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Sunday, October 5, 2008

Make Today Count: The Secret of Your Success is Determined by Your Daily Agenda by John C. Maxwell

Make Today Count: The Secret of Your Success is Determined by Your Daily Agenda by John C. Maxwell


My version is a 2008, Hardcover, Centre Street, ISBN 978-1599950815






Firnando Chau Review


The book's content are:
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1. Attitude 
Chapter 2. Priorities 
Chapter 3. Health 
Chapter 4. Family 
Chapter 5. Thinking 
Chapter 6. Commitment 
Chapter 7. Finances 
Chapter 8. Faith 
Chapter 9. Relationships 
Chapter 10. Generosity 
Chapter 11. Values 
Chapter 12. Growth 
Conclusion
Notes








Introduction
* Make Today a Masterpiece
* The Makings of a Masterpiece
* Good Decisions Today Will Give You A Better Tomorrow






Chapter 1. Attitude 

1.1. Making the Decision to Choose and Display the Right Attitude Daily
(i) Take Responsibility for Your Attitude
(ii) Decide to Change Your Bad Attitude Areas
(iii) Think, Act, Talk, and Conduct Yourself Like the Person You Want to Become
(iv) Place a High Value on People
(v) Develop a High Appreciation for Life

1.2. Managing the Discipline of Attitude
(i) Recognize That Your Attitude Needs Daily Adjustments
(ii) Find Something Positive in Everything
(iii) Find Someone Positive in Every Situation
(iv) Say Something Positive in Every Conversation
(v) Remove Negative Words from Your Vocabulary
(vi) Express Gratitude to Others Daily

1.3. Your Attitude Decision Today
Where do you stand when it comes to your attitude today? Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Have I already made the decision to choose and display the right attitude daily?
2) If so, when did I make that decision?
3) What exactly did I decide?

1.4. Your Attitude Discipline Every Day
Based on the decision you made concerning attitude, what is the one discipline you must practice today and everyday in order to be successful?

Chapter 2. Priorities

2.1. Making the Decision to Determine and act on Important Priorities Daily
(i) Ask Yourself Three Questions

  1) What is required of me?
  2) What gives me the greatest return?
  3) What gives me the greatest reward?

(ii) Stay in Your Strength Zone
* Trial and error
* The counsel of others
* Personality Tests
* Personal Experience

2.2. Managing the Discipline of Priorities
(i) Evaluate Priorities Daily
(ii) Plan Your Time Carefully
(iii) Follow Your Plan
(iv) Delegate Whenever Possible
(v) Invest in the Right People Daily

2.3. Your Priorities Decision Today
Where do you stand when it comes to your priorities today? Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Have I already made the decision to determine and act on important priorities daily?
2) If so, when did I make that decision?
3) What exactly did I decide?


2.4. Your Attitude Discipline Every Day
Based on the decision you made concerning PRIORITIES, what is the one discipline you must practice today and everyday in order to be successful?

Chapter 3. Health


3.1. Making the Decision to Know and Follow Healthy Guidelines Daily
(i) Have a Purpose Worth Living For
(ii) Do Work You Enjoy
(iii) Find Your Pace
(iv) Accept Your Personal Worth
(v) Laugh


3.2. Managing The Discipline of Health
(i) Eat Right
(ii) Exercise
(iii) Handle Stress Effectively
* Family Problems
* Limited options
* Staff productivity problems
* Staff leaders with bad attitudes


3.3. Your HEALTH Decision Today
Where do you stand when it comes to your HEALTH today? Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Have I already made the decision to KNOW and FOLLOW HEALTHY GUIDELINES daily?
2) If so, when did I make that decision?
3) What exactly did I decide?


3.4. Your HEALTH Discipline Every Day
Based on the decision you made concerning HEALTH, what is the one discipline you must practice today and everyday in order to be successful?

Chapter 4. Family

4.1. Making the Decision to Communicate with and care for my Family Daily
(i) Determine Your Priorities
(ii) Decide on Your Philosophy
* Commitment to God
* Continual growth
* Common Experiences
* Confidence-in God, ourselves and others
* Contributions to life
(iii) Develop Your Problem-Solving Strategy


4.2. Managing the Disciplines of Family
(i) Put Your Family on Your Calendar First
(ii) Create and Maintain Family Traditions
(iii) Find Ways to Spend Time Together
* Significant events
* Significant needs
* Fun Time
* One-on-one time
(iv) Keep Your Marriage Healthy First
(v) Express Appreciation for Each Other
(vi) Resolve Conflict as Quickly as Possible


4.3. Your FAMILY Decision Today
Where do you stand when it comes to your FAMILY today? Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Have I already made the decision to COMMUNICATE WITH and CARE for my Family?
2) If so, when did I make that decision?
3) What exactly did I decide?


