Dead by Tomorrow: How to Practice the Art of Today

by Andrew Monroe

Dead by Tomorrow is a mindset practice to help you grow and succeed in your life. We focus on positive practices, including health and wellness, money, work-life balance, and all the tools and tricks and tips Andrew Monroe and Daniel Winter use to better themselves every day. Learning how to practice the art of today will bring positive, incremental results that add up over time and help you be a happier and better version of yourself. If you're ready to learn with people who are on the same level as you, and not some mega-wealthy, overly advantaged influencer and superstar on how to live a life worth living, this is the book for you. We don't want you to read this book if it's not going to help you or if you're going to hate it. Remember, tomorrow isn't guaranteed.So, here are some of the driving questions we focus on in our lives and a good idea of where we're coming from. - OUR FAVORITE QUESTIONS - And why they're important. IF TODAY WAS YOUR FINAL DAY, WHAT SORT OF LEGACY HAVE YOU BUILT UP? Regret is a powerful force. Living your life in a way that you can be proud of the legacy you leave behind will help make the day to day choices clearer and more easily tackled. HAVE YOU ACTUALLY ENJOYED YOUR LIFE? It's amazing how many people don't actually enjoy the life they're living. Working towards goals they believe in can help. Also, do we need to mention regret again? WHAT IMPACT DID YOU MAKE ON THOSE WITHIN YOUR CIRCLE OF INFLUENCE? Turning your attention to those around you can help shift your perspective and help sharpen your actions towards a more positive outcome. IS THIS THE BEST VERSION OF YOU? More than anything, we want us all to get to the end of the line and be able to say we did our best and didn't hold back on doing what was right.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

166 pages, Hardcover

Published April 28, 2021

Reviews

[Sammithenerd Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer - I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

This is such a fantastic self help book told in an amusing, realistic and practical way.
We all need the reminder to say yes to awesome instead of just falling into the rut and taking the easy way.
Highly recommend and I'll be getting a copy of this book to give to my kids when they are old enough

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If today was your final day what sort of legacy would you build up?"

This a really important question which the book takes you through a journey of reflection, review and self evaluation. It covers topics such as; positive practices, health and wellbeing, money and workplace balance. It is essentially a self help that applies the practices of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), using building blocks and motivation in order for you to make a full assessment of where you are at and how to get there by making small adjustments overall learning to transformation in order to grow, succeed, become the best you can be as well as healthy, happy and successful in the present moment.

I found this book was well written in a realistic, casual, insightful, motivational, practical style with plenty of excellent references such as CS Lewis and Brené Brown. It gave helpful summaries and checklists both at the beginning and end so you could see and chart your progress. What I didn't like was it on a e-reader as I would have preferred it as a hardcopy so I could make notes on the pages and also revisit sections more easily but that is purely my personal preference.

To get the most out the book you need to be a self starter, really invested in wanting to make a change and able to self manage and organise yourself for it to be a successful. The co-authors do give excellent questions that make you think deeply and reflect about aspects of your life and then it gives you all the necessary tools for your toolbox in order to make the changes for the better. I guess it ultimately comes down to how brave you are at facing hard truths and really wanting to improve, putting in some hard work to transform how you think, in order to change parts of your life that aren't working for you anymore.

Definitely a book you will want to add to the bookshelf!

I was given this book via Voracious Readers for an honest review.

[Suzy Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey all you people out there with young adults in your life, get them this book for Christmas, birthday, or whatever! These boys offer advice based on reality, not superficial make you feel good advice. I mean advice gleaned from the life experiences they have had that challenged them to the core, but they rose like a phoenix from the ashes and lived to tell the tale. Dead by Tomorrow is gritty, practical, and encouraging. It is probably written for young adults, but I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to take a chance and step of faith in achieving new goals. After reading this, you will want to live a life where you leave a legacy, because as the book states - you could be dead by tomorrow.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s caffeine to the living, lol
At times we all need this kind of book to get us moving again. I’m sure I am not the only one who has procrastinated on things or said there’s always tomorrow. This book helps you regain your fuel to reset the things that we are all guilty of putting aside for too long. I would recommend it to anyone who needs that extra motivation and direction to get their own ducks back in a row.
Would be a great gift for any graduate or empty nester!

