Z is for Zeal
I’m doing folklore and book review posts to reach and please a larger audience. Previous years have shown select interest in both and to minimise blogging throughout the year, I’m focusing my efforts on April.
Focusing on an A to Z of my TBR (to be read) list, each letter will have books starting with that letter on my list, a book I’ve read and reviewed (with the review!) and one of my books matching the letter with a link about more info about the book.
If you’d rather check out my folklore post for today, go here.
zeal: eagerness and enthusiastic interest in pursuit of something
Merriam-Webster
My TBR
About the Book I’ve Read
The book I wanted to share today turned out to be awful, so I’m sharing the various non-fiction books I’ve read this year instead. (Focus on self-help.)
About the Book
Brain Lock: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior by Jeffrey M. Schwartz
The definitive classic that has helped more than 400,000 people defeat obsessive-compulsive behavior, with all-new material from the author
An estimated 5 million Americans suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and live diminished lives in which they are compelled to obsess about something or to repeat a similar task over and over. Traditionally, OCD has been treated with Prozac or similar drugs. The problem with medication, aside from its cost, is that 30 percent of people treated don’t respond to it, and when the pills stop, the symptoms invariably return.
In Brain Lock, Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., presents a simple four-step method for overcoming OCD that is so effective, it’s now used in academic treatment centers throughout the world. Proven by brain-imaging tests to actually alter the brain’s chemistry, this method doesn’t rely on psychopharmaceuticals. Instead, patients use cognitive self-therapy and behavior modification to develop new patterns of response to their obsessions. In essence, they use the mind to fix the brain.
Using the real-life stories of actual patients, Brain Lock explains this revolutionary method and provides readers with the inspiration and tools to free themselves from their psychic prisons and regain control of their lives.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
I found this book a great resource in uncovering ways to cope with my OCD. Some things I’d already been doing for years, successfully, for the OCD symptoms I knew. But there were things I didn’t even realise were part of this disease… Such an eye-opener. I also learned how some of my compulsions (e.g. handwashing) affected others (e.g. asking if they’d washed their hands). I’ll be more mindful of this.
There are loads of great quotes to pull from this book.
“Bad habits make a groove in our brain. And those horrible, intrusive thoughts get stuck right in that groove.”
“Our research on people with OCD at UCLA led us to find that, without question, OCD is a neuropsychiatric illness resulting from a malfunction in the circuitry of the brain.”
“Always remember that a firm grasp of reality is your greatest ally in the fight against OCD because in the end, fear and false messages are OCD’s only weapons.”
“Automatic behaviours can sneak up on you and very easily take control; mindful awareness is your best ally in fending off unwanted destructive behaviours.”
Highly recommended for anyone who has OCD, thinks they have OCD, and for those who have loved-ones who suffer from this disease.
About the Book
Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World by Eve Rodsky
From the New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play comes an inspirational guide for setting new personal goals, rediscovering your interests, cultivating creativity, and reclaiming your Unicorn Space.
With her acclaimed New York Times bestseller (and Reese’s Book Club pick) Fair Play, Eve Rodsky began a national conversation about greater equality on the home front. But she soon realized that even when the domestic workload becomes more balanced, people still report something missing in their lives–that is, unless they create and prioritize time for activities that not only fill their calendars but also unleash their creativity.
Rodsky calls this vital time Unicorn Space–the active and open pursuit of creative self-expression in any form that makes you uniquely YOU. To help readers embrace all the unlikely, surprising, and delightful places where their own Unicorn Space may be found, she speaks with trail blazers, thought leaders, academics, and countless real people who have discovered theirs everywhere–from activism to artistic endeavors to second careers.
Rodsky reveals what researchers already know: Creativity is not optional. It’s essential. Though most of us do need to remind ourselves how (and where) to find it. With her trademark mix of research based, how-to advice and big-picture inspirational thinking, Rodsky shows you a clear path to reclaim your permission to have fun, manifest your own Unicorn Space in an already too-busy life, and unleash your special gifts and undiscovered talents into the world.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
I picked this one up because I liked the colourful cover and the title intrigued me.
Though my life choices and career choices have left me quite privileged (I can focus on creativity as much as I want), this book reminded me to have fun. It also reminded me that not all creative pursuits need to be profitable (looking at the stories I’ve written for fun that won’t be published). I fought long and hard to own my unicorn space, and I feel for the women who are guilted into believing it takes away from “worthier” causes.
I liked being challenged by the question: Is your creative ambition audacious enough? “Audacity” is my word for 2026.
I made many annotations of things that resonated with me.
“Tap into your resilience. Your superhero narrative.” This is my favourite quote.
Highly recommended.
About the Book
The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller
The One Thing explains the success habit to overcome the six lies that block our success, beat the seven thieves that steal time, and leverage the laws of purpose, priority, and productivity.
In The One Thing, you’ll learn to:
• cut through the clutter;
• achieve better results in less time;
• build momentum toward your goal;
• dial down the stress;
• overcome that overwhelmed feeling;
• revive your energy;
• stay on track;
• master what matters most.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
A powerful book to help you succeed in what you want most.
There are a lot of great quotes I can pull from the book (I’ve made loads of annotations), but I think the one that resonated the most is: “Multitasking is merely the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a time.”
