The Elevation Approach: Harness the Power of Work-Life Harmony to Unlock Your Creativity, Cultivate Joy,and Reach Your Biggest Goals

by Tina Wells, Stephanie Smith (With)

Make room for your dreams and revolutionize how you manage your time and energy using this innovative framework for finding work-life harmony from an accomplished entrepreneur and business strategist

Throughout her multifaceted career, Tina Wells has always found a way to transform her dreams into reality. She turned a business that she launched at sixteen into an award-winning marketing agency, led boardroom meetings as the youngest (and sometimes only) Black woman in the room, and pursued her childhood dream of traveling around the world.

But all that success came with burnout, and Tina had to rethink how she thought about work and life. The result of her deep thinking and some trial and error, The Elevation Approach presents Tina's four-phase plan, a flexible and foolproof technique that helps you meet your goals without sacrificing joy for productivity and progress. Rather than treating work and life as separate and necessarily opposing forces, The Elevation Approach integrates your personal and professional ambitions, values, and responsibilities at every turn:



Preparation: Ask the right questions, get curious about the possibilities, and figure out what you have, what you need, and what you can give.

Inspiration: Expand your beliefs of what's possible--create spaces for mind-wandering, relearn how to pay attention, and collect creative sparks.

Recreation: Hit reset, make room for rest and play, and when something isn't working, give yourself permission to try something new.

Transformation: Evaluate the work that you've done, decide whether to stay the course, and celebrate the changes and goals you've accomplished.

Whether you want to start a new business, find time for a new hobby, or reevaluate a relationship, The Elevation Approach can help you make impactful shifts and realize your most cherished dreams--without losing sight of what matters most to you. With exercises featuring writing prompts and worksheets, real-world insights from business leaders and creatives, and "Instant Elevation" practices that ensure your efforts align with your priorities in each phase, The Elevation Approach is a one-stop solution to work-life harmony.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Business, Mental Health, Professional Development, Audiobook, Personal Development

272 pages, Hardcover

Published March 21, 2023

About the author

Tina Wells is the author of the best-selling tween fiction series Mackenzie Blue, and its spinoff series, The Zee Files. Tina lives on the East Coast but likes to travel and share her passion to encourage and uplift young people.

Reviews

[Angie Wetzel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just not my jam. I had big expectations for work life harmony lessons, so maybe I overset. The concepts did not feel particularly unique or distinct from general boundary setting and SMART goals.

[Cara Parrish · Rating 5 out of 5]

As we are all reaching to cover from girlbossing a little too close to the sun, Tina Wells, comes in to tell our story in hers. She picks us up, dusts us off, and remind us that before we were girlbosses we were brilliant, ambitious, and fun women. Then, she gives us the step by step systemized approach to never crashing in the land of burnout again. This is so well written. It's smart. It's real. It's every CEO BFF you've ever cried after too long of a brunch with. Get this book.

[Zibby Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a powerful and innovative guide to help individuals achieve work-life harmony. The author is an accomplished entrepreneur with a successful career in children's books and product design. After experiencing burnout at a young age and navigating a high-paced career, the author recognized the need for a new approach to living a purposeful and balanced life. The program was born from her desire to transform her life and empower others to do the same. At its core, the book consists of four distinct phases. In preparation, she encourages individuals to lay the groundwork for their goals, assess their ideas, and determine their feasibility. The inspiration phase involves socializing ideas, networking, and seeking external input. Recreation involves pausing, finding moments of rest, and rejuvenating the mind and body. The author emphasizes the importance of stepping back to move forward more effectively. The final season is about taking inspired action and bringing ideas to fruition. By embracing transformation, individuals can harness their newfound energy and creativity to achieve their goals.

One standout aspect of the program is the concept of relationship management, where individuals keep a ledger to evaluate the quality of their connections and support networks. This practice encourages individuals to invest their time and energy in relationships that align with their goals and values.

The Elevation Approach is insightful and practical, offering readers the tools they need to navigate modern life's complexities successfully. The book is a guide to living a life of purpose, fulfillment, and balance, ultimately helping individuals transform their lives for the better.

To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at: https://shows.acast.com/moms-dont-hav...

[Karen Cohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a self-help, and like most self-help books, the core of the book is the author saying "This worked for me, and it can work for you too!". The core concepts are well-developed, although they aren't quite as universal as they are presented to be; the chapter on spirituality, in particular, may not appeal to everyone; the author is quite clear that she was raised in a church, with first her father and then her mother being pastors, and while she tries quite hard to be non-denominational, those of us who are not Christian may be better served by avoiding this chapter; fortunately, this volume is set up in a work-book format, and the author notes in the beginning that various pieces can be completed out of order.

