“Regardless of your economic status or your educational background, this guide will help anyone who has a genuine desire to create a plan for success,” writes Onyx Jones in the introduction to The Unofficial Guide to Achieving Your Goals. For some authors, this would be simply a rote phrase to promote still another how-to book on following your passion or crafting a career plan. For Jones, a former homeless single mom who is now a successful entrepreneur and accountant, it’s as real as it gets.
As she delineates her ideas for the path to success, the author first recommends finding a goals partner —not just anyone, but a person who energizes, encourages and supports you no matter what. Subsequent chapters offer short assignments along with advice on seeking and studying a successful role model in your field, using creative visualization techniques (e.g., imagine a broom sweeping away negative thoughts, then being stored when the clutter is gone) and ridding yourself of the fear of making, and losing, money. Chapter 6, which covers finances, serves as a great mini-tutorial on saving, creating a budget and living within your means.
Subtly spiritual at times, The Unofficial Guide emphasizes the importance of good intentions, positive goals, gratitude, finding your true purpose and working toward the greater good to get to a place “where you wake up in the morning and say ‘I love my life.’”
Readers who crave the back story may find themselves wishing Jones had revealed the details about her life as a homeless mom. Did she use these or similar steps to turn things around? Does she wish she’d read a book like this back then? Still, the nearly flawless writing and content of this fast-paced guidebook are sure to inspire entrepreneurs, students and anyone else interested in breaking down scary goals into manageable steps. The only real downside to this short book is that it ends much too soon.
Also available as an ebook.
