THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS

A debut book offers a step-by-step guide to achieving a wide variety of objectives.

In this work, Jones delivers a short, simple breakdown of seven key steps to attaining success.  These range from finding a “goal partner” to help sort out the choice of paths (“Life is just easier when you have someone who genuinely loves and supports you,” she points out) to utilizing an array of methods, from yoga to prayer to meditation, to connect with a personal higher power “so that you are clear on your life’s purpose and the goals you should strive for while you are here on earth.” Every step is described in quick detail and followed up with clarifying review questions and a list of “assignments” designed to help readers feel directly involved in focusing on what they really want and how they wish to achieve it (“The assignment for step three is to visualize yourself achieving your goals. If you are very familiar with visualization, please tackle this exercise with a fresh new outlook”). Jones keeps her advice as broad-based as possible, stressing the basics of passion over the specifics of any particular aspiration (“It can be anything you desire,” she writes, “but it has to be something”). The counsel in these pages remains unfailingly upbeat and encouraging; Jones addresses the conflicts and worries of her readers directly, including dealing with those who are unsure they have the time or ability to remap their lives according to the kinds of steps outlined here. “You have time for things you choose to have time for,” she insists. “You are in charge of your destiny.” This element of empowerment, for instance, underscores one of the work’s most substantial segments, on managing money and debt. But the idea runs throughout the accessible book, from deciding on a life trajectory to finding the right people and inspirations to execute it. Everything Jones advises is grounded in simple common sense, but that trait is helpfully and enthusiastically presented, with all the usual self-help flab cut out.

A modular and uplifting plan for making and reaching goals.