Join Amazon Prime and ship Two-Day for free and Overnight for $3.99. Already a member? Sign in.

Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW! and over 300,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle � Amazon�s new wireless reading device. Learn more

Quantity:

More Buying Choices

70 used & new from $4.42

Have one to sell? Sell yours here

Share with Friends

Share your own customer images

Search inside this book

Start reading Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW! on your Kindle in under a minute. Don�t have a Kindle? Get yours here.

Goal-Free Living: How to Have the Life You Want NOW! (Hardcover)

by Stephen M. Shapiro (Author) "Through your experiences, your skills, and your values, find your passions..." (more)
Key Phrases: eight secrets, own yardstick, Goal-Free Living, South Africa, Outward Bound (more...)

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

List Price:	$24.95
Price:	$18.96 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save:	$5.99 (24%)

Upgrade this book for $2.49 more, and you can read, search, and annotate every page online. See details

In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 5 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Monday, July 13? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

38 new from $10.11 32 used from $4.42

Also Available in:	List Price:	Our Price:	Other Offers:
Kindle Edition (Kindle Book)		$9.99

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Explore more great deals on 1000's of titles in our Bargain Book store.

Frequently Bought Together

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

24/7 Innovation: A Blueprint for Surviving and Thriving in an Age of Change

by Stephen M. Shapiro

4.5 out of 5 stars (11)

Life's Missing Instruction Manual : The Guidebook You Should Have Been Given at Birth

by Joe Vitale

4.2 out of 5 stars (51) $16.47

The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play

by Neil Fiore

4.5 out of 5 stars (113) $9.72

Listening For Success--How to Master the Most Important Skill of Network Marketing

by Steve Shapiro

4.1 out of 5 stars (7)

Don't Let Others Rent Space in Your Head: Your Guide to Living Well, Overcoming Obstacles, and Winning at Everything in Life

by Gary Coxe

3.7 out of 5 stars (14) $16.47

› Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Praise for Goal Free Living

Setting goals may be fine. But letting your goals take control of your life can be devastating. Goal-Free Living shows you how to explore paths in your life you never knew existed and discover a more exciting, successful, and rewarding life--today!

"If you have only one goal this year, let it be this: Read Goal-Free Living!"
--Daniel H. Pink author, A Whole New Mind and Free Agent Nation

"Stephen Shapiro's approach will help readers achieve the best kind of happenstance: taking a stance to make things happen."
--Heath Row Contributing Editor and Community Director, Fast Company magazine

"I have a sense that reading this book may turn out to be one of the most important things I've done in a long time."
--Doug Busch Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Digital Health Group, Intel Corporation

"This is an engaging, creative approach to discovering inner wisdom and personal fulfillment."
--Michael J. Gelb author, How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci and Discover Your Genius

"Reading Goal-Free Living is like jettisoning a hundred-pound pack. Suddenly, you're racing much faster and enjoying the breeze."
--Alan Weiss, PhD author, Million Dollar Consulting

From the Inside Flap
We are taught from a young age that in order to achieve great success we must set and achieve our goals. However, in doing so, we become focused on where we are going rather than enjoying where we are right now. We sacrifice today in the hope that a better future will emerge, only to discover that achievement rarely leads to true joy. Goal-Free Living presents an alternative philosophy—that we can have an extraordinary life now, all without goals and detailed plans. By living for each moment, it's possible to have a successful life and follow your passions at the same time.

This amazing book shares the personal discovery of consultant Stephen Shapiro, who achieved professional success only to find that personal satisfaction remained elusive. He wanted to escape the treadmill of goal-chasing and find a way to make his life truly rewarding. So over 90 days, he drove 12,000 miles and interviewed 150 extraordinary people from all walks of life to learn how they lived fulfilling, happy lives. Along the way, he discovered the eight secrets to living life free from the constant pressure of goals:

Use a compass, not a map—have a sense of direction, and then let yourself wander and try new things on the way to fulfilling your aspirations
Trust that you are never lost—every seemingly wrong turn is an opportunity to learn and experience new things
Remember that opportunity knocks often, but sometimes softly—while blindly pursuing our goals, we often miss unexpected and wonderful possibilities
Want what you have—measure your life by your own yardstick and appreciate who you are, what you do, and what you have . . . now
Seek out adventure—treat your life like the one-time-only journey it is and revel in new and different experiences
Become a people magnet—constantly seek, build, and nurture relationships with new people so that you always have the support and camaraderie of others
Embrace your limits—transform your inadequacies and boundaries into unique qualities you can use to your advantage
Remain detached—focus on the present, act with a commitment to the future, and avoid worrying about how things will turn out