If you are looking for a guide in improving your life, this is as good a place to start as any I've seen; however, not everyone is able to make the progress they desire with a self-help book, and that is true of this one as much as any. It's not really for me, but I can recognize that it is well done, and will be beneficial to many people.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Amy]

DNF: 25%

With the mention of burnout and work-life harmony in the summary, I was particularly interested in reading this book. I was hoping for unique insights and an actionable plan that I could use to get better organized and pursue my goals.

Unfortunately, this book doesn't seem to provide anything new. I didn't always relate to or understand the examples she uses to explain a concept. The exercises are a nice touch but this whole set-up is aimed at neurotypicals and doesn't seem to be adaptable to a neurodivergent brain.

Had there been a fresh take on old advice or a new way of processing things, I would've stuck with it. As it stands, I didn't want to waste my time.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Rodale Books, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book on elevating your life and your dreams without burning out. She has a 4-phase process and goes into deep detail about each one, with exercises, questions, charts, and principles, among many other tips and techniques. While the book is a lot about setting goals and has a fabulous approach to do so, it’s more than that. I enjoyed the “instant elevation” stories from other people, with her own stories and experiences throughout the book. A good book on helping you to build practices that help guide you either out of burnout, or prevent you from burning out, aligning with your goals, and living a harmonious elevated life authentic to you. Well-written, and I appreciate Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read and review.

[María José Correa Vallejo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Llevo 3 años y medio en mi camino laboral y llevo un tiempo ya sintiendo que las palabras urgente e importante se desdibujaron, que las nuevas formas de conectividad (para este caso WhatsApp) nos han llevado a que todo tenga que ser para ya y que vamos en una carrera que cada vez es más difícil de frenar.
A Tina la escuché este año en una ponencia del Foro Women Working for the World que hacemos anualmente en la organización en la que trabajo y cuando nos hablo de su libro y termino su ponencia, supe que sería un gran elemento para contrarrestar esas sensaciones y pensamientos que he venido teniendo estos últimos meses: no me equivoque.

[Emma Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first "self help" book in a while and I thoroughly enjoyed this approach! As a wannabe entrepreneur, I feel as though this problem solving tactic was an interesting way to handle the balance between your work/life harmony. I love that it is easy broken down with exercises so you can continue to use the format again and again. Really loved this read and can't wait to implement it in my daily life!

[Sam Geary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book could be useful to many people. I love her emphasis on work life HARMONY versus balance. She is such a go-getter that I almost found her unrelatable, but she seems so real and down to earth. And many women of color feel like they have to over-excel to be noticed, so that's applicable to many experiences. The excerpts and interviews from others was my favorite way to reimagine the concepts she introduces.

[Jessica Schenk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been on my TBR for a while. I finally found time to listen to the audiobook. This was a little slow to get into but ended up being a thought provoking listen. The author has a diverse background that is relevant, especially post pandemic. I love the last chapters on transformation that focus on values and joy. To me this book is what you get if you took a marie kondo approach to your life goals.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-structured book for young professionals! Her work/life harmony theme sets the tone for a structure that is easy to follow. She puts examples, testimonies, and prompts throughout to keep the book flowing. It’s a good read for all business types looking to refresh or open their lens on how they approach life. Very inspiring!

[Kristina Civille · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 4-step process presented had too many components for each. The two stars is for the introduction of work-life harmony which came at the perfect time in my life. But the model presented was not helpful to me.

[Anu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! It offers guidance on making life and career decisions in a way that really resonated with me. I valued the exercises and approach to work/life harmony a lot. I highly recommend this book!

[Kati Victa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a scroll through and find some nuggets of wisdom surrounded by a wealth of eye-rolling bragging…

[Maneesha Reddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a good self development book.
I enjoyed the elevation approach suggested in all the chapters.
Good pick for changing ur lifestyle!

[Linda Anders · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I am having a hard time articulating my expectations verses reality of it but it seemed to basic for me and too regimented.

[theWillowPhoenix · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was literally nothing I haven’t read before in any other self help book…nothing special at all.

[Ta-Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a minute to finish it. It's a bit of a slow start, but there are some really helpful tips.

[Kiahna Sabato · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think this book provided anything fresh or game-changing to someone’s life. I often felt like information became repetitive per chapter.

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

review to come

[Neha Saini · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a delightful experience and lit my mind up. As a working woman and mother of two it taught me a lot.

will recommend this.

[Kelly Pramberger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an approach I had not read about before. I liked how Wells presented her findings and I will begin to put some of that into use in my own life. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for the purpose of this review. Four stars!