Your Best Just Got Better: Work Smarter, Think Bigger, Achieve More
Your Best Just Got Better: Work Smarter, Think Bigger, Achieve More book cover

Your Best Just Got Better: Work Smarter, Think Bigger, Achieve More

Hardcover – February 7, 2012

by
Price
$22.45
Format
Hardcover
Pages
272
Publisher
Wiley
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1118121986
Dimensions
5.8 x 1.1 x 9 inches
Weight
1 pounds

Description

"This inspiring book is a must-read for entrepreneurs and knowledge workers alike who want to grow their impact without losing sight of their core purpose." CHRIS GUILLEBEAU,xa0NYT bestselling author of The Happiness of Pursuit and The $100 Startup CHRIS GUILLEBEAU, NYT bestselling author of The Happiness of Pursuit and The $100 Startup "Jason Womack has emerged as a new and exciting voice in the world of professional development. YOUR BEST JUST GOT BETTER offers an action-oriented and powerful set of resources leaders can use to improve themselves and help others achieve their greater potential." DANIEL H. PINK,xa0author of Drive and To Sell Is Human DANIEL H. PINK, author of Drive and To Sell Is Human "In business as in sport, you can achieve more than you think is possible. For both it takes a well-defined purpose, unwavering perseverance, rock-solid patience, and an in-depth plan. Jason Womack's book, Your Best Just Got Better, will help you with all of that!" JOE FRIEL,xa0Cofounder TrainingPeaks JOE FRIEL, Cofounder TrainingPeaks "Jason Womack's book, Your Best Just Got Better, provides a refreshing and current tack on a highly useful guide for being more productive and successful in work and life. His emphasis on focused planning, careful listening, and thoughtful self-examination is spot on. Bravo." STERLING SHEA,xa0Head of Wealth Management Programs, Barron's STERLING SHEA, Head of Wealth Management Programs, Barron's "I've known Jason for at least 10 years. We've used him to train executives at General Mills, I've had him speak to my Leadership class for the University of Minnesota Executive MBA program and I've benefitted first hand from his coaching. All in all, his impact takes a number of forms:- HIs material is current, cutting edge and high quality. In all my encounters, there was an immediate benefit and value-added application idea from him.- Jason has a gift to tune into the audience or 1-1 coaching partner to communicate effectively and deliver exactly what is needed.- Finally, Jason is a role model of high energy, fun, productivity and servant leadership. I can highly recommend him." KEVIN D. WILDE, Former Chief Learning Officer @ General Mills, Executive Leadership Fellow, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota KEVIN D. WILDE , Former Chief Learning Officer @ General Mills, Executive Leadership Fellow, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota Expand your perspective to improve your outcomesThis book is very interesting, practical, energizing and I highly recommend it.xa0xa0Throughout, Jason offers hands-on exercises to get you into a more active mode of driving your own future.xa0xa0I read the book cover-to-cover, but now I am planning to go back and conduct the exercises step-by-step (I skipped some exercises because I was on planes, or my energy / attention levels weren't where they needed to be) because I can see just how powerful they can be.One pervasive theme throughout the book is to think beyond your "normal" perspective so you can stretch your goals, drive different and better effort, and get more assertive in pushing your life where youxa0want it to go.xa0xa0For example, the book begins with an interesting visioning exercise called "Your Ideal Day," which gets you to begin imagining how things could be if you had a magic wand. - Dwayne Melançon, Genuine Curiosity "Setting realistic goals does not mean you should understate what you think is possible. Instead, direct your focus toward the experience of completion and give ample attention to the next milestone of achievement. Build a series of bridges as you continually reach toward experiencing more of your Ideal Days." "Setting realistic goals does not mean you should understate what you think is possible. Instead, direct your focus toward the experience of completion and give ample attention to the next milestone of achievement. Build a series of bridges as you continually reach toward experiencing more of your Ideal Days." "An important aspect is that most sustainable changes people tend to make usually start small, are repeated with consistency, and oftenxa0resultxa0in a payoff greater than anyone could have hoped." "An important aspect is that most sustainable changes people tend to make usually start small, are repeated with consistency, and oftenxa0resultxa0in a payoff greater than anyone could have hoped." "There are only 96 15-minute blocks of time in a single day, and there are just 168 hours in a week." "There are only 96 15-minute blocks of time in a single day, and there are just 168 hours in a week." "Things are the way they are because of the way you think." "Things are the way they are because of the way you think." "If you're waiting until you have time to decide what you'll do when you have time, you'll always run behind." "If you're waiting until you have time to decide what you'll do when you have time, you'll always run behind." "Use your mind to create new idea, develop old ones, and prioritize those you're contemplating right now." "Use your mind to create new idea, develop old ones, and prioritize those you're contemplating right now." From the Inside Flap How did you spend your time today? What did you do really well? Were you running behind for every meeting? Feeling stressed? Constantly struggling to maintain your focus? If your performance today was your best, then it's time to make your best better. In