The 15-Second Principle: Short, Simple Steps to Achieving Long-Term Goals

by Al Secunda

Book Overview

A simple motivational plan shows how quick and basic steps can lead to complex and achievable goals, discussing how just working fifteen seconds a day on an aim can lead to positive change and real success.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425165051
• ISBN13: 9780425165058
• Release Date: May 1999
• Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
• Length: 157 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Tying it all together

You've been here, looking for the next book that's going to change the way you think, which will change the way you live. You've read book after book and learned a lot. You've even applied the tools you've learned in a hit-or-miss fashion and benefited greatly. This book ties it all together - it's a bridge from Eckhart Tolle's "Now" to Napoleon Hill's "Rich." Mostly, it's about one simple question: Am I having fun? I've got a dream project that had languished for a while. Al Secundo reminded me why I wanted to do the project in the first place - I thought it would be fun. I made a 15-second commitment and gave myself permission to stop as soon as I quit having fun. The results were amazing - especially compared to the old state of mind I used to bring to the work. Will this change my life? Or yours? I believe it's possible and here's why: He diagnosed my past failures better and more completely than anyone else. I come at performance from a place of anxiety - it's been my fuel and I've done some good work, as well as spurts of excellence, but I've lived like a starving man worrying where he'll get his next meal. Al says excellence can be nourishing, not draining. It can be freeing, not confining. All we have to do is take that 15 seconds to remember our dreams and remember they're supposed to be fun. This is no quick fix guide. It's a fundamental shift in thinking and it's not easy. But I believe in my gut that it's TRUE.

Read THIS book!

if you've ever spent 15 seconds procrastinating, overwhelmed, complaining, regretting, worrying, blaming, etc., then you've got to read this book.Al Secunda has written a powerful little guide for anyone wanting to have a richer, fuller, more rewarding life. Although the subject matter is profound, Al writes in a conversational, easy-to-read manner. Humorous stories are used to convey deep, meaningful insights and lessons, making it not only informative, but entertaining. The tests and exercises are easy to follow. This book flows well. I found it hard to put down. If you're like me, you've probably read many other books of this type, but it's the actual 15 second principle itself that is truly different and not something I've seen or read elsewhere. Al Secunda used his years of personal and professional experience to develop this concept that is so simple, it's brilliant ! Most of all, it WORKS! Before even finishing this book, I was able to not only begin, but complete a big project I previously dreaded so much I had put it off for over a year-and I did it in far less time than I initially thought it would take! I can't say I was so motivated by any of the other books I'd read. Read THIS book!

Recommended

I'm a sucker for motivational books, only to find they are all idealistic and impractical rubbish. But this one is not one of those. It is by far the best of its type that I have read.

Fun, fantastic freeway to dream achievement!

I keep re-reading the funny stories and find something new every time. It is a human, humane way of taking that first step - over and over again - just showing up and making a dream happen one small mini-action at a time. It is so doable, that is what I love about it. It is about forgiving ourselves and taking another action - 15 seconds at a time is so easy.

THE BEST investment you can make in yourself

The best praise for a self-help book is to describe how much and how quickly your life changes direction for the better. I started reading "The 15 Second Principle" seven weeks ago, and since day one, it has helped me to realize my dream project, the creation of a unique computer game. The problem was that I wanted to start, but had been procrastinating for over three years. Now daily progess is being made, and it THRILLS me; I am finally feeling fulfillment in this important area of my life. (It's also exciting to see friends who've read the book realize their dream projects as well.)The technique is so simple, and related so artfully, that it gently chipped through all the barriers my mind had erected: "There's not enough time"; "There's too much to do"; "It has to be perfect"; "I'm not good enough"; "Who am I to be doing what I love to do?"If I had to choose a favorite part of the book, it would have to be the unusual celebrity stories. Maybe it's because Al Secunda is a gifted storyteller. Maybe it's because the stories are inherently entertaining. But the underlying ideas jolt to life when you can relate to someone who is familiar and successful (and imperfect).I recommend this book without hesitation to anyone who has a seemingly unapproachable dream, goal, or passion. The book is wise, intelligent, entertaining, and comes from the heart. Put another way, "The 15 Second Principle" is THE BEST investment you can make in yourself. I feel so strongly about it, that I am adding my full name and e-mail address to these thoughts.