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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Creating Your Best Life is the only research-based book on the topic of goals and happiness and it has found receptive audiences worldwide. Filled with interactive exercises and quizzes, it helps readers set and accomplish life list goals and understand the link between goal accomplishment and happiness, also known as Positive Psychology. In a step-by-step fashion, the book teaches readers how to coach themselves on how to set goals in 16 life domains, as well as take control of their environment to maximise their chances of success.
About the Author
Caroline Adams Miller, MAPP, an internationally known coach and speaker on the topic of goals and happiness, appears regularly on television and in newspapers and magazines. She had a regular spot on XM Radio, and is a regular happiness expert in the media, as well as an instructor in Positive Psychology at the University of Texas Executive Management School. For 20 years, Dr. Michael B. Frisch has been a professor, Positive Psychology coach and clinical psychologist in Baylor University's department of psychology and neuroscience. He developed the Quality of Life Inventory or QOLI®, a well-validated measure of life satisfaction.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
"Creating Your Best Life" by Caroline Miller is a heartfelt book that is akin to having a portable mentor. This is because "Creating Your Best Life" contains some novel ideas on combining personal dreams with practicality. I have been fortunate in being able to live on my own since the age of 19. However, I admit that I have learned various lessons through a combination of trial and error, logic, and intuition. From my humble perspective, "Creating Your Life" includes information that I am thankful to be aware of now, but that I only wish I knew much sooner. The following is a microcosmic sampler of what is discussed from an expansive range of helpful data:
Pages eight to twenty-seven: Michael Phelps and Lou Holtz are two men that are listed as case studies on how they achieve their goals. Miller and Frisch also share tips on building efficacy.
Pages thirty-six to eighty-five: The mood-boosting effects of "Best Self" journaling are discussed. In a happy way, the "Best Self" exercise reminds me of the "Journal of the Future" exercise listed in "The Vision Board" by Joyce Schwarz. There is a feature story regarding what inspired the singer of the Plain White T's to sing "Hey There Delilah." "Goal scrapbooks", "Happiness Houses", and willpower boosters are only a few of the exciting concepts covered in this section.
Pages two hundred and seven to two-hundred and fifty-four: Miller and Frisch share their advice on how to savor life. The suggestion on page 208 to discontinue making upward social comparisons resonated strongly with me. Techniques on personal reinvention on pages 213-220 are also exciting to me. Last, but not least, doing the "Three Blessings" exercise on page 254 boosted my mood.
"Creating Your Best Life" byCaroline Adams Miller and Dr. Michael Frisch is best for those who enjoy having a "portable mentor" and/or reading unique ideas on increasing personal quality of life.
Pages eight to twenty-seven: Michael Phelps and Lou Holtz are two men that are listed as case studies on how they achieve their goals. Miller and Frisch also share tips on building efficacy.
Pages thirty-six to eighty-five: The mood-boosting effects of "Best Self" journaling are discussed. In a happy way, the "Best Self" exercise reminds me of the "Journal of the Future" exercise listed in "The Vision Board" by Joyce Schwarz. There is a feature story regarding what inspired the singer of the Plain White T's to sing "Hey There Delilah." "Goal scrapbooks", "Happiness Houses", and willpower boosters are only a few of the exciting concepts covered in this section.
Pages two hundred and seven to two-hundred and fifty-four: Miller and Frisch share their advice on how to savor life. The suggestion on page 208 to discontinue making upward social comparisons resonated strongly with me. Techniques on personal reinvention on pages 213-220 are also exciting to me. Last, but not least, doing the "Three Blessings" exercise on page 254 boosted my mood.
"Creating Your Best Life" byCaroline Adams Miller and Dr. Michael Frisch is best for those who enjoy having a "portable mentor" and/or reading unique ideas on increasing personal quality of life.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
28 reviews
47 of 48 people found the following review helpful
persisting at meaningful life challenges
25 Feb 2009
Format:Hardcover
There are far too many self-help books out there and in recent years, an abundance of books on happiness. Miller & Frisch distinguish their book from the pack. It is nearly impossible to read this book without reflecting on your life goals, what exists in your life that facilitates them, what obstacles get in the way, what successes can you build on from your past, and most interestingly, what occurs on the fringes of conscious awareness that pushes you toward your goals or pulls you away from them. Despite studying and teaching positive psychology for nearly a decade, I found myself scribbling all over the pages. By the time I finished, a list of new life goals emerged, elaborating new meaningful themes to direct my limited time and energy.
I suspect people are skeptical of a book titled "Creating your best life" and they should be. The authors seem to beckon skepticism and in response, do an excellent job of providing the scientific basis for the main points and exercises in every chapter. The reason that this book is compelling is that it has great forward momentum. If you ever read a book written by scientists, you know that smooth prose is the exception not the rule. This book is an easy read (and I mean this as a profound compliment). Guided by ample scientific research, this book provides the necessary tools for someone to immediately improve their quality of life.
