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Keep Chopping Wood: an ordinary approach to achieving extraordinary success
We live in a drive thru culture. From the comfort of the driver’s seat in your car you can get dinner, money, dry cleaning, a car wash, medicine and more. When it comes to success, we have the same expectation of convenience. We want better results and we want them now. While everyone is looking for a shortcut or a lifehack to success, the best know that the work is the shortcut. The future you want to create is about the small, simple actions you take today. It requires belief in the vision, commitment to the process and the discipline to do the work. We all have talent, but do you have the discipline to become great? Keep Chopping Wood is a short story and field guide about what it takes for ordinary people to live extraordinary lives.
- GenresSelf Help
60 pages, Paperback
Published May 17, 2020
125 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 26, 2022
It was definitely worth the read for athletes and former athletes for the fact that we need our vision in simple phrases that are easy to remember. That said, this really hit home for myself. Especially as a struggling former student athlete in college and now has had conflicts with fitting into a corporate culture following my football career. This really has given me advice that spoke my language. It is difficult to no longer have a coach to provide me with our new team motto each year that becomes my vision and a consistent message from that coach of our goal. This book has given me some great clarity and a reality check as well. For those like me I have never been a person to be able to sit and read an entire book, which I am proud to say that I changed that today. I was able to read the book in a little over an hour. Happy reading!
February 19, 2023
Simple, to the point. Nice quick read. Keep chopping wood today so you have fuel for the fire later on. Do the little things today and reap the rewards later on.
One quote I quite enjoyed was “Success looks different at different times. Sometimes it looks like growth, sometimes it looks like not going backwards.”
One quote I quite enjoyed was “Success looks different at different times. Sometimes it looks like growth, sometimes it looks like not going backwards.”
September 12, 2023
This was a very easy read that was straight to the point. This book was very repetitive to teach the lesson of continuing to do the basics to the best of your ability everyday because eventually you will be tested and will reap the rewards when that time comes.
Keep chopping wood today so you have fuel for the fire later on.
My favourite quote from this book was "Success looks different at different times. Sometimes it looks like growth, sometimes it looks like not going backwards.”.
Keep chopping wood today so you have fuel for the fire later on.
My favourite quote from this book was "Success looks different at different times. Sometimes it looks like growth, sometimes it looks like not going backwards.”.
July 16, 2021
Plenty of Life Lessons
Just finished Kevin DeShazo's inspirational mini-book "Keep Chopping Wood"
A terrific quick read about the importance of dedication, patience, belief and trust in pursuing one's life journey. The author uses a story format tracing the main character through his high school football experiences to college to career to family/relationships. Keep Chopping Wood is about having a vision for who and where you want to be, a game plan to get there, and the discipline to do the work each day necessary to achieve success.
Plenty of life lessons and inspiration in only 58 pages in length. Check it out.
Just finished Kevin DeShazo's inspirational mini-book "Keep Chopping Wood"
A terrific quick read about the importance of dedication, patience, belief and trust in pursuing one's life journey. The author uses a story format tracing the main character through his high school football experiences to college to career to family/relationships. Keep Chopping Wood is about having a vision for who and where you want to be, a game plan to get there, and the discipline to do the work each day necessary to achieve success.
Plenty of life lessons and inspiration in only 58 pages in length. Check it out.
February 14, 2022
Very quick read. Only a couple hours. Great principles - sports stuff went over my head though. I enjoyed it more when it translated to business. Overall message was good and very applicable.
Cliff notes:
Be faithful today in the little things to help prepare for big things down the road you don’t necessarily anticipate.
Took away a star because it was obviously self-published (inappropriate headers (on pages they weren’t needed, title on every page, etc.), a sentence cut off half way through by it becoming a new paragraph, and 2 sentences were divided by a comma but the second sentence’s first word was still capitalized, etc.) Interesting writing style overall though.
Cliff notes:
Be faithful today in the little things to help prepare for big things down the road you don’t necessarily anticipate.
Took away a star because it was obviously self-published (inappropriate headers (on pages they weren’t needed, title on every page, etc.), a sentence cut off half way through by it becoming a new paragraph, and 2 sentences were divided by a comma but the second sentence’s first word was still capitalized, etc.) Interesting writing style overall though.
July 5, 2022
Quick Quality Read
This bite sized leadership book hits the nail on the head with impactful insights on a lifestyle approach that encourages sowing seeds of discipline today to reap the rewards of it tomorrow. It neither overcomplicates nor overexplains a straightforward concept that when applied, can have massive effects on the outcome of your work, family, and life. 5 stars for this nugget of wisdom.
