How to Plan Your Life

Author:        Jim Davidson

Publisher:     Gospel Publishing

Reviewer:           Goke Ilesanmi

Those who fail to plan are simply planning to fail. This is because planning is very critical to the ability to realise set goals. This is why I want us to X-ray this book tagged “How to Plan Your Life” this week. It is written by Jim Davidson, a human-resource consultant and professional speaker. Davidson is a reputable motivational author who has given inspiration to more than 1, 600 audiences with his powerful messages of self-improvement.

In this book, Davidson suggests how you can think about your life plan and what you can do to prepare yourself for your life work.  According to him, success means different things to different people. He says there are two distinct areas to consider when talking about success. These, he educates, are the person and the career, job, or activities in which the person wants to be successful.

This book has six parts of 23 chapters. Part one is labelled Who Am I? and contains three chapters. Chapter is entitled A new beginning. Here, Davidson says there are three questions you first need to consider. These are: Why did you pick up this book and start reading it? Where are you in terms of age, education, attitude, and past achievements? When it comes to making life-changing decisions and choices, who will you believe?

He advises you to have a positive mental attitude and look at life and future optimistically. Davidson says unless you are building your life and future on truth, you are definitely building on sand, and nothing of it will stand.

In chapters two and three of this book, he examines the concepts of self-image and how it controls your life; and why goals are important for you in life.

The second part of this book is generically labelled Where Am I? and contains four chapters, that is, chapters four to seven. According to Davidson in chapter four entitled Time for a check-up: Your personal inventory, in most cases, it is impossible to develop a plan to get where you want to go unless you first determine where you are. He says by taking time for a check-up in your own life now, you should have a better understanding of what talents and resources you have available as you plan for your future.

In chapters five to seven, Davidson examines the concepts of the human mind and how it functions; the power of choice as your greatest power; and good health as the key to long-lasting success.

Part three is conceptually summarised as Where Am I Going in Life? and contains four chapters, that is, chapters eight to 11. In chapter eight entitled The prelude to success: What success means to you, Davidson says one word that everybody is fond of talking about is Success. According to him, success has become more problematic since we became a highly mobilised, technologically advanced society. He adds that parents and educators have long known the value of teaching the importance of good character, but have neglected the value of teaching the importance, that is, success skills.

In chapters nine to 11, Davidson discusses how to achieve success by meeting the needs of others; how to set and reach goals; and asks if goals can be too big.

The fourth part of this book is notionally summarised as How will I get there? and contains three chapters, that is, chapters 12 to 14.

According to Davidson in chapter 12 entitled A career or a job?, you must decide how you wish to travel – by means of a career or a job.  He says since many of your goals require money, you will have to earn this money by providing a product or service to other people. “The vehicle or means you will use to earn this money will be either a career or a job. Since there is a vast difference between a career and a job in terms of potential benefits, I want you to see clearly what each involves….,” submits this author.

In chapters 13 and 14, Davidson examines natural laws and how they affect our lives; and the demands of true and long-lasting success.

Part five of this book is generically christened What kind of person will I be? and contains five chapters, that is, chapters 15 to 19.

In chapter 15 entitled Self-examination: Values, priorities, and rewards, Davidson says he hopes you are excited about the new and beautiful things that are going to happen in your life as you set in motion the goals and plans you have established for yourself.

In chapters 16 to 19, Davidson discusses concepts such as spiritual life as an untapped power; the role of the traditional American family; and the income for present need and future security.

The last part of this book, that is, part six, is summarily labelled What must I do to make success happen? and contains four chapters, that is, chapters 20 to 23.

In chapter 20 entitled Managing and using time, Davidson asserts that as you begin each new day of your life, one thing that you have in common with every other living person is the same amount of time. “If you want to use your time wisely as you seek success, you must understand that time is money,” reflects this motivator. He adds that the actual value of your time is determined by the size of your goals and your commitment to them.

In chapters 21 to 23, Davidson examines concepts such as the force of personal habits; good communication skills; and the life-long process of continuing education. He says for a person to be willing to successful, there must be a strong motivating desire to implement previous education, adding: “To be a well-rounded, well-educated person requires a balance of educational activities.”

Regarding the assessment of ideas discussed, the book can be said to be very rich. Stylistically, this book is a success. The language maintains free flow and the syntax well-ordered. Davidson employs biblical and classical/literary allusions to reinforce the messages and achieve concrete conviction. To ensure that every reader practically participates, he includes Food for thought segment where he radiates philosophical and reflective messages.

However, an error of notional redundancy is noticed in the last paragraph of page 42. Maybe Davidson deliberately uses it for emphasis. If you want to achieve success through effective planning, then you need to get a copy of this masterpiece.

GOKE ILESANMI (FIMC, CMC), CEO of Gokmar Communication Consulting, is an International Platinum Columnist, Professional Public Speaker, Career Mgt Coach and Certified Mgt Consultant. He is also a Book Reviewer, Biographer and Editorial Consultant.

Tel: 08055068773; 08187499425

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