As someone who has multiple projects going on at any one time, the idea of choosing just one to focus on during a specific time block every morning feels daunting and freeing at the same time. The part of me that had been taught that multitasking is the only way to get things done, is terrified of this approach. The part of me that demands excellence thinks this is, well, an excellent idea. So I’ll be putting it to the test…
Some of the advice, as I worked through this book, had already yielded favourable results.
Highly recommended for anyone who feels they have three thousand things to do every day – and they all seem equally important.
*There was some religious commentary early on that I felt uncomfortable with.
About the Book
How to Build Your Creative Career: …Without Selling Your Soul by Russell Nohelty
Are you sick of barely scraping by as a creative?
How long have you been trying to build your career? How many hours have you spent banging your head against a wall? How much money have you sunk into ads and marketing that just don’t work?
Now, what if you had a blueprint that could show you all the elements you need to build a creative career without feeling gross about it. How much would that be worth to you?
This book can’t guarantee you a successful career, but it can give you all the fundamental knowledge you need to set you up for success because it was written by a creative for a creative.
How to Build Your Creative Career is set up in five sections: How to Make Great Content, The Basics of Sales, Building an Audience from Scratch, Making Money at Live Shows, and Launching your Product Successfully.
Every creative I’ve ever met is stuck at one of those stages of their career, and this book gives you the tools to open those floodgates, overcome those blocks in your own career, and supercharge your career.
So the question is this: if this book can break you through the blocks in your own life, what is it worth to you?
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
I downloaded this book on a whim and found it packed with advice that wasn’t sugar-coated or softened in any way. Though I can’t follow all of the advice (some things aren’t available in my country), I can adapt it and use it in different settings. Some of the advice has been in other books for writers in one form or another, yet the way the author presents it with his examples just made more of an impact.
“You have to outperform – or at the very least meet – the market standard before you can expect anybody to consider buying from you.”
He mentions something in the line of saying that your car doesn’t explode isn’t a special feature, just something it oughtn’t do to be on par with the competition.
Most indie authors I know, myself included, have only vague plans for the future and focus more on the current project. It’s probably time for a proper business plan.
“Short-term and long-term planning are incredibly important to your success. Short-term planning gives you an immediate goal which is attainable. Long-term planning gives you a vision for the future.”
Some things I already do and should probably lean more into.
“For work to be good it can’t be for everybody. Work without a point of view doesn’t resonate, and if you have a point of view then some people won’t agree with it.”
“The secret to standing out is doing what the next person won’t.”
“Never forget: the end goal is to sell your work.”
Highly recommended to creatives of all types.
About the Book
Buy Back Your Time: Get Unstuck, Reclaim Your Freedom, and Build Your Empire by Dan Martell
Learn to conquer the one real hurdle to scaling your company and growing Time
How you use your free time will make or break your success. The secret? It’s not about working harder or finding more time to do work. It’s about designing the freedom to engage in the high-value work that brings you energy and fulfillment. This is at the heart of the message that has made Dan Martell the world’s most popular SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) coach. Now, in his first book, Buy Back Your Time, he teaches entrepreneurs at every level how to scale their business, fast, while avoiding burnout. Trading money for time—that is, literally buying back free space in your calendar—will give you more financial success than you ever dreamed was possible.
With over two decades of experience as a serial entrepreneur and founder, Dan Martell will teach you the secrets to work less and play more while building an empire. He’ll dig into the practical steps that will allow you to start buying back time immediately , while also developing operating procedures and hiring practices that will ensure rapid and robust growth. And he will teach you how to invest in your newfound time wisely—at work and at home—so you keep building your empire while living your best life.
Buy Back Your Time is the definitive guide for entrepreneurs at every level on how to succeed in business while enjoying more freedom than you ever imagined.
Check it out on Goodreads.
My Review
I’ve learned a lot in this book and will be implementing some of it immediately and others in stages.
“The little-known secret to reaching the next stage of your business is spending your time on only the tasks that: (a) you excel at, (b) you truly enjoy, and (c) add the highest value (usually in the form of revenue) to your business.’
It’s almost like getting permission to ditch all the things I don’t like doing… There are exercises to figure out what works and what doesn’t, what your dreams are and how to make them a reality.
“A 10X Vision is simply a wild dream that you’ve turned into a clear picture.”
I haven’t done intense planning sessions in a while. This book has encouraged me to do so now.
“Dreaming, envisioning, and, importantly, planning made my craziest ideas happen.”
Mapping out my week might show where I’m losing time… No harm in trying. Many of the exercises in this book has already shown me where I’m wasting time and energy.
Highly recommended if you’re in your rebuilding phase.
My Book
Tattered Tales (Faery Tales #4)
I hope you enjoyed this. For more books I’ve read and reviewed, check out either my Pinterest board about reviews or my Goodreads profile. Alternatively, you can check out my reviews on BookBub. Have you read any of the books? Loved or hated any of them?
You can now support my time in producing book review posts (buying books, reading, writing reviews and everything else involved) by buying me a coffee. This can be a once-off thing, or you can buy me coffee again in the future at your discretion.
*FYI, my reviews are my honest opinion and if something bothers me, I tell it straight. How else will anything change? My opinions are based on being a voracious reader and book buyer, not an attack on the author.*