Customer Reviews

Following Through: a Revolutionary New Model For Finishing Whatever You Start

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

If you are pretty good at following through already, then you are probably using many of the suggestions in this book without realizing it. If you have follow through problems, then this is probably a useful investment. The authors do a very good job of communicating their message clearly with many examples. I would say the book could be summarized by two messages: (1) Each of us has a conflict between our short term desires and long term goals. We would prefer to eat that donut now and yet we worry about the heart attack we might get in 20 years. (2) To resolve these conflicts and achieve our goals, we need to alter our environment (in creative ways) so our desires and goals are aligned. The first message is important because it provides a useful way to understand our failings without piling on a lot of regrets. The second message provides the tools to achieve our goals.

I like this easy self-help book. It's light and cheerful, but does have a number of tools to outwit the "PGS" -- our primitive guidance system that wants us to stop and grease whatever wheel is squeaking right this moment, rather than continue working toward our goals.

The authors come closer than usual to explaining the psychological mechanisms that actually help us keep on keeping on: instead of simply saying "Do It Now" like an older anti-procrastination book does, they point out that it makes sense to do it right now, this minute, because now is the moment we have the energy of motivation: like a check written in disappearing ink, that energy of motivation won't last and can't be recaptured later. We think we can get the feeling back, but we can't. Use it or lose it.

Another tactic is actually the issue of "Flow" -- the fact that getting into the flow of an activity is often rewarding by itself: one does for the joy of doing. The authors encourage you to let this Flow State happen in the same way an old housekeeping book I read decades ago did --- you should give yourself lots of permission to stop, leave, only do the pleasant parts, the easy parts....but pretty soon the basement is a lot cleaner or the bills are all done after all, because the activity takes on a life of its own. You start to want to keep working. Don't fight this feeling; it's a winner.

There are several other tactics to outwit the part of your mind that knows very well what to do, but not how to make it happen. I recommend this book.

One of the reviewers who wrote a blurb for this book used the phrase that I borrowed for the title of this review. It could very well be the last self-help book you'll ever need, with one essential proviso: you must USE the suggestions in the book rather than just read them!

I noticed one of the... reviewers of this book has gotten his desk cleaned off as a result of following the suggestions in the book, and declared that it would stay clear too. This impressed me when I read it because I just finished the book, thought it was wonderful and really helpful, but my desk is a mess. The difference? Obviously, I have not yet put into practice the suggestions made in this book.

I have not a shadow of a doubt that I could clear my desk and a great deal more when I do put into action some of these wonderful ideas. As a hard core procrastinator, I warn you, don't read this book unless you want to suddenly be out of excuses for changing some nasty old habits. It is a real put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is type of book, and if it doesn't challenge you, you're not paying attention.

One example right in the beginning of the book is about some well-off gentleman who had a weakness for restaurant food. He wanted to lose weight and stop eating in restaurants so he told all his friends if anyone saw him in a restaurant he would buy them a car (or some such expensive gift). Talk about putting your money where your mouth is!

The authors explain that the pablum so often found in self-help books and spouted by motivational speakers that appeals to your rational brain just doesn't work when trying to change a well ingrained bad habit. One must enlist the aid of the more primitive parts of the brain, and they show you how to do this.

It is a terrific book, I am challenged. Excuse me, I've got to clear off my desk.

This is the most practical,realistic and and fun to read self-improvement book that I've ever read. Their theory about human behavior especially related to the usual failure around good intentions makes so much sense.It explains inherent mechanisms that when we know how to use them -make following through on good intentions emrarassingly easy.

Years of reading self improvement books had stilted me to the genre. They all seemed to be based on wishful thinking and frankly I never got much results from them.

I read the book a week ago and have already seen my productivity go way up. For the first time in my life I have a clean desk and I know it is going to stay that way.

My only suggestion would be summary pages at chapter ends but I strongly encourage everybody to read this book if you want to finally make some lasting changes. Personally I think its the best thing since Covey's Seven Habits.

I'm a clinical psychologist and professional coach who specializes in helping people overcome procrastination. This is one of the first books I recommend (after titles by Burka & Yuen and a few other authors).

Levinson and Greider do a wonderful job of helping us eliminate the guilt we feel about our "lazy" habits. They explain why procrastination is a natural and understandable phenonmenon. The reframing of procrastination has been useful for many of my clients and students. Procrastinators are often overextended perfectionists who continually beat themselves up for not being more self-disciplined. This book helps them stop the negative self-downing and provides ways for them to improve their habits.

