BECOMING THE WARRIOR

U.S. Navy captain-turned-engineer and entrepreneur applies military tactics to combat negative self-talk in this self-help book.

The book opens with an anecdote about Donahue getting dumped as a teen, which prompted her thoughts to spin a “cocoon of misery.” She soon realized, however, that she didn’t have to identify with the voices in her head. While some voices were helpful, like instincts and intuition, others were detrimental. Donahue dubbed hers the “Mean Little Voice” (the inner critic) and the “Sneaky Little Bastard” (a combination of procrastination and perfectionism). To help others counteract their own negative voices, Donahue introduces “The Warrior Framework,” which comprises four steps: Perceive, Assess, Ready, and Act. The first step, Perception, involves identifying the “what-ifs” of the inner monologue and recognizing how they show up as imposter syndrome, fear of success, and fear of failure. The second step, Assessment, involves learning to distinguish between rational and harmful internal dialogues. The third step, Readiness, requires readers to develop a warrior mindset, an active approach marked by discipline, resilience, training, and preparedness. The fourth and final step is Act—despite fear, busyness, and uncertainty. She provides readers with seven essential elements of action, such as writing down their goals and recruiting an accountability partner to stay motivated. The book concludes with a rallying cry for readers to “go do great things.” In this pragmatic self-help book, Donahue excels at translating military experience to actionable advice. Concepts like a “Battle Buddy,” who supports you in your journey, or “Semper Gumby,” military shorthand for remaining flexible, are unique and memorable. The guide uses helpful, memorable figurative language (“My thoughts flew as fast as leaves in a tornado, and I couldn’t grab any of them”) and provides journal prompts and exercise templates. But many of the exercises feel like recycled self-help advice; e.g., “What is your why?” and the extensive memoir sections of the author’s military career and anecdotes from coaching clients also slow the pacing.

A practical, well-considered approach to self-improvement that sometimes dawdles.