Book Review – Career Intensity

I’d like to tell you about David Lorenzo’s new book, Career Intensity. It’s brand new and now available. But before I go into any of the content, I want to comment about the density of this book about intensity.

Whatever David is charging for this book, ($18.87 at Amazon) it is well worth it and more. While most writers (present company included) share X amount of information spaced out with, well, space, Career Intensity is packed – packed!

There’s so much good stuff in this book it could be three books. No one will say, “Where’s the Beef?” It’s thick with insights, tips, and solid info.

I like the no nonsense layout too. This is a great book to take with you on the plane and open anywhere and read. It’s a great book to use as an afternoon pick-me-up and perfect when complimented with your favorite coffee drink (like a venti non-fat almond latte – yum). I am not suggesting the book requires caffeine, by the way, I just love afternoon lattes. :-)

Did I already say it’s phat and FAT with useful stuff?

I talked to David on the phone a while back. He I asked him why he wrote Career Intensity and I loved what he said. The book was born from a bunch of handouts and notes that he had put together over the years. He offered people copies here and there. Some requested additional copies to share because they found the information really helpful. He wrote the book because the requests were getting voluminous. What does this mean? This is a PULL book – created to satisfy a need – versus a PUSH book (most are push books).

I thought I would share a bit about one chapter for now as it would be too difficult to summarize the book in one post (did I tell you it is packed?). I really like Chapter 4, which is called Attack Your Goals. Here are a few interesting and intriguing quotes from the chapter:

People with career intensity distinguish themselves from the rest of the world by the way they view success. A superachiever does not allow society to determine her worth. Instead, she views success through her own lens – and a unique and specific lens at that.

I agree that how we define success makes a big difference to the success that we experience.

You should view goal setting just as you would view planning a long trip. Before you set out on your journey, you look at a map to make sure you understand where you need to go. On that map there may be several different routes that will lead you to your destination. Before you leave you home and get on the road, you check each of the various routes and select one that you believe will get you to your destination in and fastest and most direct fashion. You may change course several times during your journey, but the knowledge that you will arrive at your destination is never in doubt. You know that you have a good plan to get there within a specific time frame. This is exactly how you should view the goal setting process – as a process of building a roadmap for success. The knowledge that you will reach your destination should never be in doubt.

I like this guidance of being flexible to take alternative routes and that only great upfront planning can ensure that you know about and have the knowledge needed to make course corrections. An important time to look at various routes is during planning, it might be too late once you have that “oh-shoot” moment. Flexible, but still focused and self-assured.

When talking about their goals, part of the obsession top performers describe is the need to take a single step – no matter how small – each day toward achieving their dreams. Each day, these unique individuals perform at least one action that gives them perspective and moves them closer to their ultimate goals.

Amen David! The 2 Weeks to a Breakthrough Program is built on this principle of the power of small daily acts. Very powerful.

And here is a great quote under the equally interesting heading, Preparing for Limitless Possibilities.

There is a question you need to ask yourself each day as you review your goals. This question is central to your ability to make your ambitions become reality. That question is, “What are you prepared to do?”

That’s an excellent question and one many people don’t consider. One final quote from Chapter 4:

When you seek challenge, you end up gaining achievement. By welcoming each challenge, you’re expressing and expanding your own confidence in a way that is truly genuine and enduring.

In my phone and email conversations with David, I have found him to be genuine and his thoughts will surely endure. I would recommend Career Intensity to anyone who wants to take charge of and improve his or her success and experience at work. Heck, that should be everyone, right? Get the book from Amazon here. Check out David’s blog, Career Intensity, here.

Still with me? Here’s a bonus quote. In the back of the book, David has a glossary of terms. Some of them are quite amusing. Here’s my favorite:

Boiling the Ocean: This means conducting too much analysis of a situation. People who boil the ocean tend to become paralyzed by the amount of information they possess. This creates difficulty in decision making.

Boiling the ocean… funny… I have know quite a few boilers in my time….

Comments

[Eric]

I love this quote:

"When talking about their goals, part of the obsession top performers describe is the need to take a single step – no matter how small – each day toward achieving their dreams. Each day, these unique individuals perform at least one action that gives them perspective and moves them closer to their ultimate goals."

This is exactly where I am right now. I spent so many years trying to get too much done at one time and getting little done. Now, I pick 1 or 2 tasks that I can complete and I am content with the incremental progress. I am starting to see results that are going beyond my expectations.

Thanks for the recommendation. I will have to pick up a copy.

Eric

[Lisa Haneberg]

Eric - Thanks for sharing your process. In the 2 Weeks to a Breakthrough Program, participants complete 2 actions, everyday, that support their goals. These can be tiny or big, but they need to do two every day. Give it a try!