How Full Is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath

7 stars

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Gallup Press; 1 edition (August 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595620036
• ISBN-13: 978-1595620033
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches

At first glance, you would have thought this thin book has little substance. 128 pages with almost every alternate page of a quote with a picture of a bucket, you might think you have been ripped off. However, happiness in life often lies in simplicity and one does not have to find all ways and means to be happy. This book is about that. Just a simple theory about a life that is a bucket and how happy you are depends on how full is your bucket.

The theory originated from Don Clifton, a psychologist who focused on the positivities in life to to promote happiness. The theory of the Dipper and the Bucket centralizes on the fact we have buckets to fill but often, we use our dippers to empty them. The book is split into 6 main chapters and their summaries are as follows:

Chapter 1: Negativity Kills
The chapter begins with history on how American POWs were treated in North Korean camps. Deaths were not caused by torture but an emotionally draining experience of killing relationships. Prisoners were infused with so much negativity that they lost the meaning to live.

Chapter 2: Positivity, Negativity and Productivity
Productivity is powered by positivity. Lack of appreciation, disengagement, unproductiveness can be caused by negativity. And this can spread from one person to another. Hence the dipper theory.

Chapter 3: Every Moment Matters
A good relationship should have a 5:1 positive-to-negative interaction ratio. It's always better to have more positives but an upper limit exists. This is because positivity must be grounded in reality.

Chapter 4: Tom's Story - an overflowing bucket
This part is a short autobiography of the author on his trials and how positivity helped him weather them.

Chapter 5: Making it Personal
There is no one single way to impart positivity to others. You must individualize each attempt,, catering to the target person's character.

Chapter 6: 5 strategies for increasing positive emotions
1. Prevent Bucket Dipping
2. Shine a Light on What is Right - instead of focusing on what went wrong, see what went right
3. Make best friends - have great relationships
4. Give unexpectedly
5. Reverse the golden rule

You can visit www.bucketbook.com for questions, tests and other reading material.

Million Dollar Habits - Brian Tracy

9 stars

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Entrepreneur Press; 1 edition (May 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599180294
• ISBN-13: 978-1599180298
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 i

Despite the title focusing on 'million dollars', Brian Tracy manages to put together an excellent well-rounded book on the topic on personal excellence and how to get there. The main concept of it is that habits get us to where we are and they can be learnt. Brain reveals to us tips on develop ingcrucial lifelong habits to better our life in all aspects - career, personal relationships, finances, fitness etc.

7 Steps to a new habit

1. Make a decision
2. Never allow an exception
3. Tell others (be accountable)
4. Visualisation
5. Affirm self (self talk)
6. Persistent practice
7. Reward to reinforce

The idea is not to overload oneself and take one step at a time, a habit at a time so we won't be overwhelmed. The following are categories of habits that can be developed according to one's wants and aspirations.

Habits to Succeed
- self-discipline
- be an optimist
- be mentally hardy
- know what you want
- be future oriented
- focus on your goals (do goal setting)
- excellence orientation/mastery
- know your key skills
- Develop your weakest skill that is material to your career (weakest skill = slowest pace)
- lifelong learning (read, learn from experts, courses/seminars)
- action oriented
- mix around with the right people

Habits of Millionaires
- take charge of finances
- frugality
- Law of attraction
- Wedge theory (save 50% of future increases)
- Insure

Habits to be paid more and promoted faster
- focus on jobs that are easy to do and easy to learn
- contribution orientation
- seek opportunity vs security
- find/do your ideal job
- Start earlier, end later
- Ask for more responsibility
- Take initiative
- Look like a winner
- Focus on customer service (internal and external)
- Be a good team player
- Help others to improve
- imagine you are self employed
- Be positive and cheerful

Habits of Top Business People
- Clarity
- Set goals and objectives
- Focus on marketing and sales
- Think like a customer
- Flexibility
- 7 points: Plan, organise, find the right people, delegate, inspect, measure, keep others informed.
- be open
- 7 foundations: productivity, customer satisfaction, profitability, quality, employees, organisational development, innovation

Habits for Marketing and Sales Success
- Specialize in one area
- Be different from the rest
- Determine your best potential customers (focus)
- Focus and concentrate on Sales efforts
- 7 Ps: product, price, place, promotion, packaging, positioning, people
- Meet, exceed, delight then amaze your customers
- Referrals and resales are key to profitability

Habits of Personal Effectiveness
- personal strategic planning
- Personal productivity (work hard, fast, smart, efficiently, better, on your strengths
- Focus (why am I paid? What are the high value activities? What only I can do? What is the biggest single contributing thing that i do for the company? What is the best use of my time?)
- Do the important only - Pareto, overcome procrastination, ABCDE method

Habits for Getting Along with Others
- make others feel important
- fearless and spontaneous
- be a relationship expert
- 5 points: acceptance, have gratitude, compliment always, build other's esteem, listen
- prioritize relationships esp with family
- learn forgiveness

Habits for Health and Well-being
- maintain ideal weight
- get rid of 3 white poisons: sugar, salt, flour
- eat right, slowly (> 20mins), timely (heaviest at the start and mid)
- do it slowly and steady
- Exercise
- Relax FULLY when it's time
- Sleep and rise early
- Drink lots of water
- Moderation
- practice solitude

Habits of Character and Leadership
- develop your character
- imagine and act like that ideal
- develop a vision
- aspire
- courage
- responsibility
- honesty and integrity
- 3 primary virtues: Prudence, Just, Benevolent
- Loyalty
- Faith
- Persistence
- Gratitude