I suspect people are skeptical of a book titled "Creating your best life" and they should be. The authors seem to beckon skepticism and in response, do an excellent job of providing the scientific basis for the main points and exercises in every chapter. The reason that this book is compelling is that it has great forward momentum. If you ever read a book written by scientists, you know that smooth prose is the exception not the rule. This book is an easy read (and I mean this as a profound compliment). Guided by ample scientific research, this book provides the necessary tools for someone to immediately improve their quality of life.
37 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Highly recommended for life coaches and their clients
10 July 2009
Format:Hardcover
A good book that brings some sanity and science to the world of self-help. They present a number of strategies that won't be new to anyone familiar with self-help and life coaching.
Outstanding chapter on "prime," i.e, environmental influences on behavior. For instance, people made different choices when a briefcase was on a table than when a backpack was in the same place.
Best parts:
Good discussion goals and the inadequacy of the "SMART" goal acronym.
Excellent chapter on "grit" and determination.
Based on solid research, not just a series of anecdotes.
Nice worksheets and exercises.
Weak points:
As in most self-help books, the authors give examples of people who were rewarded by doing the "right" thing. For instance, they show people who benefited from taking risks. By definition, risks can have negative consequences, too. I would like to see some examples of people who took risks that did not work out, but turned the situation around or were glad they took the risk. Colette Dowling's book, The Cinderella Complex, includes a cautionary tale of the wrong kind of risk-taking.
The chapter on relationships is geared toward the "married with children" set. Considerable research shows that making friends has become increasingly difficult. Adding friends on Facebook or connections on LinkedIn rarely leads to meaningful relationships; they're more helpful for business and career.
The discussion of retirement follows the stereotype that older people want to trade off money for "doing good."
Many action suggestions are impractical. For instance, The section on neighborhood makes suggestions that will be difficult for many people especially those living in a city.
Definitely recommended with a caveat that some strategies will be challenging to apply to your own life.
Outstanding chapter on "prime," i.e, environmental influences on behavior. For instance, people made different choices when a briefcase was on a table than when a backpack was in the same place.
Best parts:
Good discussion goals and the inadequacy of the "SMART" goal acronym.
Excellent chapter on "grit" and determination.
Based on solid research, not just a series of anecdotes.
Nice worksheets and exercises.
Weak points:
As in most self-help books, the authors give examples of people who were rewarded by doing the "right" thing. For instance, they show people who benefited from taking risks. By definition, risks can have negative consequences, too. I would like to see some examples of people who took risks that did not work out, but turned the situation around or were glad they took the risk. Colette Dowling's book, The Cinderella Complex, includes a cautionary tale of the wrong kind of risk-taking.
The chapter on relationships is geared toward the "married with children" set. Considerable research shows that making friends has become increasingly difficult. Adding friends on Facebook or connections on LinkedIn rarely leads to meaningful relationships; they're more helpful for business and career.
The discussion of retirement follows the stereotype that older people want to trade off money for "doing good."
Many action suggestions are impractical. For instance, The section on neighborhood makes suggestions that will be difficult for many people especially those living in a city.
Definitely recommended with a caveat that some strategies will be challenging to apply to your own life.
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Create your own life
22 July 2009
Format:Hardcover
If you are looking for a book to help you draw out a map of your future, this is it. I have always been big about writing out goals and achieving them. This one task has kept put me on a track to achieve success in many areas of life. Like losing 60 pounds, acquiring a large net worth, becoming debt free, having a happy marriage, and many other smaller things. I believe you will never get any where unless you know where you are going. I have read several books on writing goals and this one is by far the best. This books author connects the research on goal setting with the new science of positive psychology, giving us all the tools we could ever need to move ahead in life and keep going past every setback or challenge that will occur. The book is based on research not on the authors personal opinion. That is what I like about the book, it is backed by science and statistics. The book gives you seventeen areas of life to construct your priorities with from health, self-esteem, values, spiritual life, money, work, play, learning, creativity, service, love, friends, children, relatives, home, neighborhood, and community. It will allow you to focus your time and energy on areas that you find most important. The back of the book has several exercises you can go through to get your creative juices flowing along with a 100 item "bucket list" you can create for yourself. This book really shows you step by step what you will need to achieve your goals. You will need to develop willpower, you will see how to get it. You have to take educated risks. You will need relationships with people that support you in your goals. You have to have the grit to not quit when setbacks occur. See how to write your own brief but powerful mission statement. Celebrate the wins along your journey. The speed bumps might slow you down but do not let them stop you. This book covers all these principles in great detail. This is one of the five books I will give to my children on their 18th birthday. I wish I would have had this book when I was young. I did have a book about written goals and it has been a powerful life guiding principle for me for the past twenty. I will return to this book for many years as I accomplish my bucket list. This is a book that will change your life if you let it.
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