Book Reviews and More: Know Yourself Like Your Success Depends on It - Michal Stawicki

Know Yourself Like Your Success Depends on It
Six Simple Steps to Success Book 2
Michal Stawicki
AISN B016UUFG7A

I have yet to read all of Michal Stawicki's books, but that is a big YET. I know I will have all of them that are out read in the next few months. This year in the last 6 months I have read 8 of his books once and most of them through a second time. He does an amazing job of packing a lot of useful information into small packages, that are easily digestible and easily applied. This current series is some of his best writings. This books continues after Simplify Your Pursuit of Success, building from where the last left off. The six steps that will be explored starting with this book are:

1. Self-analysis. People of success know themselves.
2. Health. You don't have to be a fitness fanatic to be successful. But you can do much more in every aspect of life if you take proper care of your body.
3. Habits mastery. It is extremely hard to find a successful person who doesn't use consistent habits to achieve more.
4. Focus. Vision. Goal setting. This topic can stray into the intangible, but I'll keep it down-to-earth.
5. Socializing for business. Networking. It's hard to find a rich hermit.
6. Reading and self-education. How to get ahead of the knowledge curve and stay there.

And the chapters in this book that Michal works through for us are:

Realization Begins Your Journey
Philosophy Is the Key to Change
An Unheralded Weapon: Self-talk
Tracking Is the Rudder That Keeps You on Course
Journaling Opens Your Mind
Self-Analysis is Simple
Meditation Illuminates Your Purpose
Prayer Puts Things in Perspective
Your Mission
In Summary
Look in the Mirror and Start Now

The Kindle edition comes in at 60 pages and man does Michal cram a lot of content in such a small space! Each chapter has the main teaching and then a quick point summary of the key items to remember or to think about implementing. As usual Michal teaches from his own experience and observations. In the introduction he states "Finally, I realized the broader picture: success is directly dependent on your ability to examine yourself." And what an example his own story is. Later he declares "My attention to self-analysis isn't the sole reason I gained these successes. Self-analysis is only one element in a set of success-building factors. But it's a necessary one." And it is the first one because The next steps will build upon the knowledge gained working through this process. Michal quoting book one says "I said it in the introduction to this series: success is not wealth or one-time achievement; it is process and small disciplines." And true to his work any success worth having will take work.

Later in the book he states: "Because you are your greatest asset. Your success depends wholly on you. You can face obstacles, but armed with your internal resourcefulness you can overcome them. You may get lucky, but if you screw things up it won't do you any good. Your attitude and reactions determine your actions and the results you get." We must work at what we want, we must take ownership or who we are and also who we are becoming. Michal highly recommends tracking your goals, and he lives it. Currently on coach.me he has over 22609 check-in's. In the fourth chapter he says "The easiest way to become aware about the performance of anything is to track it. To progress in any given area, simply begin to track the essential metrics. You don't have to decide that you'll be mindful about it. Once you start tracking, you'll put your attention into it, and it will happen automatically. Focus and results are just natural aftereffects." And he goes on to say: "So pick whatever you want and attach some metric to this activity. I assure you that your focus and awareness will naturally increase in that area." But he highly stresses that the tracking must be easier than the habit itself or you will not keep up with the tracking or in many instances the habit because of lack of tracking. He emphasises "My suggestion is to start slowly and gradually. Expand your tracking activities in both scope and detail according to your progress." And I agree. When I started with coach.me I had a few goals, I now have a few dozen with some, daily, weekly, monthly and even quarterly - all starting with simple advice from Michal months ago.

Michal also highlights the importance of journaling "You can write down your goals, break them down into weekly and daily actions, and monitor your progress." From the chapters Self Analysis is Simple two of the 5 points in the Rember section at the end of the chapter really hit me they were:

Your brain avoids self-analysis to keep you dormant.
The results of self-knowledge are purposefulness, resoluteness, single?mindedness, strength of will, strength of character, firmness, intentness, and decision?making.

Both of the stuck with me for days after reading the book. The final point that really hit me was when he stated: "But remember, knowledge alone counts for nothing; implementation alone holds the secret to success." For much of my life I collected knowledge and it has only been the last number of years I have really focused on applying what I know. Michal's books are helping me to do that.

Michal's writings remind me often of John C. Maxwell, or Stephen Cover or Dan Millman. He gives great advice, but it is almost all from stuff he has learned from trial and error. His books give us great tools in small packages. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next in the series and am sure you could get a great deal out of reading it also!