Your Best Just Got Better, productivity expert Jason Womack shows you that working longer hours doesn't make up for a flawed approach to productivity and performance. Workers need to clarify their habits, build mindset-based strategies, and be proactive. Womack's signature workplace performance techniques offer specific strategies to consistently and incrementally improve perfor-mance. Learn how to maximize your four most limited resources—time, energy, focus, and productivity tools—to build solid and sustainable workflow habits. Your Best Just Got Better will help you identify your role in making your best better. Through strategic, iterative change, you can become more effective and efficient at work and in life, making time for the things and the people you love. Womack's powerful advice will show you how to: Set goals and take consistent, calculated action toward achievement Set goals and take consistent, calculated action toward achievement Invest 15 minutes every day to make your best better Invest 15 minutes every day to make your best better Reflect on your achievements and let them power you towards your next goal Reflect on your achievements and let them power you towards your next goal Build a strong, productive social network Build a strong, productive social network Track your use of your limited resources—time, energy, focus, and your systems and tools Track your use of your limited resources—time, energy, focus, and your systems and tools Test new practices with the Five Day Experiment Test new practices with the Five Day Experiment It's time to work smart and think big. But how smart you work depends on how well you know yourself, how clear your goals are, and how well you're using your time. By applying just a little focus to when you're at your best, you can improve how you get things done. Make your best better, and make new things possible today. PRAISE FOR YOUR BEST JUST GOT BETTER "Jason Womack teaches you not to settle for your 'best' but to keep the target moving forward. With his help, break through and do better than you ever thought possible, in every area of your personal and professional life."-- Keith Ferrazzi , bestselling author of Never Eat Alone and Who's Got Your Back "A lot has been written about peak performance--the power of clarity, focusing on positive outcomes, time management, relationships, and mastering self-talk. Jason Womack is one of the very few that pulls it all together in a practical, actionable, and meaningful way. Your Best Just Got Better is a blueprint for finding true balance and meaning, and achieving your best in life and business."-- Matthew Hately , VP Strategy, Macadamian"After working with Jason for the last ten years to help my teams achieve the next level of success and effectiveness, I was thrilled that his new book offers a unique perspective along with actionable strategies to maximize the impact you can have in your business, your community, and your life."-- Russ Stalters , Director, Information & Data Management, British Petroleum"Jason's ability to help people focus on the most important things is a game-changer for personal productivity. His ability to help de-clutter our thought processes and work with more intensity and intention is invaluable. Pick up this book. Read it. Digest it. Read it again. It could change your life."-- Tony Wilson , CEO/Founder, Performance Coach to Australia's leading athletes and executives JASON W. WOMACK is CEO and founder of the Womack Company, providing customized training on workplace performance. As an executive coach, he shows clients--managers, employees, and entrepreneurs--how to work smart, think big, and make more.xa0Coaching hundreds of individuals and traveling extensively, Jason has facilitated more than 1,600 Workplace Performance workshops.Jason cofounded the Get Momentum Leadership Academy with his wife, Jodi Womack, to help people learn the valuable leadership skills that will prepare them for a future that looks much different than their past. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • Imagine if your best just got better every single day
  • In
  • Your Best Just Got Better
  • , productivity expert Jason Womack teaches readers that working longer hours doesn't make up for a flawed approach to productivity and performance. Workers need to clarify their habits, build mindset-based strategies, and be proactive. Womack's signature "workplace performance" techniques offer specific strategies to consistently and incrementally improve performance.
  • Readers will:
  • Understand the fundamentals of workflow and the principles of human performance
  • Understand the fundamentals of workflow and the principles of human performance
  • Arm themselves with the tools and the processes to get more of their work done, on time, with fewer resources, and with less stress
  • Arm themselves with the tools and the processes to get more of their work done, on time, with fewer resources, and with less stress
  • Making your best better won't happen overnight, but learning how to effectively manage just a few critical success factors lead to an effective workday and an overall successful professional career.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(145)
★★★★
25%
(61)
★★★
15%
(36)
★★
7%
(17)
★
-7%
(-17)

Most Helpful Reviews

✓ Verified Purchase

Do You Want To Be More Productive

I read this book by Jason Womack as the monthly selection of the 12 Books Group with the expectation that I will write a review and post it in several places. This book is about managing your time to be more productive and includes several exercises on building and sustaining workflow habits that will help the reader accomplish the goal of the book. He points out that there are only 96 fifteen minute segments to each day and managing these blocks of time are critical.

The book is divided into three sections titled: Work Smarter, Think Bigger and Make More. Each section contains chapters that lead you through a process that Jason has developed based on his own experiences of what worked or didn't work for him. Each chapter focuses on a specific improvement area filled with lots of thought provoking exercises where you need to stop, think and conduct the exercise in order to obtain the full value from the chapter. The chapters build on each other so that it is useful to complete the exercises as Jason refers back to them at different times. The approach that I am used, after trying some of the initial exercises, was to read through the entire book to get a feel for it and I am now going back and reading a second time and focusing on each of the exercises as they arise. Others may find it useful to pick a chapter and work on it, but I caution that many of the chapters refer to exercises completed in other chapters so it may be a little more challenging to do it this way.

This YouTube link will take you to a number of videos of presentations by Jason on the sections contained in the book.

This is a well thought out and presented book that I recommend to anyone who is looking to be more productive with the amount of time that they have each day. It is not only informative, but an interesting and entertaining read.
5 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

How and why taking "Baby steps" can lead to giant achievements

In the film What About Bob (1991), Richard Dreyfuss plays the role of Dr. Leo Marvin, a psychiatrist and author of a bestselling book, Baby Steps, in which he discusses emotional disorder theories and how he treats his patients and their phobias. I thought about that film as I began to read this book because both Leo Marvin and Jason Womack believe in the value of steady, consistent, sharply-focused incremental progress. They also believe in the importance of concentrating on what is most important while ignoring any distractions that threaten that concentration.

The business world is a busy world in which many people confuse activity with productivity. They need help and in the Introduction, Womack offers this assurance: "Your Best Just Got Better shows you how to gain clarity, develop structure, and build momentum as the Architect of Your Experience. It will lead, inspire, and motivate you to walk the oath of persistence, moving you toward a better you. I am confident these experiences will support you along the work." I think the material [begin italics] can [end italics] be very helpful. However, whether or not it [begin italics] is [end italics] helpful depends entirely on a reader's ability -- and willingness --to apply effectively the information, insights, and counsel that Womack provides in abundance.

These are among the passages of greatest interest and value to me, also listed to suggest the range of subjects that Womack explores with rigor and eloquence:

o Focus on Making Your Best Better (Pages 9-11)
o Maximizing Your Limited Resources (19-23)
o Slow Down to Speed Up and Create Lasting Change (31-35)
o Three Influences on Our Productivity (65-70)
o How Do You Build Self-Efficacy? (79-80)
o You Are Your Network (98-102)
o Three Kinds of Conversation (104-106)
o If You Can Track It, You Can Change It (110-113)
o Maximize our Limited Resources (Re-read 19-23, then read 117-120)
o The Layering process (140-142)
o Is Your Approach to Work Working (157-159)
o Creating Big Feedback, Quickly (167-169)
o Key Ingredients of Effective Feedback (177-178)
o Focusing on Making More (182-184)
o Three Decisions That Change our Focus, and, The Real Reason to Focus on Completion (196-200)
o What Is Important to Practice (218-221)

I commend Womack on his skillful use of various reader-friendly devices that include dozens of bullet-point checklists of key points as well as step-by-step explanations of various initiatives that, over time, can achieve incremental progress. Womack aptly characterizes this process as "iterative improvement." In this context, it is worth noting that Alice Schroeder selected Snowball as the title of her biography of Warren Buffett because when he was a child, he observed a ball of snow becoming larger as it rolled down a hill. It was then that he recognized the power of compound interest. What Womack advocates is compound personal development and in this book, sharing just about everything he has learned about how to achieve it.

No brief commentary such as mine can possibly do full justice to the scope and diversity of material in Your Best Just Got Better but I hope that I have at least suggested why I think so highly of it and its author. Also, I hope that those who read this commentary will be better prepared to determine whether or not they wish to read the book and, in that event, will have at least some idea of how the material provided by Jason Womack could perhaps be of substantial benefit to them as well as to their own organization.
4 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Very good self-help book

Disclaimer: I received this book from the 12booksgroup.com book club to help with the discussion of the book during the month of February 2013 and provide a book review on few places.

Key Takeaway: I recommend this book (4 out of 5 stars) since it is a practical self-help book that can help anyone get better in their personal and professional life if you follow Jason Womack's advice.

Jason Womack has written a practical self-help book titled, "Your Best Just Got Better." Like any self help book, you have to judge it on whether the book is really helpful. On that basis, I would say it meets its objective in providing all kinds of ways you can improve with your personal and professional life.

The book starts with Jason asking you to write down your "Ideal Day." The purpose of this exercise is that he wants you to imagine it, so that you can work towards realizing it. The author wants you to make a commitment by writing it down, so you see and will take action that he prescribes to make that day happen.