This bite sized leadership book hits the nail on the head with impactful insights on a lifestyle approach that encourages sowing seeds of discipline today to reap the rewards of it tomorrow. It neither overcomplicates nor overexplains a straightforward concept that when applied, can have massive effects on the outcome of your work, family, and life. 5 stars for this nugget of wisdom.
September 7, 2020
The principle in this book—that you must "chop wood" today so you can fuel the fire for tomorrow—is five stars and applies to almost every area of life. The writing quality is three stars. So I've split the difference and given it four stars. Will be having Grady read it, as well, along with the rest of my kids when they are a little older.
May 21, 2021
The main point is simple, Keep Chopping Wood. Even when you don't want to, even when you think your stocked for the winter, even when its summer. Because one day, you'll be glad you did. One winter will last 3× a normal one, and you'll be glad you did.
Keep chopping wood. Build a boat. Main point, if you're not in the storm, you better be preparing for it-cause it's coming.
Keep chopping wood. Build a boat. Main point, if you're not in the storm, you better be preparing for it-cause it's coming.
February 27, 2025
Sound Wisdom and Knowledge
Simplistic as it may seem, this books core message hits home, we decide on our efforts for good or bad and each has a different outcome. KEEP CHOPPING WOOD has become ethos... master the fundamentals, Excell at the basics. Positive mindset. Effort, Character can lead to amazing triumphs in every day life....
Going out to Buy My Ax Now!
Simplistic as it may seem, this books core message hits home, we decide on our efforts for good or bad and each has a different outcome. KEEP CHOPPING WOOD has become ethos... master the fundamentals, Excell at the basics. Positive mindset. Effort, Character can lead to amazing triumphs in every day life....
Going out to Buy My Ax Now!
June 10, 2020
What a great read with my morning coffee! Shared with my daughter- a D1 scholar-athlete, my son- a recent college grad and blossoming young professional, and my husband, a visionary team leader in his workplace. I know they’ll each find the book as motivating as did I. Ready to chop wood!
November 1, 2021
Great Life Book
Recommend this book for your kids or team…it’s a sports theme, so appealing to young athletes. The principals are simple, basic, sound, practical and POWERFUL!!
Live them…..and reach your full potential!
Recommend this book for your kids or team…it’s a sports theme, so appealing to young athletes. The principals are simple, basic, sound, practical and POWERFUL!!
Live them…..and reach your full potential!
September 9, 2024
Excellent book and message
I loved the message of this book. This is great from adults leading a team to teenagers playing on a team. We can all use the motivation to push through the hard so that we can be who we are meant to.
I loved the message of this book. This is great from adults leading a team to teenagers playing on a team. We can all use the motivation to push through the hard so that we can be who we are meant to.
June 4, 2020
Keep chopping wood
Loved the practicality of the book. Short and sweet. Thank you Kevin for making this concept very attractive. Keep chopping wood.
Loved the practicality of the book. Short and sweet. Thank you Kevin for making this concept very attractive. Keep chopping wood.
June 13, 2020
Loved the message and a solid principle. Could have been a blog post.
March 24, 2021
Good short read
Short read
Drives home basically fundamentals
Great refresher on hard work paying off
"KEEP CHOPPING WOOD " Easy 2 preach
Short read
Drives home basically fundamentals
Great refresher on hard work paying off
"KEEP CHOPPING WOOD " Easy 2 preach
June 6, 2021
Great reminder to put in the work
This book is a call to action and a great reminder that to reach our goals we can’t take shortcuts. We must put in the work chopping that wood.
This book is a call to action and a great reminder that to reach our goals we can’t take shortcuts. We must put in the work chopping that wood.
January 5, 2022
Solid story. Good as an introduction to this type of thinking or to give to a teenager.
Read
July 29, 2022The message is good, but it is very cliché.
January 6, 2023
Well put together
This book was what I needed. Great reminders of things I know, but together in a well designed story. Read this book!
This book was what I needed. Great reminders of things I know, but together in a well designed story. Read this book!
September 8, 2023
THIS IS AN AMAZING BOOK!
I can’t say enough of how wonderful this book is. Whether you are going through great or not-so-great times, this book is for YOU!
I can’t say enough of how wonderful this book is. Whether you are going through great or not-so-great times, this book is for YOU!
March 4, 2024
Short & Sweet (60 pages). A great message about long-term thinking and building a community. Would suggest for team building!
January 1, 2025
a very quick read and a good message!
January 13, 2025
Interesting Story with a great lesson
This book reinforces our need to look forward and see the big picture. It is not always about us and the current moment.
This book reinforces our need to look forward and see the big picture. It is not always about us and the current moment.
January 19, 2025
Very good, and very short. There were a few awesome quotes. Highly recommend for anyone who needs some motivation to keep working to achieve their goals.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews