| In Association With... |  |
|
|
|
The One-Life Solution: Reclaim Your Personal Life While Achieving Greater Professional Success | 
 enlarge | Author: Henry Cloud
Publisher: Collins Business
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $9.98
You Save: $14.97 (60%)
New (56) from $9.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 76394
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 20.6 x 14.8 x 1.3
ISBN: 0061466425
Dewey Decimal Number: 650.1
EAN: 9780061466427
ASIN: 0061466425
Publication Date: August 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Do you feel that if you could get rid of some of the chaos in your work life, you could take your performance to a greater level? Do you stay late at the office many nights, trying to empty an inbox that never seems to diminish? Do you have difficulty dealing with cantankerous bosses or passive-aggressive coworkers? Do you find yourself checking your BlackBerry—almost against your will—during dates, family dinners, or your children's soccer games? If you've answered yes to any of the above, chances are you feel fragmented, pulled in too many directions at once, frustrated. Your work life has taken over your personal life. In The One-Life Solution, Dr. Henry Cloud, consultant, bestselling author of the Boundaries series and Integrity, and clinical psychologist, examines the workplace. He demonstrates how our failure to maintain a unified life with good boundaries at the office not only blurs the line between the professional and the personal, but leaves us less equipped to deal with the problems of today's workplace: stress, heavy workload, and a blistering pace. As a result, we are overworked, overstressed, and unhappier than ever. Through real-world examples from years of working with leaders at companies large and small, Dr. Cloud shows us how to construct and enforce better boundaries against the technological devices, bullying bosses, and distracting coworkers who invade our time and space. From conducting an audit of your time, to developing a policy of who you are and what you stand for, to learning how to overcome a paralyzing inability to say no, Dr. Cloud provides invaluable strategies and scripts for moving toward a more unified, coherent sense of self and a life that fully encompasses work, family, and spirituality. In a clear, conversational voice, he will help you develop the ability to: - contain self-destructive behavior and keep it from spreading.
- define yourself and know who you are.
- set limits when needed.
- communicate effectively.
- learn how to improve your performance at the office and outside it.
By starting to do what's best for you, you'll find the key to living the one happy, fulfilling life that only you can live.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Simply Brilliant! September 19, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Dr. Cloud has an amazing ability to articulate extraordinary complex psychological principals in a manner that any person can comprehend. This book gives the reader a blueprint of what is possible should he/she choose to take ownership of their life. The section that I love the most was "Follow the Misery and Make a Rule." Dr. Cloud does an excellent job in describing how despite all of the modern "advances" that technology has brought us (i.e., email, pda's, blackberry, cell phones, etc.) we, as a society, have become more "disconnected" from our loved ones due to the increasing demands placed upon us. The importance of creating structure and deciding where, when and with whom we will spend our energy and time is clearly evident as these can be a source of energy or a major distraction to accomplishing our goals. As I finished reading this book I felt a sense of empowerment, hope, excitement, and sheer joy for I read on it's pages exactly the tools which I have needed to assist me in completing the tedious process of completing my doctoral dissertation. I have already begun implementing the tools that I have learned from this book and they have made an amazing difference! This book can help anyone learn how to have balance in their work, home and family life. Dr. Cloud has done a stellar job and I recommend this book to anyone who desires to grow or who is in the growth process. Thank you Dr. Cloud! CD, MS
This Self-Improvement Book is a Stand-Out September 19, 2008
In an age when self-help, self-improvement books line shelves and racks of every bookstore, it's difficult to find a book that stands out. This one does. Author Henry Cloud offers a perspective that applies to many situations I have observed, many I have been a party to.
How often have you watched interactions slide into disaster because someone, a boss, a spouse, a sibling, failed to define limits and then stick to those limits? How often have people crossed your personal limits without knowing they were? Could the disaster have been eliminated before it destroyed a relationship? Can you actually improve your life by clearly setting limits in your relationships? Those are the sticky wickets Dr. Henry Cloud tackles in "The One-Life Solution."
For me, the whole book was a thought-provoking review - of people and situations I have observed, of situations in my own life I could have prevented or handled more effectively. I thought of friends who won't set limits for their children - and what a disagreeable experience it is to be around those children. I thought of times I allowed people to go beyond my personal boundaries because I was trying too hard to please. I thought of the times when work was routinely a 24-hour-a-day ordeal, and how I could have managed the demands placed on me more effectively. I decided what I would do in the future to avoid or mitigate such situations.
Author Cloud will show you how to set limits effectively and actually improve situations that may now be causing you significant discomfort. He focuses primarily on work relationships, but the problems and solutions he presents fit many human interactions.
You'll find this book especially helpful if you're hiring friends or relatives, so don't miss the tips found in the Appendix. They're pure gold.
I highly recommend this book - for bosses, employees, spouses, lovers, friends, and parents, that is for everyone. If we take his advice, openly declare our boundaries, listen and observe the boundaries of others, our relationships will improve - for everyone involved.