To help readers work toward realizing their "Ideal Day"," Jason has organized the book into three sections: Work smarter, Think bigger and Make more. And he offers plenty of advice on how he has followed his own advice to get better. If you followed them, you can also get better, too. What he is asking you to do is to make changes in your habits so it sounds simple, but it is not easy to change habits overnight. It requires lot of discipline, diligence and perseverance.

Since this is a practical book reading will not result in you getting better. You will need to develop a strategy. I would recommend you read this book cover to cover the first time and then pick a chapter or section and put some of the tips and techniques into practice before moving on to another chapter or section. Without a game plan, this book can get overwhelming quickly and you are likely to give up, which would be a shame since there is lot of useful stuff in this book.

I recommend this book since anyone reading this book will come away picking up few good tips and techniques that they can put into practice immediately. The book is very honest and straightforward as Jason talks about practicing what he presents in the book and gives us several examples of how his clients have made improvement through his coaching. Jason also is very realistic in that getting better according to his approach is a lifelong effort and not a one day thing. But you have to start. Reading a book is a start but we have to put it into practice.

We all need a life coach who can see things that could make us better and push us harder towards the goal we have set out for ourselves. This book serves that purpose in helping us identify what we are doing and how we are doing it and challenges us to work towards improving what we are doing with Jason's proven techniques.. And if we follow many of the tips and techniques Jason presents, then our best can also get better.
3 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Inspirational content

I think the book is accurately titled. After three weeks of using some of the ideas in this book I can see a difference in my productivity. In early December I attended one of Jason's seminars then decided to buy the book. The book has great ideas on how to approach your day to day differently. I consider myself pretty organized but I have found numerous new approaches that are helping me better manage my 'must dos' so I have more time with my 'want to dos'.

I'm using the book as reference guide. I read a little, digest a new concept, apply it and see if it works me. So far I have put many ideas to work. For anyone that is feeling stressed out or frustrated about your routine this book may help you. It has really given me new tools!
3 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

The book that pulls it all together

I'm a student of leadership and self-improvement, and I've read dozens of books on each. This book is one that I keep coming back to, and that I find myself reading and re-reading. Jason Womack has a gift for pulling the concepts of discipline, focus, success, visioning and networking all together in one book. I've never read anything that connects the dots quite like Your Best Just Got Better. I love that it gives you actionable tips, like how to use your 1% time - the little chunks of time you find when, say, someone's late for a meeting - productively, to real mental shifts. I highly recommend this book - it will give you the tools to breakthrough to another level.
3 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Mr. Smarty-pants

Just finished reading Jason Womack Your Best Just Got Better- Wow! I knew Jason was smart but from now on I'll refer to him as Mr. Smart. I say that because I learned something new in ever chapter and to say that in today's business world is huge. For example chapter 10 `Improvement and Practice' - I personally hate to practice. I really, really hate it, but the author explained practice as something that makes you feel comfortable and I got it. In fact that one chapter had a profound effect on my relationship with practice. I replaced my meaning which was (practice is boring) with the authors concept of practice which is to make myself comfortable. Great job on the book! I gave it five stars, and would recommend it to anyone up to something big in life who wants to make that something happen.
3 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

It worked for me!

Today I got done with my to-do list in 3 hours (would have normally taken 8) thanks to the tips I embraced from this book. Some of Jason's suggestions I followed to the letter - others I tweaked to fit my own style - however the end result was a more organized system which is definitely working for me.

Michele
Red Feather Networking, Co-Owner
2 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

Great read! Full of time-saving tips and practical tools for improving your work & personal life

This book is a must for anyone looking to add more balance, productivity, and efficiency to their life. It's full of brilliant tips and advice on streamlining, time management, managing your networks, and more. I have tons of pages marked and have even shared some of the authors concepts with my own clients. Well worth investing in this book!
2 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

My Best is getting BETTER.

I did buy this book the very same week it was in print. Jason Womack is a phenomenal master teacher. The book lives in my library next to my bathroom. I read a topic(which could be anywhere from a paragraph to 2 or 3 or even a page or two), basically one idea that Jason is attempting at impressing upon the reader. I take the idea and implement it that day right away and continue on it. It takes 21 times to create a habit. So unless I repeat it, I am not going to benefit from the information presented. Information without action only leads to arrogance. So my suggestion to you my friend is, use this book as a tour guide, to take you to your next level in life. It has been helping me with my health, home, work, love and life. Thank you for reading this note. Thank you Jason for being my mentor, accountability partner in my extended journey since we met through this book.
2 people found this helpful
✓ Verified Purchase

I found this to be mostly a rehash of previous ...

I found this to be mostly a rehash of previous motivational literature.
It was okay, if you haven't been reading up on the subject before this.
1 people found this helpful

Related Books