Over and over, Levinson and Greider provide accessible examples of how to make it easier to to the right thing. The answer is not willpower but brainpower.

I have to say I got excited reading the first few chapters of this book because I knew they "got it". They understood why people don't follow through.

Although I think many of the tools they use would be effective, most of them are negative. Meaning what will it cost me if I don't follow through? The problem I, and I imagine a few people, have is that I already do this and it invites anxiety.

I'm not sure I want to go through life thinking if I don't do this, I'll pay.

I'll quit smoking because I don't want to die.
I'll quit sugar because I don't want to be fat.
I'll speak my mind because I don't want to be like my friend who no one respects.
I'll brush my teeth three times a day because I don't want to lose them.
I'll keep this promise because I don't want people to think I have poor character.
I'll follow through because I don't want to be a loser.

The problem is when you turn these around they don't carry as much weight.

I'll quit smoking so I'll live longer.
I'll quit sugar because I'll look and feel better.
I'll brush my teeth three times a day because I want a nice smile.
Even "I'll follow through because I'll reach my goal" isn't as powerful as the negative "I don't want to be a loser". I guess that's why the news is mostly negative, it make more of an impact.

For example, one fellow in the book gave his secretary some ten dollar bills every week. If he didn't follow through on his cold calling, she would put ten dollars through the paper shredder. I guess that's pretty motivating for most people, but for me it just adds more negative stress.

I would guess that 90% of the examples are in this negative vein. What do you do when you already have too many negative pressures in your life that are directing you? I cannot imagine adding more negative pressures.

What would have made this book historic is if they had found a way to use positive pressure and make it as powerful as negative pressure. (We'll do more to avoid pain than gain pleasure). Unfortunately, this is the Holy Grail of self-help. This and every other book I've read falls shy of that prize.

Still, I think this is an impressive book. There are several good tools here. I wish they had found a way to focus a lot more on positive pressures though... being led by the carrot rather than motivated by the whip. If you're like me, after you use your whip long enough, its much less effective, but it still stings just as much.

A workbook would be nice.

This book goes beyond the traditional, logical approach to habit change, approaches we all know would work but somehow we're not able to follow them. Yet the authors (and I don't know them, I'm not affiliated with them in any way) explain the problem of having trouble following through very logically (from the way our brain is designed to work; the "it must be ME" self-blame; and fairy tale ending). They come up with some great tools I'm using to follow through with some success (it's not fairy tale perfect, but far better than I was doing) through situational cues, "spotlighting", willpower leveraging, and concrete, workable ideas I've not found elsewhere. (Such as perhaps the weirdest -and they are NOT all "off the wall" - of choosing to eat three doughnuts if I'm going to eat one. It makes me stop and think of the consequences in terms of nutrition and calories far more than I would having ONE doughnut here and there, and I eat far less overall having to consciously choose three.)

The ideas in this book will help make good intentions realized. They are just tools, that still need to be used, but they go far beyond the traditional willpower and discipline and "make a plan". I've read a lot of those books, and you need the basics, but this book goes beyond them to getting it done.

This book outlines in detail several of the main strategies that really work to change habit patterns. The most helpful information comes in the form of explaining why we DON'T succeed, and what we can do about it. While the actual solutions don't appear until the second half of the book, it is important to understand the reasons for our failures, so that we will understand better HOW to succeed. This book does a great job of that.

In our coaching program, DayToppers, we use many of the same techniques the book suggests. In fact, the concepts underscore how important it is for some people to change their support structures before they can see progress. We recommend this book to our clients because it helps them understand what may be getting in their way, and helps us work with them to create success strategies and action plans.

Our clients really like knowing that there ARE solutions, and that despite their best efforts sometimes it's not them, it's the system they're using, because when the true source of the problem is uncovered, it's much easier to find the solution. This book, like our program, is focused on solutions that really work....

This is an incredibly useful book for those of us who have trouble following through. It contains practical advice on how to follow through that actually works. Its not just filled with "wishful thinking" but instead gives many different strategies to use to stick to what you want to accomplish. This is without a doubt one of the most useful and interesting books I have EVER read. If you have trouble following through, buy this book and read it.

After purchasing 500 self help books and actually reading 12 of them fully. This book has shown me why I get distracted. This book rocks! It could help you become much! more effective now.