4.4. Your FAMILY Discipline Every Day
Based on the decision you made concerning FAMILY, what is the one discipline you must practice today and everyday in order to be successful?

Chapter 5. Thinking

5.1. Making the Decision to Practice and Develop Good Thinking Daily
(i) Understand That Great  Thinking Comes from Good Thinking
(ii) Recognize There Are Many Kinds of Thinking
1) Big picture thinking
2) Focused thinking
3) Creative thinking
4) Realistic thinking
5) Strategic thinking
6) Possibility thinking
7) Reflective thinking
8) Questioning popular thinking
9) Shared thinking
10) Unselfish thinking
11) Bottom-line thinking
(iii) Maximize Your Strengths and Staff Your Weaknesses


5.2. Managing the Discipline of Thinking
(i) Find a Place to Think
(ii) Set Aside Think Time Every Day
(iii) Find a Process That Works for You
(iv) Capture Your Thoughts
(v) Put Your Thoughts into Action Quickly
(vi) Try to Improve Your Thinking Every Day
* Focus on the positive
* Gather good input
* Spend time with good thinkers


5.3. Your THINKING Decision Today
Where do you stand when it comes to THINKING today? Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Have I already made the decision to PRACTICE and DEVELOP GOOD THINKING daily?
2) If so, when did I make that decision?
3) What exactly did I decide?


5.4. Your THINKING Discipline Every Day
Based on the decision you made concerning THINKING, what is the one discipline you must practice today and everyday in order to be successful?

Chapter 6. Commitment

6.1. Making the Decision to Make and Keep Proper Commitments Daily
(i) Count the Cost
(ii) Determine to Pay the Price
(iii) Always Strive for Excellence


6.2. Managing the Discipline of Commitment
(i) Expect Commitment to Be a Struggle
(ii) Don't Rely on Talent Alone
(iii) Focus on Choices, Not Conditions
(iv) Be Single-minded
(v) Do What's Right Even When You Don't Feel Like It


6.3. Your COMMITMENT Decision Today
Where do you stand when it comes to COMMITMENTS today? Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Have I already made the decision to MAKE and KEEP PROPER COMMITMENTS daily?
2) If so, when did I make that decision?
3) What exactly did I decide?


6.4. Your COMMITMENT Discipline Every Day
Based on the decision you made concerning COMMITMENT, what is the one discipline you must practice today and everyday in order to be successful?

Chapter 7. Finances

7.1. Making the Decision to Earn and Properly Manage Finances Daily
(i) Put the Value of Things into Perspective
(ii) Recognize Your Season of Life
* Learn
* Earn
* Return
(iii) Reduce Your Debt
* Stop incurring debt
* Track your cash
* Plan for the future
* Don't expect instant miracles
* See professional help
(iv) Put Your Financial Formula into Place


7.2. Managing the Discipline of Finances
(i) Become a Good Earner
(ii) Be Grateful Every Day
(iii) Don't Compare Yourself to Others
(iv) Give as Much as You Can


7.3. Your FINANCIAL Decision Today
Where do you stand when it comes to FINANCES  today? Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Have I already made the decision to EARN and PROPERLY MANAGE MY FINANCES daily?
2) If so, when did I make that decision?
3) What exactly did I decide?


7.4. Your FINANCIAL Discipline Every Day
Based on the decision you made concerning FINANCES, what is the one discipline you must practice today and everyday in order to be successful?

Chapter 8. Faith

8.1. Making the Decision to Deepen and Live Out Faith Daily
(i) We Already Have Faith... The Important Choice is Where We Place It
(ii) Understand That Faith is Often Birthed Out of Difficulties
(iii) A Faith That Hasn't Been Tested Can't Be Trusted

8.2. Managing the Discipline of Faith
(i) Embrace the Value of Faith
(ii) Put God in the Picture
(iii) Associate with People of Faith
(iv) Explore and Deepen Your Faith


8.3. Your FAITH Decision Today
Where do you stand when it comes to your FAITH today? Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Have I already made the decision to DEEPEN and LIVE OUT MY FAITH daily?
2) If so, when did I make that decision?
3) What exactly did I decide?


8.4. Your FAITH Discipline Every Day
Based on the decision you made concerning FAITH, what is the one discipline you must practice today and everyday in order to be successful?

