among others. Each is presented not as abstract theory but as a lever you can pull today, regardless of your background or current circumstances. The message is disarmingly simple: talent is your starting point, not your destiny. What makes this book genuinely inspirational is its tone: calm, direct, and deeply encouraging. Maxwell doesn’t shout at you with hype; he walks beside you like a seasoned mentor, quietly dismantling excuses and inviting you to see your life as a series of winnable choices. His emphasis on focusing on strengths rather than obsessing over weaknesses is particularly liberating, especially for readers who feel stuck trying to “fix” themselves instead of multiplying what they already do well. The framework shines in its practicality. You are pushed to act—to initiate instead of wait, to prepare instead of hope, to practice instead of coast, to persevere instead of retreat. Maxwell’s recurring reminder that success is a process, not an event, keeps the book grounded in reality and makes long-term growth feel attainable rather than intimidating. In a noisy world of quick fixes, “Success Is a Choice” stands out as a clear, steady voice reminding you that your future is not something that happens to you—it is something you participate in, choice by choice. If you are willing to own your decisions and do the quiet, consistent work, this book will not just inspire you; it will reframe how you think about what is possible in your life.

[Ryan Rench · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it! Every Maxwell book has both nuggets and mindsets. The more I read of him, the more I am picking up on his mindsets, but also, the more nuggets, one-liners, quotes, and teaching ideas I glean. Love him or hate him, Maxwell is never going to be a Cal Newport or Theodore Dalrymple, but he never claims to be in that world. He sticks to his lane and provides something simple yet fresh each time. Fresh, as in, each book of his has its own twist that legitimately includes enough unique nuggets to be its own book. They all feel the same to me, but that doesn't bother me as long as each one helps me in at least a couple unique ways.
This one was worth reviewing. That's a good book in my world.

[Peter Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book full of very helpful insights to make your life a success

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book! Well done and well said. A lot of insightful stories and helpful information.

[Ashley Kay · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you like quotes about success, this is the book for you. In about 180 pages, there are over 300 total quotes. While I love John Maxwell, this is the first book I've disliked. I would not recommend this read.

[Justyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

another masterpiece by one of my all time favorite authors. if I am ever feeling kinda down, or if I am not feeling 100% mentally... I often will listen to an audiobook by John Maxwell and it is a great distraction from any negativity of dis empowering thinking I may be experiencing. Ever since the first book by this author that I ever read, John Maxwell always hits the ball way out of the park with every work he has ever printed. So much wisdom from every direction. Every book is filled with tons of amazing quotes and poetry and excerpts from other books. I fully recommend all printed works by John Maxwell. His writing is nourishing bread for the head (food for thought). I am so grateful that John Maxwell books have found me and I am grateful to have multiple books by him in my library. 2 thumbs up! I will most def be re-reading this masterpiece again the future. Check it out and you can thank me later. :)

[Roy Peek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completed my first book of 2026, technically started it in 2025, but it still counts as a win to kick off the new year. Success Is a Choice: Make the Choices That Make You Successful by John Maxwell delivers a clear, powerful premise: success isn’t accidental—it’s intentional, it’s your choice.

Maxwell lays out a practical framework of choices that shape meaningful achievement, including:
• Believing in yourself
• Igniting your passion
• Taking initiative
• Focusing your energy
• Valuing preparation
• Practicing consistently and persevering
• Demonstrating courage
• Staying teachable
• Building strong character
• Cultivating meaningful relationships
• Owning responsibility
• Embracing teamwork—because great success is rarely a solo act

A worthwhile read and a solid way to start 2026. Maxwell reinforces a simple truth: you can’t control everything, but you can control the choices that move you toward success.

[L Power · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rich in leadership lessons

The book is rich in leadership lessons and it keeps bringing it on 🔥the lessons are very practical and inspiring at the same time.

The book helped me at the moment when I really needed to step up on one key moment of self leadership and I am grateful I was reading it at the right time.

The only thing that I didn't like about the book is that it felt like there was a combination of ghost writing and filling up of gaps with too many Quotes.

This came through the book strongly. It was just annoying as it interrupted the flow of thought in a passage.

[Helfren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a bit long in length but theres some keypoints that interest me here.

Character is the most important thing in protecting yourself. Your look is innate but your character could help you in all areas of life that can help us when we need it or can destroy us if we had the wrong character.

The relationship with a person and communication left frustrated with high maintenance relationship and if theres return from keeping it. When relationship saps energy, it will influence you negatively.

In conclusion, a good book. 4 stars review.

[Nghia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all the story that Maxwell included to illustrate a point. I never realized that "Alice in Wonderland" has good lesson that we could learn from. She asked for direction from the Cheshire cat, "Could you give me direction?"
Where do you want to go?" the cat asked.
"I don't care, anywhere," The cat said, "Then it doesn't matter which direction you go".

[Hez Flourish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will power is path each one of us get to choose and walk in. "Success is a choice yet in that choice comes elements in sustaining it. Believe, responsible, talent, preparation, teachability, practice, teamwork, courage to name a few can help keep going because success is never a destination but more a journey.

[Nderitu Pius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here are some of the notes I have gleaned from this fascinating book... Grab em and read more inside for yourself.

- Everyone can do one thing much better than the next person.
- Everyone has a talent.
- Develop the talent you have, not the talent you want.

[Mike Needham · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horribly dry with thousands of quotes from all eras of times. Didn’t get much out of this read and it was used as a team building activity for work. Certainly would not recommend unless you were looking for something to bore you to sleep.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packed with golden gems

Good read, packed with golden nuggets of wisdom and practile tips to be a better, more effective and efficient leader.

[Bobbie Monroe Boyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, solid advice, but so much information it is overwhelming to take in.

[Lynne McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required Reading

Anyone who wants to be successful in business, or life in general, needs to read this book. There are many valuable lessons to be learned!

[Randy Tramp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great life advice

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informational book on how to be and achieve success. Love the knowledge gained from the book.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several good nuggets!

[Lucia Musau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with lots of insights!

[Mariya · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s an engaging read

[Liz Schmidt]

Shorter than some of his others, which makes it a quicker read. I love his leadership advice in this one made it accessible and quick for anyone.