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Book Review

Today Matters

12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow’s Success.

Warner Books —2004 (312 pages in hardback)

Author John C. Maxwell

ISBN 0-446-52958-3

John Maxwell is a unique author who has been able to make the subject of spirituality acceptable in the study of leadership. His background in the religious world always brings a different perspective into his writings like in his highly successful book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

In Today Matters, Maxwell again taps into his deep personal philosophies of the essential value of sound decision-making and discipline. This book lists 12 daily practices (he calls them the “Daily Dozen”) which can help the reader to build a better life. He believes it is not only important to make good decisions but also to know what decisions to make and this requires a daily agenda. He defines success as, “If you make a few key decisions and manage them well in your daily agenda, you will succeed.” His successful philosophy is based on the belief that the right things we do today will give us a better tomorrow. With an optimistic perspective he believes that any given day can become a masterpiece, a term he borrows from former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. This book is written around what Maxwell believes are the two ingredients of a daily masterpiece… good decisions and daily discipline.

Today Matters is fourteen chapters long and twelve of them focus on the individual practices that should be embraced each day. These include attitude, priorities, health, family, thinking, commitment, finances, faith, relationships, generosity, values and growth. He discusses these twelve practices in detail, and each chapter ends with exercises which can help you to apply them to your life. In the book’s conclusion, Maxwell emphasizes that “it’s impossible to tackle all twelve at the same time”. He provides direction on how to slowly incorporate the “Daily Dozen” and presents a way to rate your present progress. This book is easy to read and Maxwell’s many personal stories and famous quotations make it a delight to study.

If you are wondering how you can glean the most out of each day of life and reorient your priorities, Today Matters is just the book you are looking for.

weLEAD rating – highly recommended

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