Chapter 9. Relationships

9.1. Making the Decision to Initiate and Invest in Solid Relationships Daily
(i) Place a High Value on People
(ii) Learn to Understand People
(iii) Give Respect Freely but Expect to Earn It from Others
(iv) Commit Yourself to Adding Value to Others


9.2. Managing the Discipline of Relationship Building
(i) Put Others First
(ii) Don't Carry Emotional Baggage
(iii) Give Time to Your Most Valuable Relationships
(iv) Serve Others Gladly
(v) Express Love and Appreciation Often


9.3. Your RELATIONSHIP Decision Today
Where do you stand when it comes to your RELATIONSHIPS today? Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Have I already made the decision to INITIATE and INVEST IN SOLID RELATIONSHIPS daily?
2) If so, when did I make that decision?
3) What exactly did I decide?


9.4. Your RELATIONSHIP Discipline Every Day
Based on the decision you made concerning RELATIONSHIPS, what is the one discipline you must practice today and everyday in order to be successful?

Chapter 10. Generosity

10.1. Making the Decision to Plan For and Model Generosity Daily
(i) Give Others Your Money
(ii) Give Others Yourself



10.2. Managing the Discipline of Generosity
* Value people
* Know what people value
* Make myself more valuable
* Do things that God values
(i) Don't Wait for Prosperity to Become Generous
(ii) Find a Reason to Give Every Day
(iii) Find People to Receive Every Day


10.3. Your GENEROSITY Decision Today
Where do you stand when it comes to your GENEROSITY today? Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Have I already made the decision to PLAN FOR and MODEL GENEROSITY daily?
2) If so, when did I make that decision?
3) What exactly did I decide?


10.4. Your GENEROSITY Discipline Every Day
Based on the decision you made concerning GENEROSITY, what is the one discipline you must practice today and everyday in order to be successful?

Chapter 11. Values
1) To be God's Man
2) To develop my potential to the best of my ability
3) To be a true spiritual leader


11.1. Making the Decision to Embrace and Practice Good Values Daily
(i) Create a List of Good Values
(ii) Embrace Those Good Values
(iii) Make a Decision to Live Those Values Daily


11.2. Managing the Discipline of Values
(i) Articulate and Embrace Your Values Daily
(ii) Compare Your Values to Your Practices Daily
(iii) Live Out Your Values Regardless of Your Feelings
(iv) Evaluate Each Day in Light of Your Values


11.3. Your VALUES Decision Today
Where do you stand when it comes to your VALUES today? Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Have I already made the decision to EMBRACE and PRACTICE GOOD VALUES daily?
2) If so, when did I make that decision?
3) What exactly did I decide?


11.4. Your VALUES Discipline Every Day
Based on the decision you made concerning VALUES, what is the one discipline you must practice today and everyday in order to be successful?

Chapter 12. Growth

12.1. Making the Decision to Seek and Experience Growth Daily
(i) Answer the Question: What Is My Potential?
(ii) Make a Commitment to Change
(iii) Set Growth Goals
(iv) Learn to Enjoy the Journey
(v) Put Yourself in a Growth Environment


12.2. Managing the Discipline of GROWTH
(i) Make It Your Goal to Grow in Some Way Every Day
(ii) Have a Time and Plan to Grow
* I listen to audio lessons every week
* I read two books every month
* I set an appointment every month
(iii) File What You Learn
(iv) Apply What You Learn


12.3. Your GROWTH Decision Today
Where do you stand when it comes to your GROWTH today? Ask yourself these 3 questions:
1) Have I already made the decision to SEEK and EXPERIENCE IMPROVEMENT daily?
2) If so, when did I make that decision?
3) What exactly did I decide?


12.4. Your GROWTH Discipline Every Day
Based on the decision you made concerning GROWTH, what is the one discipline you must practice today and everyday in order to be successful?

Conclusion

Notes

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Amazon Reviewers:

The author has a list of 12 areas to focus on daily that he believes are critical to success. He calls them the "Daily Dozen."  He spends a chapter on each of the Daily Dozen. For each, he notes what decision he has made in each area. As an example, for "attitude," his decision is "I am going to keep a positive attitude and use it to influence others." Then he provides suggestions on how to incorporate the items critical to success into your daily life.  He makes the great point that what you become is the result of what you do today. The only way to change your life is to change what you do daily.

He shares how he incorporates these into his daily life and provides suggestions and tips on how you can too. Each chapter ends with a few questions to ask yourself in regards to how you are doing in the particular area and what could you do to include practice of that discipline in your daily life.  The book concludes with Maxwell encouraging the reader to take his list as a model and to create one of their own, and then to consciously examine what they are doing each and every day that I helping them move toward success and happiness.

Over all, I really enjoyed reading this book. It helped remind me to focus on what is important each and every day, and that the accumulation of daily disciplines is what really determines one's future and success. I did note in the front cover that this book was originally published as "Today Matters." Readers of that book may not want to purchase this book of the same information under a different title. Study and apply Maxwell's twelve disciplines to include into your daily agenda to help you discover success and happiness.

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