[Larnce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been listening to the podcast for a while now, and I just love the philosophy of these guys. Living for today is really the only way to do it in my opinion and this book captures that perfectly. If you are struggling to find meaning or happiness in your life, give this book a try. It may be just what you needed.

[Kevin Land · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has spent a lot of time being alive, and has spent a lot of time with the authors, I can guarantee this book will not only make you look at how you are living your life, but also encourage you into a more fulfilling one.

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.

GET THIS BOOK.

Seriously. This is one of those books that could possibly change your life. I'm not saying my life has been unalterably changed by it, but it gives one a new lens to view things through.

I don't quite know how one should review a self-help book. They are necessarily through the author's experiences and viewpoints, and therefore, while attempting to be helpful, will probably mean the most to the author him/herself, as it's coming from their own lives and experiences. It's up to the reader's openness and willingness to engage and act whether the advice becomes useful or not.

For the most part I find self-help books a bit of a slog to get through. Many authors have years of experience as therapists, and have written papers in various journals, but sometimes it seems that to reach the largest audience possible, they fill up those books with obtuse technical terminology, vague generalizations or, in the worst of them, needless gobbledygook, . For someone unacquainted with the "genre," it all can be a bit ... vague and confusing.

Not so with "Dead By Tomorrow" by Daniel Winter and Andrew Monroe. These are just two regular guys from Texas, old high school friends who host the podcast titled, funnily enough, "Dead By Tomorrow." Andrew is a novelist who just released his first book, "A Leaf And A Pebble," which I will be reviewing in due course. Daniel manages a marketing solutions company. They are successful, but both have their feet on the ground, which makes them relatable.

The crux of their book is spelled out in the title. We all have a limited amount of time on this Earth, so should make the most of our time here. Any one of us could be dead by tomorrow. Leave no regrets behind. The book is filled with little bits of advice - not to completely change your life, but to maximize your time. Granted, a lot of this is stuff that you can glean by sifting through the dense verbiage of other writings of its ilk, or is simply common sense. Make your choices in life clearer and easier to tackle. Work towards goals to give yourself something to look forward to, and this will help you enjoy your life. Become empathetic and nurturing - towards others as well as yourself. Live a life you can be proud of, leaving no regrets when you shuffle off your mortal coil. That kind of thing.

But it's the way that this is delivered that really makes the book for me. Because they are regular Joes (well, a regular Daniel and a regular Andrew, to be completely honest), everything is laid out in a succinct, no-nonsense way. The writing overflows with positivity (which I completely fell in love with) and is couched in many humourous anecdotes relating to their own lives, and is most definitely not filled with long-winded, stuffy stories about things they helped their patients deal with 25 years ago. It's also short, clocking in at 188 pages with no fat to be found (to be expected from a couple of fitness junkies), with such chapter titles as "Never Say No To Awesome," "Be The Freight Train," and "Four Letter Words."

I tend to use the term "your mileage may vary" a lot in my reviews. I should really retire that phrase, as it is obvious that everybody brings to the table their own experiences, and so of course different people will have different reactions to different things. Reviews should be more about "my mileage told me *this*, therefore I feel *that* about it, and if you disagree, feel free to comment below." I am actively trying to improve myself, am very open to positivity, and easily engage with humour, so I thought this book was dynamite. Not in a Wile E. Coyote meets ACME Corporation sort of way, but rather as a way to blast the walls of stagnation and complacency down, leading to new directions.

GET THIS BOOK!

Nine and a half positive podcasts out of ten.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would categorize the book Dead by Tomorrow, by co-authors Andrew Monroe and Daniel Winter, more as self-nudge than self-help. Its brevity lends itself less to functional introspection than to casual reading or skimming over at most a few hours. The tone is light, positive, and conversational, yet also earnest, softly prescriptive, and consciously inoffensive. There is no tough love here.

The chapters are divided into twelve points—each with a conclusion, summary, and suggestions for application (Building Blocks)—and an overall summary at the end, including a "Perfect Week" template. There are a good amount of quotes and references to studies to back up their points. With two authors it's not surprising the chapters contrast in terms of writing style, tone and quality, some sounding more academic, others very casual. Sometimes too casual, as the text did contain a number of proofreading issues.

