Overview

Live the life you want, not the life you settle for.

Helping people build healthy new habits that improve their lives is more important than ever. Arianna Huffington launched Thrive Global to do just that–Thrive’s specific mission is to end the epidemic of stress and burnout and help individuals and companies unlock their greatest potential. Science continues to show that we don’t have to sacrifice our well-being in order to succeed; in fact, it turns out that well-being is critical to peak performance. Learning to thrive means:

• Moving from awareness to action – from knowing what to do to actually doing it
• Embracing solutions that appeal to wisdom, wonder, intuition, reflection, and are steeped in science
• Taking the time to rest and recover in order to fuel and maximize productivity, both personal and professional
• Making the mindset shifts and habit changes that supercharge performance in ways that truly matter to us

Eschewing trendy self-care fixes or the latest health fads, Your Time to Thrive is the revolutionary guide to living and working based on Microsteps–tiny, science-backed changes. By making them too-small-to fail, we can incorporate them into our daily lives right away, and begin building healthier ways of living and working. This book is a Microstep bible. With chapters dedicated to sleep, nutrition, movement, focus and prioritization, communication and relationships, unplugging and recharging, creativity and inspiration, and purpose/meaning, Your Time to Thrive shares practical, usable, research-supported mini-habits that will yield huge benefits and empower people to truly thrive in all parts of their lives.

Review

Disclaimer: Although I received a digital galley edition of this book from the publisher, the opinions below are my own.

When COVID-19 arrived, I already worked from home and set my own hours. It meant I didn’t need to adjust to the “new normal” thrust upon us. But that didn’t mean that my life doesn’t need some assistance. I don’t eat properly, my Smartphone is almost permanently attached to me, and I know I should exercise more. Furthermore, I find it near impossible to form a new habit and stick with it. How was Your Time to Thrive going to help me?

The answer possibly lies in what Thrive calls Microsteps. It takes a big goal – such as getting better quality sleep, for example – and breaks it down into small actionable steps. When I read this, I was reminded of the question, “How do you eat an elephant?” The answer is, “One bite at a time.” And I was on the right lines, because the elephant question came up later in the book. By breaking the goal into Microsteps, it’s possible to feel that maybe it isn’t such a huge goal after all, and that they aren’t huge life changes. “Hey, maybe it really is only a small thing. Maybe I can do this.”

The book has eight chapters, each dedicated to an aspect of life. Each chapter contains quotes from entrepreneurs to celebrities on the featured topic, and a story from a Thrive team member who adopted a particular Microstep. I’d come across much of the advice previously, so you probably won’t find much that’s new to you either. Eat better, exercise more, meditate, turn off the phone, and don’t multitask. But it all felt a little different. Firstly, it was written during COVID when so many people have gone through massive changes in their lives in such a short time. Secondly, it’s that attitude of Microsteps and the idea that you don’t need to undertake another massive change.

Chapter one is on sleep. At the time of writing this review, I’m undertaking some of the Microsteps listed. I already had a caffeine cut off time (although I didn’t always stick with it), and I do have a nightly alarm to start me on my bedtime prep (although I don’t always pay attention to it.) I decided to turn off my phone and leave it in the living room. It wasn’t easy. My first step was to talk myself out of all the reasons why I had to take my phone into the bedroom and leave it on. Yes, there are downsides. I don’t have a clock in the bedroom, so I don’t know what time it is when I wake up during the night. I can’t check the day’s date when it comes to journaling before bed. (The fix to that is writing something every day.) The upside is that I don’t automatically turn to my phone when I wake up. Instead, I now slowly stretch and enter the day. And I must get out of bed when the urge to get my phone becomes too much. Which in these COVID times means I don’t laze away a good part of my day!

Overall, I like Your Time to Thrive because of the focus on Microsteps. It’s a simple read, and easy to consume. Ironically, for a book that advocates getting away from the constant demands of technology where possible, I read it on an e-reader. Ideally, I’d have a paper copy so I could highlight various passages and check off various Microsteps, so I have a sense of accomplishment over each one. Is this a book which will work for everyone? It’s hard to tell. Will it help me? Ask me after twenty-one days if I’ve developed any new and healthy habits!

Rating

4/5

Product Information

Publisher: Hachette Go (an imprint of Hachette Books)

Publication Date: 23 March 2021

Information

Pages: 272