Live the Life You Love: In Ten Easy Step-By Step Lessons

I have "I could do anything I want" and have continually returned to it over the years, re-reading chapters and reminding myself of the insights from the book. I really like Barbara Sher's style, her understanding of real human beings that don't just blindly follow instructions in self-help books, and her ideas about what holds us back from knowing and pursuing what we love. So I thought, having gotten a little clearer on what I want, this one would help me focus on how to make it happen.It's got a lot of the same insights, and new ones, which are helpful-- the introduction is great, validating the things you already do, and the way you are naturally motivated. The problem is... she pretends that her system is fool proof. There's a heading "I can never do the exercises in these books!" and it's all about resistance, what it's about and how to overcome it. Unfortunately, her fool-proof solution to overcoming resistance involves using a "memory deck" of index cards that you are supposed to carry around with you at all times. Throughout the book, there are "memory deck alerts" telling you to add a card to the deck, commemorating some insight you supposedly just had from supposedly doing the last exercise... but if you're like me (and like Barbara Sher, as she readily admits in her writing!) you don't just do exercises in books, you wait to try things that seem like they will really fit with your natural working style. This is where she lost me. It starts off honoring the systems you've already found for yourself, your natural way of working. Then it asks you to do something totally foreign, and assumes you've done it. And keeps saying how easy and and how fool proof the system is, if you just follow these 10 "easy" steps.I want my self-help books to offer suggestions, but not to have rigid expectations for what I'm supposed to do with what I read. The idea that I am going to make a memory deck and carry it around with me- it's just not going to happen. The idea that you can follow a linear progression of 10 steps and come out the other side with a perfect plan ready to put into action is also just a little too tidy for real life, which is not a blank slate waiting for a perfect plan- there's already a lot in place that's already working. I am ok ignoring the aspects of the book that don't work for me- but the author's expectation that you have followed these instructions, alongside her supposed understanding of real human behavior and resistance, I find contradictory and off-putting.That said, if you work this way, and like following instructions, or if you are just getting started on figuring out what you want to do with your life, it's likely that this book will at least get you pointed in the right direction. Just don't expect it to be the life-changing thing it promises to be, unless you are committed to the belief that it will be-- I'm sure if you walk in with that full faith in the process and follow it, it really would be amazing.

This is the third book I've bought, authored by BARBARA SHER. It was really more for curiosity than anything else. More than twenty-five years I bought: "WISHCRAFT-HOW TO GET WHAT YOU REALLY WANT". The information in that book was really useful. But the advice in this book is a little quirky. For example Barbara tells you to call on your "allies" to help get you through a situation when you're stuck. But these "allies" aren't all real people. And instead of the old Pad And Paper way of writing down goals and making out plans, she have you using index cards. She tells you how to use and what you are to do with the index cards. She also gives good workable advice like using your local library, attend expos and conferences, go online and consulting the "Yellow Pages". This last listed assisted choice probably wouldn't work today since practically everything is online, including the "Yellow Pages". She also throws in having an "Ideal Party" and "Fantasizing" as ways to get the juices flowing also. After you've gone through all the chapters and have done all the exercises, that is when the index cards come into play and you pick a goal and go for it. Of course if you do or do little or nothing toward trying to figure out what you want or what your goal is, you will not be ready when you finish reading this book. But if you are serious, three days or not you will still pursue what you want, because you won't be happy unless you try. How do I know? I did not start my goal in three days. I am still gathering on my project. Right now I have enough to get started and that's fine too. I think Barbara ask the readers to pick a goal and start it in so little time because she don't want you sitting on your hands. She wants you to get going. I know that everyone who has read this book recently or plan to read this book know that it is close to twenty years old, however some of the information is still useful. I credit Barbara Sher for helping me to break situations down into smaller workable steps to get problems solved. I no longer wait until the last minute to do anything. I get pen and paper, sit down and figure it out. Right now I'm planning "Thanksgiving", "Christmas", and "New Years Day" and this is only "June 06, 2015". Unfortunately I couldn't give this book more than Three Stars. It' just not as good as her prior two titles.

I bought this book back in 2003, but somehow I misplaced it at the time.Then last spring I semi-retired, and found it again. I wanted to kick myself for not reading it cover-to-cover earlier.But the teacher will appear when the student is ready, and Barbara Sher waited on the shelf, patiently, for me to get my act together.I only wish it had been sooner. When I read it this time I took the time to actually do the step-by-step lessons. And not surprisingly, my life has became better, finally including time for things I love.If you're in transition - or want to be - this is a fantastic book to help you redefine your life and make it a joyful one - that you yourself design.Trust me, it's well worth it!

This book is amazing. I have studied psychology for years, and this product helps you change to become the person you want to be by using what has worked for you in the past to understand what really works to help you achieve your goals. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to improve their life easily.

Happy with this book and with the overall purchase. Wouldn't read it twice, but still an enjoyble one time thing.

Still going through this but I'm in love with her practicality and advice

good

This is a good book, but if you only wanted to purchase one book I would recommend you purchase Wishcraft (same author).

Finally an author who really gets it! Who is willing to dig deeper into the rabbit hole than most of the plastic gods out there who sell us things through charisma and not any real talent. Barbara Sher is talented at helping us find our talents. And be okay with them. And be okay with all the things that's stopping us from getting them. She doesn't slather a layer of positive thinking mush over our problems. Instead, she recognises our in-build resistance to change and works with us to get our goals and desires in spite of our problems.After years of self help programmes that left me wallowing in shame and guilt for not being this superhero version of myself (I'm pointing at you Tony Robbins, you giant hype-creator!) - finally I was able to breathe and fully relax into the wonderful-ness of who and what I really am right now. With enormous thanks to Barbara Sher. I am so happy now and forever grateful to the author for being the genius thinking, writer and talent spotter she is.Thanks also for saving me from wasted positive thinking mush. God knows how much longer I'd have wasted with that stuff if it wasn't for you.Wonderful. Just wonderful.:-)Loved every minute of this book.Reading for a second time now.

This book is very skillful at helping us to understand what we love and why. This is only the beginning. Then we are asked to work through useful exercises to help us discover the life that we love doing what we love. This is a very special and rare book among so many that promise the same or similar thing. I read the book a few years ago and did what I loved then and re-read it now to help me plot my next steps. I only didn't give it five stars (not because the book was lacking - because it isn't - I love Barbara Sher's love of life, love of people, love and respect for talent and joy) but because sometimes we really do need another human being to bounce ideas around with - like another talented coach with the author's fun approach. But I love this book - one of the best in this area. Warmly, highly recommend it!

Personally I found I can completely relate to Barbara Sher's books. She totally gives what she offers in the easiest and most enlightening way for this retired lady now having to rethink her life. It works for me

Interesting read but I didn't follow all her suggestions and gave up, it just didn't grab me.

I know this book was published years ago but it still works!I haven't even finished reading it but could not wait to give it a five star review because the chapter on how to overcome resistance alone is worth the money!! I can honestly not stress enough how useful, inspiring, practical and even funny this book is. Get it and get started on the life you've always wanted to lead.