Dead by Tomorrow contains the type of advice you'd expect, such as setting goals, keeping journals, being proactive, capturing lost minutes, exercise, etc. I see its distinction from similar books in its positive tone, set out in a personalized manner, as if speaking to the reader as a single individual, using a mix of second-person and anecdotes from the authors' personal life experiences.

Such an approach should appeal to younger, less life-experienced readers, or sensitive ones, especially if they share (or would like to share) the authors' temperaments and mix of interests, such as gaming or other ways to acquire "nerd street cred," as well as more active pursuits. Also readers attuned to phrasings such as "Say Yes to Awesome" and "Catch what we're laying down." For an older, crustier soul such as myself, the advice can border on patronizing, but for most it should be agreeable.

As stated above, I see Dead by Tomorrow more as a self-nudge than self-help, despite the implied urgency of its dramatic title, a reminder of things one likely already knows but has let slip. For those who are younger or lacking life experience, or those needing a way to re-orient their selves, its brevity and light tone might be more appropriate than, or even act as a primer for, more comprehensive and intensive books or even programs.

I received a review copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sheilina · Rating 5 out of 5]

*This book was provided by voracious readers in return for an honest review.

Dead by Tomorrow is a warm and insightful book. Written in a casual style, do not be deceived! The quality of questions is important to who each of us is, and aspires to be.

Many sceptics will simply say ‘there’s nothing new in this book’ and for me, that is precisely the point. It may not be new, but often, we get so busy that we forget to reflect, to appreciate and to aspire anew.

I appreciated the honesty of this book, the open acknowledgement of our individual responsibility to choose our principles wisely, and to adhere to them authentically. I valued the reflection on how much nicer it is to help others grow, and to see them reach out independently. There are some good references in here – including Brené Brown, Ken Blanchard and CS Lewis; others are more questionable eg Kanye West.

I found the section for friendships and social groups rather too gender biased with little reference to broader activities/groups/clubs – but we can each determine our own areas for enjoyment and apps such as ‘Meet Up’ support the book’s recommendation to make an effort to socialise, ideally with things you enjoy or are willing to learn.

For those of us readers not in the USA, references to 401K and other financial terms lack relevance, but don’t discard the section as there are many useful comments around money management.

If you’re new to work/life and finding what is right for you, this book will certainly help; equally if you’re somewhat longer in the tooth and think you’ve got it all sorted, think again and use this book to remind you of forgotten joys.

*note for the authors… I avoided use of the word ‘very’. 😊

[Derek Porterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tools presented in Andrew and Daniel's book are a welcomed reminder to lean into mindfulness. This is a call to appreciate and make the most of our time here and it thoughtfully tackles the methodology in a way that's approachable and applicable to anyone.

This can be used as a reference manual of sorts and picked up at any chapter, a convenience I certainly appreciated as I went back to revisit a few of the sections. By far the most valuable for me was towards the end, in which the authors provide a worksheet of sorts to encourage some difficult self examination. And I truly mean it when I say "difficult". I struggled to reconcile the answers in which I wasn't happy with my own progress or action. And that's a really good thing and a sign of a well written book.

I highly recommend this to anyone, but especially those earlier in life, perhaps just starting a career or exiting college and looking for that elusive mistress we all call "purpose". Monroe and Winter don't tell you the meaning of life, they just steer you towards discovering what that means for you, and that's invaluable and a welcomed addition to the bookshelf.

[Caz · Rating 5 out of 5]

So we've all read or most of us have or attempted to read a self help book of some kind. How many of us have actually believed what we were reading? Or actually read one till the end? Or carried out the practices we'd read about? No me neither. So with a cynical mind I set about reading this one and have to admit it's different and I actually read it till the end. I have also learned some invaluable practices which I now carry out in my everyday life.
Dead by Tomorrow is written by two guys who actually have the practical experience to back up their words and is written in laymans terms (not patronising) which is very easy to understand and believe. It encourages you to look and think about things differently. It advises you to look at your life now and then encourages you to look at ways in which it can be made better and more fulfilling with few regrets because after all, you could be Dead by Tomorrow.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like a lot of things in my life, I procrastinated reading this book. I received it via Voracious Readers Only and took my time reading it.
This book appears to be written for those just getting started on their journey of life…college/high school graduates, but it’s really for ANYONE. Anyone looking at making some changes in their life would benefit from the insight of these writers and their thought provoking ideas.
As a soon-to-be empty-nester, it’s made me analyze things.
Now, as a family, who up-stakes and moved across the country to be closer to our extended family, it has really made me think!

