Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29579 in Books
• Published on: 2001-12-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Synopsis
A self-help and personal development book. Based on a goal-setting programme used by thousands of people, the key is a set of ten questions which provide the impetus to self-knowledge and change.

About the Author
Jinny Ditzler has been using the Best Year Yet programme to help clients achieve their personal and professional goals for the past two decades. She has set up a company with affiliates in the US and Europe to bring this programme to individuals the world over.

Excerpted from Your Best Year Yet by Jinny Ditzler. Copyright © 1997. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Rarely do we stop and think about what we’ve achieved in a day, let alone a year. It leads you in a positive direction and gives you the chance to re-balance your perception of yourself and what you’ve achieved in the past year. Almost without exception, people’s initial thoughts about the past are negative. However, look at these questions and see what memories they trigger?

Did you get through another year of school or university? What were the best times?
Did you move house? Did you decorate or repair the one you have?
Did you have a good clear out? Did you take things to Oxfam?
Did you start a new job or get a promotion? Have you been doing a better job?
How much money did you earn in the last year? Did you pay off some of your debts?
Did you get married? Have a child?
Did you maintain a fitness programme? Lose a little weight? Eat more healthily?
Have you been in touch with old friends this year? Did you make some new ones?
Did you make time to go to concerts, read novels, go to the theatre, go dancing?

Even if some of these questions don’t spark memories of your best moments. Force yourself to think about your achievements and times when you were proud of yourself. Most people find they are pleasantly surprised to remember how much they have achieved over the past year.

Customer Reviews

Simple and intelligent self-help book that really works
In exactly the way the author claims, this book has really helped me improve my life over the last 12 months. The strength of this book is its powerful simplicity. Many of the ideas, suggestions and techniques can be found elsewhere in many other popular self-help writings, but Jinny Ditzler's approach inspires action almost effortlessly. Compared to other similar books, it is almost impossible to read this without making at least one or two of her lists which then empowers you to make positive life changes.

A criticism might be that it is fairly basic stuff that we know already, but answering the various lists of questions here brings new clarity and confidence about what is going on, or not going on, in one's life. Parts one and two are preparation for "the ten best year yet questions" in part three. These are basically all about looking honestly at your life, seeing clearly what works and what doesn't, then setting clear and specific goals in different areas over the next 12 months.

If, like me, you are someone who loves reading these kind of books but finds that it often seems to take rather a lot of hard work to put the ideas into practice, I recommend Your Best Year Yet! Inevitably I did not achieve some of my goals for the last 12 months, but the considerable improvements I did make (plus increased clarity about goals for the future) were partly due to getting a realistic focus from this book.

Very motivating. Just what you need to get yourself to focus
If like me you are one of those people who have lots of big ideas but can't seem to get going, this book will make sure you get off your back side and do something about it. It is structured according to lists and written plans, not just a pie in the sky dream list. The "Best Year Yet" plan ensures that you have scrutinised those areas of your life that really need attention. It helps you determine your priorities and provides you with tools to make sure you get things done. I had complete faith in the author. She drops in anecdotes from her life, and from the lives of her clients (she runs BYY seminars) so that you feel you are not alone. We are real people, with real problems and obstacles to overcome. Jinny has written an excellent self-help book. I read it in one sitting and have been inspired to write my own BYY plans. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.

You'll need longer than 3 hours.
I liked this book for the excitement that the process of working out my goals and priorities created for me. I originally started the process in August and by December I had made some very good progress. It is motivating and clear to have the 1 page 'best year yet' plan.

The one significant flaw for me was the rather hopeful promise that it was possible to have a plan for the year put together in just three hours. I don't believe it would be possible to do such a plan that wouldn't need significant revision somewhere further along the line.

Overall I feel this is a good book, however I find that I needed about a week to do the plan properly. Also I needed to bolster the content with other texts concerning goal setting for me to be able to put a considered plan together.