BOOK REVIEW: 'Jumpstart Your Thinking'

 July 13, 2023

BOOK REVIEW — 'Jumpstart Your Thinking: A 90-Day Improvement Plan', by John C. Maxwell⁣

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A friend recommended this book to me a while ago, and like many of the books on my shelf, I bought it with the purpose of reading it someday, but never got around to it until now. Having read it now, I can confidently say John C. Maxwell never disappoints. I have a couple of his books, and his writing style is always so simple yet heavily impactful. ⁣

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One thing that really caught my eye was what he said on Day 19, p. 44: “Set up a thinking schedule.” I was amused at first when I read it, but it really does make sense. Create a schedule for yourself by setting up a time when you can take your pen and journal to a quiet place and write down your ideas.

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Here are a few more nuggets I loved:⁣

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𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿. In other words, be a lifelong learner. You can never know enough. Visit new places, read new books, meet new people, and learn new skills. Make it a habit to look for opportunities to learn on a regular basis.⁣

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𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. Don't blindly accept what you're learning as the absolute truth. Instead, try to understand different perspectives and be aware that there may be various viewpoints on the subject matter. ⁣

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𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Don't just avoid negativity; actively search for positive possibilities in the circumstances at hand. When you do this, you not only open yourself up to new opportunities, but you also empower yourself to overcome any challenge.⁣

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Lastly, I particularly like that he mentions something I strongly believe in: 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗𝗟𝗬. Read more, broaden your horizons, step out of your reading comfort zone, and challenge yourself by reading books from genres you ordinarily wouldn't. ⁣

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Lots of gems in this little book! Very glad I got to read it. It has certainly helped me jumpstart my thinking🧠⁣