Martin Meadows

Some self-help books are more in the line of "well that won't work for me, but if I tweak it..." this is one of those for me. Early mornings and cold showers will never be a feature of my life. Some of the ideas are good but it's a book to encourage you to think about how you do some things. A book for inspiration and sometimes that inspiration is that these are not you. Self-help is partially about learning that one size does not fit all.

This is an example of a book with a very good title, but little else. The author appears to have done hardly any research, mostly tells you stuff any writer would know, and the good advice — much of it is very good — is obvious. For example, you should sleep well. Eat fruit and vegetables. Exercise. Take breaks while writing. There is one bit of advice he gives — and he’s passionate about this — you should self-publish your book, as he did. Basically because, well, you make more show more money because you get a higher percentage of sales. He neglects to say that (a) maybe books by traditional publishers actually sell more copies than self-published ones in most cases and you’re in partnership with a business that is also trying to make money from your book and (b) not everyone loves to do marketing. Other than emphasising that one should get up early and have a word count target, there’s pretty much nothing else to say about “self discipline for writers” or anyone else. Not recommended. show less

How To Build Self-discipline is a book that does just as the label says. The e-book is by Martin Meadows, a man who uses a pen name and one that has dedicated his life to constantly reinventing himself through personal growth activities. This is someone who has walked the talk and here he offers readers some practical advice in an easy-to-read format that is nicely summarised at the end of each chapter and above all, is easy to follow.

Meadows does not spend a lot of time going into the dry, show more scientific studies that provide proof for a lot of the phenomena he describes. Instead, he uses lots of annotations and focuses on the “how”. He looks at why we are motivated by instant gratification and the status quo and how we can be overwhelmed by decision fatigue. He offers good advice on how to be more mindful about making decisions and how visualising and mediating on realistic, long-term goals and forming habits can achieve enduring results.

The book could use a little more elaboration at times and possibly some diagrams to really hit Meadows’ message home. But that said, the book does offer some helpful advice to people who want to change the way they think and act. How to Build Self-discipline is a great starting point and inspirational tool that will enable its readers to employ real and lasting changes in their lives.

***Please note: a free copy of this book was given to the writer through a Library Thing giveaway. show less

This book is a quick read, with lots of useful tips on how to develop self-discipline. A lot of the tips are common sense and organized in a manner that makes it easy to follow. I particularly liked the “re-cap” section at the end of each chapter.

The author recommends a few tips that are not for the faint of heart (or diabetics in the chapter about fasting).

Overall, I do think this is a great book to get you started on the road to a more disciplined lifestyle.