I am starting a new chapter in many facets of my life (new town, new job, new friends, new everything) and this book landed in my lap…Wow! It’s as if the universe and God came together to say, “You have helped many along the way. Now it’s our turn. Read this…it’ll help.”

[Kira K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thai is an interesting book with a lot of really good point such as committing to people, embracing failure, TV in moderation, and the benefits of building relationships. The anecdotes weaved throughout are great, especially with the format having them indented further across the page to make them easier to distinguish from the factual parts of the book. The presence of a conclusion, summary and quote at the end of each chapter are great for reinforcing what has been taught in it and the building blocks are a good way to help us put into practice out learning.

[Ana Dk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be an essential in EVERYONE's library. The only guarantee in life is change, and this book will walk you through it.

Whether you are starting at the beginning or having a "What do I do now?" moment, this book will carry you through it. The book answers the basic questions from, what do you want, to having the year end check in. It provides you with building blocks on how to start over, and helping you decipher what needs more attention to build those building blocks.

It is an amazing book!

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Motivational Quick Read

This was a Goodreads win and a quick read. Since it was written by a couple of self-proclaimed millennials, a lot of what was written about didn't apply to my life as a GenXer. It did have some good ideas as well as a good structure and synopsis. Recommended, particularly for recent college graduates.

[Joe Kranenburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! So much of the advice rang true and the core idea is one we should all remind ourselves of regularly. I highly recommend this book if your struggling to find motivation, or even if you think you aren't. It's an easy read and I'm sure you will reach the end of the book having gained new insights and direction. I'm off to check out the podcast!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Casual writing style, easy to read. Digestible content that makes you stop and ponder life. This book encourages you to shift your mindset, be present in today and make the most of every moment you have. We all know that tomorrow isn’t promised, so why not be great, be awesome and do all the things TODAY!

[Farren Benvenuti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book for free in exchange for a review. Overall, it was a neat little book: well written, and has key points that are important to live life with the most optimal results. A lot of it was pretty common sense, but it’s nice to have a refresher. The one thing is it read like a lecture; it felt very clinical and was a struggle to power through some of the time.

[D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really good book to change your mindset to looking at today and being aware of what is presently happening. It also brings about ways to balance looking and planning for the future and what can be done today. This is a great book to keep handy. I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only and I am leaving my honest opinion.

[Ghostly Writer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Voracious Readers Only. I have been really looking forward to reading this book, but it unfortunately just wasn’t my cup of tea. I found it to be quite repetitive in parts and flicked through these sections. But thank you for the copy and letting me read something different.

[Jody Chalker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great book for someone who is just graduating high school or college. Overall it had some great life point that everyone should consider and also had some great starting out on your career considerations.

[Jaclyn Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead by Tomorrow = Instant Motivation!
This book felt like a pep talk from your smartest, funniest friend. It’s all about ditching “someday” and living with purpose today. Quick read, big impact. Highly recommend!

#DeadByTomorrow #LiveIntentionally #BookRec #MindsetShift

[Andrew Monroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can't give your own book five stars, why are you writing in the first place?

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Held my interest throughout

[Naomi cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

So full of ideas on how to live a fuller live if you did die tomorrow and what impact you have made on your life and how to make it better.

[Christina Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, easy to read and very helpful.

[Cathy Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book through one of the authors, Andrew Monroe for a review. This is a book that a 20 / 30 something would find useful or a recent college graduate.

[Britt Galbraith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book is like talking to a friend who is wise, funny, and compassionate. It is actually fun to read. The advice is solid and the real life examples are helpful.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.

[Caris Riemer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great book full of useful information! I liked that it wasn’t dry. Recommended!

P.S: I got a free ebook copy on exchange for an honest review. Thanks, VRO!

[Angee Owens]

Very informative and a very enjoyable book. Very good and helpful ideas and shares a great perspective on life. Living for today! It’s a great concept that more people should embrace.