I received this in exchange for an honest review. I felt like Shelley was my personal coach, leading me by the hand through what I needed to make things happen in my life. Many of the things she talks about *aren't* new. But, she phrases them in her way and that resonated with me. Rather than a pie-in-the-sky view, "Here's what you should do," she was down in the trenches with me, gently leading me along and giving me a push when I needed. I need to do the work. But she couldn't make it any easier! ( )

I tried, I really, really did. Apparently, I wasn't even motivated enough to succeed in finishing this book. Or, it could have been the changing of the tenses through out the first quarter of the book that I couldn't get through, or maybe it was the constant selling of herself as someone else mentioned in their review. Hopefully, this book gets another editing prior to wide distribution!

I was charmed to get a review copy of this book in January of this year. The author had written a self-help weight loss book, and I was interested in succeeding in other areas (though most Americans could benefit from successful weight loss). Generic success is something we hear widely discussed, but it's not success unless it's highly specific.

I found it more anecdotal than abstract and generic, and some readers will prefer that strongly. Sentences with the first and second person were prominent for those of us who look for almost exclusively third person writing. I was surprised to see that one of the author's early reviewers is someone who had worked with me ages ago (immediately after our 9/11 soul searching period).

Interesting. I suspect that reading this will be beneficial to a number of readers. I won't say that it will be the better or even best use of a person's time, but it will be (I suspect) both interesting and possibly enjoyable) and potentially advantaging to those committed to 'make it work' in their own lives. ( )

Shelley Wilson has shared her secrets toward success. Success is writing books, blogs, public speaking along with raising children. One common criticism of self-help books by friends is that they lack a personal plan and tracking system. Shelley has broken this tradition by sharing all of her secrets along with pitfalls in her journey. If you are looking for a book which is a personal guide to success, then her book is for you. She has written about specific aspects about her journey which are typically not included in self-help books. I enjoyed her enthusiasm and motivation to keep fighting to succeed regardless of the obstacles before her. I recommend the book to anyone looking for a successful plan to motivate oneself toward overcoming any obstacle. ( )

How I Motivated Myself to Succeed is written in the combined style of blog entries and memoir. Early in the book, the author mentions she is a Reiki Master, and I expected a different voice and tone in the book. I found that coaching voice of a holistic practitioner in the chapters, " Motivate Me!" and "Be A Winner!". I found them to be very valuable; especially the defined acronym she shares for "MOTIVATE," the "12-month productivity plan" and "52 weeks in a year (use them wisely)", all provided practical advice. I found useful information in this book for someone learning to apply motivation skills to their life. Thank you for selecting me to receive this ebook as an Early Reviewer. ( )