Goal-Free Living offers practical guidance on putting these valuable lessons to work in your own life every day. Take them to heart and you'll be free of the tyranny of goals—and experience a life truly worth living.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Wiley (January 3, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0471772801
ISBN-13: 978-0471772804
Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #543,486 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Through your experiences, your skills, and your values, find your passions. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
eight secrets, own yardstick

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Goal-Free Living, South Africa, Outward Bound, Doug Busch, Mark Grossman, United States, Fast Company, New York City, Wall Street Journal

New!
Concordance | Text Stats

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 8 books:

Eleven Minutes: A Novel (P.S.) by Paulo Coelho on page 77
Animal Farm (Signet Classics) by George Orwell on page 52
Making Your Dreams Come True by Marcia Wieder in Front Matter
Second Wind by Neil B. Shulman on page 84
The Importance of Being Lazy: In Praise of Play, Leisure, and Vacation by Al Gini in Front Matter

See all 8 books this book cites

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

goals(4)

focus(2)

intuition(2)

health(1)

success(1)

Help others find this product — tag it for Amazon search

No one has tagged this product for Amazon search yet. Why not be the first to suggest a search for which it should appear?

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Reviews

19 Reviews

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (19 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book with real advice on living a great life, January 6, 2006

By	M. McDonald (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

There are tons of self help books that basically tell you to follow my plan and you will achieve your dreams. This is not one of them-- which is a very good thing. I am not a fan of self help books and this is not one of them.

Shapiro has taken a different look at the issue of you and your success and turned it on its head. The idea is simple, while we may keep score based on our goals, our quality of life is not based on the score but rather how we play the game.

If you think about it, that is important and something that is easy to lose sight of. Goal Free living helps you get that back into your sights and better your life.

The book does provide eight tools for you really apply to your daily life. A plan is for a person, tools are things that everyone can use. Those tools include:

> Use a compass, not a map
> Trust that you are never lost
> Remember that opportunity knocks often, but sometimes softly
> Want what you have
> Seek out adventure
> Become a people magnet
> Embrace your limits
> Remain detached

These eight secrets are presented in an actionable format and illustrated with stories about real and remarkable people. People that you can relate to, not a one in a million superstar who you can admire but not emulate. Those stories and Shapiro's unique conversational style make them accessible.

I highly recommend this book as it will cause you to pause, evaluate what you are doing, and adopt the tools that can improve your life.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, fresh, and practical, January 28, 2006

By	O. Brown "Ms. O. Khannah-Brown" (Twopeas, WA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

*****
This book, Goal-Free Living by Stephen Shapiro, offers just what it promises---practical ways to have the life you want WITHOUT setting goals. The material is fresh and very useful. Each concept has many concrete applications so that you can easily see how you personally can live your life and accomplish things without formal goals.

As a high achiever with a Type-A personality, having strived for excellence my whole life, I now find myself middle-aged and very, very tired. I find the author's apporach VERY stress-relieving. I paradoxically find that I get more done, and the "right" things done as well, when I follow the concepts in the book.

I am a big fan of Stephen Shapiro's blog at http://www.goalfree.com/blog/ and read it daily. It's full of useful articles. Browse it to "get a taste" of the book and to see what you think. The author also offers a free discussion guide there.

As others have mentioned, it is full of information, but a fast and easy read (maybe 3-5 hours depending upon how quickly you read). Highly recommended!
*****

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing viewpoint, February 14, 2006

By	P. Lozar "plozar" (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

I first heard about this book from an interview with the author on Tom Peters' web site. Shapiro's viewpoint was intriguing, but I wondered whether, as with many other business books, this would turn out to be the informational equivalent of a 10-page article, puffed up with enough hot air to make it book-length.

Fortunately, it's not like that. While the "Secrets of Goal-Free Living" can be listed in half a page of text, the chapter on each "secret" includes ample illustrations of how it works: anecdotes from Shapiro's personal experience, research findings, statistical data, interviews, etc.; so what sounds like a simplistic platitude in the chapter heading often turns out to be a profound statement about life. And his questions for the reader to ponder are stimulating. I was especially intrigued by his story of how he came to write this book (which was NOT the book he originally set out to write); it's a classic instance of what goal-free living is all about.