Setting Limits September 9, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The author does a good job of defining the grey area
of boundaries. Dividing lines are needed to live a
good life- one undisturbed by constant interruptions.
A boundary provides structure so that work and other
issues do not invade our spare time without escape.
People need to gain control in order to relax, plan
and catch up with an ever growing schedule.
The author asks the question " Which areas of your life
do you control? " . If work or play takes up 100% of the
time, then realistic boundaries aren't being set.
These problems are encountered by young people. For
instance, friends may occupy an inordinate amount of
time leaving no opportunity to complete studies or
household duties. Resultingly, people need to develop
and implement rules to ensure that important
activities are scheduled/completed in every event.
At some point, people need to be assertive when their
valuable space or time is being taken up without
a compelling rationale. The volume is excellent for
any individual who seeks to plan to enjoy a more
wholesome and pro-active lifestyle.
Holistic Perspective September 7, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
From spirituality to professional advancement to martial arts, the development of balance is the lynchpin to achievement and success. As creatures of mind, body, and spirit, we thrive only when we remain attentive to the fundamental equilibrium within our being. As a career services professional, I often encounter those who gauge success or advancement solely by monetary concerns or by the illusions of power. While these may be effective motivators for a time, eventually, when individuals find themselves in situations (whether in their jobs, relationships or other areas of life) contrary to their nature, the imbalance inevitably leads to a downward spiral that can result in unhappiness, frustration, and extreme cases, even catastrophe.
Dr. Henry Cloud, the author if the bestselling INTEGRITY, offers an erudite, yet simply and directly written book concerning the importance of maintaining boundries as a means to maintaining that essential balance among competing demands in our life. He begins with the concept of boundaries in establishing individual differentiation, containing destruction, defining oneself, setting limits, owning and living our values, and developing self control to become and remain free and autonomous.
Chapter Five, in which Dr. Cloud challenges us to conduct a self-audit so that we can realistically determine our strengths and weaknesses, is particularly valuable, and serves as an essential blueprint by which we develop our holistic understanding of ourselves.
Building boundaries on the job takes general principles and applies them to the specifics of career and professional challenges. Dr. Cloud addresses specific topics related to business, including such demands on our time as technology, email, toxic relationships, and other distractions that cannot only impede our effectiveness, but can intrude onto other aspects of our life.
With the skill of an accomplished professional, the author provides the perfect blend of principle, anecdote, and analysis in a brief, yet comprehensive and engaging book. It is a book that I will use in working with students and professionals, who seek to advance while maintaining balance and perspective in their lives.
A Person of Property August 19, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
The One-Life Solution by Dr. Henry Cloud will help people in business create a domain and range for their personal and business decisions. Published by Collins Business in 2008, the self-help book is timely given the economic and political challenges facing us all. The domain is described in the subtitle, Reclaim Your Personal Life While Achieving Greater Professional Success. The range consists of a heuristic metaphor and good operational definitions.
The metaphor is spatial with a focus on "boundaries" of personal "property." It helps to generate hypotheses, cause and effect statements that can be tested empirically. Following up on his earlier work, Dr. Cloud writes that conscious boundaries provide structure for successful business decisions. A major problem for many people is that they do not know enough about themselves to use their thought processes effectively. They let the external environment (e.g., other people, business situations, workplace setting) determine their emotions, relations, and performance. This is a conceptual problem. The good news is that people can learn to use cognitive methods to re-structure their internal property and create stronger boundaries. This is not easy because our current society seems to be "structureless," but it can be done with practice.
The range of the book would be severely limited and could be criticized as psychobabble without Dr. Cloud's operational definitions of terms. These definitions consist of operations the business person can use to observe and measure the effects of hypotheses derived from the metaphor. One way to gather empirical data is to conduct a "time audit," recording the "time of your life." How many hours of the work week do you spend establishing and reinforcing your personal property? In contrast, how many hours do you experience anxiety, seek approval, and avoid making decisions as holes open in your "fences?" Dr. Cloud demonstrates how to keep a log, recording empirical results of the use of the metaphor that can be used for successful action.
Another operational definition involves the "word audit." A major concept in the spatial metaphor is communication about boundaries. Words and phrases can be tabulated and used to develop effective spatial cognitive strategies. Phrases like "I think..." and "I will..." indicate your independence and resistance to encroachment into your property by other people and business situations even in restricted work environments. Dr. Cloud discusses words and phrases that weaken your boundaries and gives clear examples. Again, a log should be maintained so that frequencies of word usage can be changed and monitored for effectiveness. Rhetoric is an important aspect of the spatial metaphor and is essential for self-determination in the workplace.
Dr. Cloud presents many other operational definitions in his book related to his metaphor. He reviews major themes and gives additional specific business examples in the last chapters and appendix. He concludes by showing the importance of the interaction of metaphor and objective measurement, thought and action, hypotheses and conclusions. Often, authors of self-help books present powerful metaphors but give few operational definitions (a useful explanation of the term psychobabble). Because it quantifies the integration of both ideas and performance, The One-Life Solution is an excellent practical manual for personal success and satisfaction in business.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