I've seen far too many examples of goals gone wrong: disastrous marriages because someone was determined to start their family by age 25, missed oportunities ("If you join the Peace Corps, you'll be 2 years late in starting medical school"), bad career decisions (including my first) because someone was pressured to choose a specific goal before they knew what they really wanted to do with their life, and profound disappointment when someone achieved a long-pursued goal, only to be confronted with "What's next?" (And, from many years of dieting, I can vouch that goal-setting is NOT a magical formula for success!) I heartily endorse Shapiro's advice to set your "compass" in a general direction, but to live in the present and remain open to the opportunities it offers; if you're constantly living for the future, you'll miss all the joy in the present moment.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 19 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Needed Advice
I found this book on goal-free living to be very helpful and refreshing with all the great advice and perspective it had to offer. Read more

Published on December 3, 2006 by Travis Craig Hellstrom

5.0 out of 5 stars Discover Who You Are and Be True to Yourself!
Many people live their lives to please others -- their parents, their spouses, their employers or their friends. Read more

Published on October 12, 2006 by Professor Donald Mitchell

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, practical alternative to highly goal-focused approach to life
Stephen Shapiro's books doesn't really recommend being "goal free" -- it recommends being clear about what's really important and focusing on getting the most out of the present... Read more

Published on September 6, 2006 by Ace

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fun & Effectiveness of Living in the Moment
As an experienced voice instructor, I see students all the time who work really hard at their goal of "trying to sing". Read more

Published on August 4, 2006 by Karen Lyu

3.0 out of 5 stars Need a confusion-free sequel
From a marketing perspective, the title works. As a career consultant, I meet many people who are terrified of goals and, at the same time, desire a new life that can be delivered... Read more

Published on July 1, 2006 by Dr Cathy Goodwin

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting concept
This does seem to be an interesting concept - that setting clear, detailed goals can actually be counterproductive. Read more

Published on June 29, 2006 by Mrs. Sally Larkham

1.0 out of 5 stars I believe this book's advice is downright dangerous.
As someone who was named "The Bay Area's Best Career Coach" by the San Francisco Bay Guardian, I am in a position to assess the wisdom of the advice recommended in this book. Read more

Published on June 2, 2006 by Martin Nemko

5.0 out of 5 stars Different knowledge not just more knowledge..
Goal free living has many interesting concepts and ideas that will change the way you think. One of the many key concepts that I liked is not always looking for one particular... Read more

Published on April 13, 2006 by Will Rodriguez

4.0 out of 5 stars Unhook Yourself from the Future
I always thought that having goals was overrated. Things change in our lives all the time. What I desired in my twenties are not the same things I aspired to in my 30's, 40's, and... Read more

Published on March 20, 2006 by John M. Clarke

5.0 out of 5 stars a simple way to go your way with optimal profit
With a lot of pleasure and recognition I red this book. In my work I see many people that have rough times because they demand to much from the world around or from themselves... Read more

Published on March 19, 2006 by E. L. Monsma

› See all 19 customer reviews...

.jsOffDisplayBlock { display: block; } .jsOffDisplayInline { display: inline; } .jsOffVisibility { visibility: visible; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayNoneBlock { display: block; } .jsOnDisplayNoneInline { display: inline; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; } .jsOnDisplayBlock { display: none; } .jsOnDisplayInline { display: none; } .jsOnVisibility { visibility: hidden; }

Customer Discussions

Beta (What's this?)

New! See all customer communities, and bookmark your communities to keep track of them.

This product's forum (0 discussions)

	Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
	No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight

Start a new discussion

Topic:

First post:

Receive e-mail when new posts are made

Prompts for sign-in

[Cancel]

Guidelines

Active discussions in related forums

Discussion	Replies	Latest Post
health how do you get your wife to lose weight?	416	26 minutes ago
health Problems with Brazilian wax	0	33 minutes ago
health Single-Payer: For Congressmembers Only?	71	55 minutes ago
health Is Spanking a lovable or harmful form of disipline?	3965	1 hour ago
health Should we have free healthcare in the U.S.?(and is it possible?)	2455	2 hours ago
self-help date rape	196	3 hours ago
self-help Change as an ally?	9	14 hours ago