Stand Out

Book description

Tools, tips and strategies to stop the cycle of 'busy' and start getting ahead

Stand Out shows you how to stop working so much, and start achieving instead. Everyone is busy, but working harder to do more isn't getting us anywhere. We're overwhelmed, distracted and detached, and our greatest fear is that this will never change. This book is your guide to taking back your life. Through simple models, robust diagnostics and practical suggestions you'll identify where you are now and how to implement real change. Explore how to move on from Check Out (the sense that you are just going through the motions), combat Burn Out (the feeling that you're on a treadmill that is dialled too fast for your legs, brain and talents to keep pace with) and move through Freak Out (that overriding anxiety generated by knowing where you want to go but not getting any traction). Real-life stories, anecdotes and ‘life hacks' provide ideas you can implement immediately, while in-depth discussion of psychological theory explains the science behind the actions. The goal is not to find your One True Passion, but to identify what's most important right now. When you're clear on purpose and actually making progress, you hit the sweet spot of activity that allows your talents to shine.

The concept of 'being at work' has changed. We're expected to be plugged in 24/7, and continually expected to do more and more with the same 24 hours in every day. Organisations suffer, families suffer and workers suffer – so why do we perpetuate this cycle? This book shows you how to hop off the hamster wheel and thrive through relentless change by doing less – but by doing it smarter.

  • Treat self-care as an imperative for success
  • Connect to what's important here and now
  • Stop day-dreaming and put action to purpose
  • Take control of your day, your path and your life

It's not about productivity training or the latest organisational system – it's about having the tools, mindset and skills in place to make your activities work for you. Stand Out helps you find the courage and optimism to live the life you crave, let go of the ‘shoulds' and shows you how to prioritise what really matters.

Table of contents

  1. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    1. NOTE
  2. PREFACE
  3. INTRODUCTION
    1. OPEN 24/7
    2. BECOMING THE BOSS OF BUSY
    3. WHAT IF NOTHING CHANGED?
    4. WHAT STATE ARE YOU IN?
    5. IT'S YOUR TIME TO STAND OUT
    6. NOTE
  4. PART I GET YOUR SH*T TOGETHER
    1. CHAPTER 01 PRODUCTIVITY IS NOT THE ANSWER
      1. LET'S CHECK THE PULSE
      2. THE ORIENT EXPRESS
      3. THEY'VE SOLD US A LEMON
      4. WHAT IF I FAIL?
      5. MEETING THE TWO DRIVERS OF CHANGE
      6. NOTES
    2. CHAPTER 02 KNOW YOUR STATE
      1. FINDING ONE PURPOSE IS NOT YOUR PURSUIT
      2. WHAT'S EACH STATE COSTING YOU?
      3. WHAT YOU NEED TO INVEST IN FOR EACH STATE
      4. THE PURSUIT OF CALM (NOT HAPPINESS)
      5. NOTE
  5. PART II STEP OUT OF CHECK OUT
    1. CHAPTER 03 HIT THE RESET BUTTON
      1. FROM MARTYR TO WARRIOR
      2. RESET — DO IT YOUR WAY
      3. THE RESET TOOLBOX
      4. RESET RITUALS
      5. BE PURPOSEFUL ABOUT PAUSING
      6. NOTES
    2. CHAPTER 04 RE-ESTABLISH BOUNDARIES
      1. FROM VICTIM TO VALIDATED
      2. THE THREE MYTHS ABOUT BOUNDARIES
      3. LISTEN TO THE NIGGLES
      4. FOUR TOOLS TO SET BOUNDARIES THAT STICK
      5. SET IT — THE UNIVERSE WILL TEST IT
      6. IN THE EVERYDAY MOMENTS
      7. NOTES
    3. CHAPTER 05 RECONNECT WITH WHAT MATTERS
      1. FROM CYNICAL TO GRATEFUL
      2. SELF-HARM VERSUS SELF-CALM
      3. RECONNECT TO WHAT YOU ARE AWESOME AT — YOUR STRENGTHS
      4. IT'S TIME TO OWN IT (TIME THAT IS)
      5. NOTES
  6. PART III COMBAT BURN OUT
    1. CHAPTER 06 DEFINE WHAT'S IMPORTANT
      1. THE COST OF BURN OUT
      2. THE UNIVERSAL TRUTH
      3. YOUR VALUES — FROM OBSCURE TO CLEAR
      4. LISTEN TO THE RUMBLINGS
      5. THE BULLSHIT OF BALANCE
      6. NOTES
    2. CHAPTER 07 DESIGN A VALUES-ALIGNED LIFE
      1. FROM DIMINISHED TO AMPLIFIED
      2. REFRESH AND REDESIGN
      3. NOTES
    3. CHAPTER 08 DEFEND THE SACRED
      1. FROM EXPOSED TO PROTECTED
      2. DRAW THE LINE
      3. LEADERSHIP: DEFEND WHAT'S SACRED IN YOUR WORKPLACE
      4. KNOW THE ‘WHY' BEHIND THE ‘WHAT'
      5. NOTE
  7. PART IV TACKLE FREAK OUT
    1. CHAPTER 09 MAP IT
      1. FROM BLINDFOLDED TO BLUEPRINT
      2. GETTING FOUND WHEN WE'RE FEELING LOST
      3. FIVE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF MAPS
      4. TRACK THE ACTION THAT GETS THE TRACTION
      5. DON'T OVERTHINK IT
    2. CHAPTER 10 CHUNK IT
      1. FROM IDEA TO ACTION
      2. HARNESSING DOPAMINE
      3. WORK LIKE A ROCK STAR
      4. BREAK IT DOWN
      5. DECISION-MAKING
    3. CHAPTER 11 SEE IT
      1. FROM HIDDEN TO VISIBLE
      2. THE FOUR ARCHENEMIES OF PROGRESS (AND THEIR ANTIDOTES)
      3. LET'S GET VISUAL
      4. DOING IT ANYWAY
      5. NOTES
  8. PART V EMBRACE STAND OUT
    1. NOTE
    2. CHAPTER 12 BE PRESENT
      1. FROM BLINDSIDED TO BOLD
      2. SUCCESS HAS KNOBS ON IT
      3. FEAR — CAN IT BE YOUR FRIEND?
      4. THE CURSE OF ACTION FOR DISTRACTION
      5. CULTIVATING BOLDNESS
    3. CHAPTER 13 DO IT YOUR WAY
      1. FROM TREND-GETTER TO TRENDSETTER
      2. DISRUPTION BREEDS INNOVATION
      3. EXPERIMENTATION MINDSET
      4. AMPLIFY YOUR HIDDEN TRENDSETTER GENIUS
      5. FLY YOUR FREAK FLAG
    4. CHAPTER 14 GATHER YOUR TRIBE
      1. FROM CUT-OFF TO COMMUNITY
      2. REACH OUT
      3. THE RIGHT PEEPS FOR THE RIGHT PURPOSE
      4. INVEST IN OTHERS
      5. CREATE YOUR COMMUNITY
      6. SO, WHERE ARE YOU AT?
  9. CONCLUSION
  10. STAND OUT PLANNER
    1. THE GREAT, THE GRIND AND THE GRATEFUL
    2. THE YEAR AHEAD: ONE WORD
    3. EPIC QUESTIONS
    4. NOTE
  11. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  12. INDEX
  13. ADVERT
  14. EULA

Product information

  • Title: Stand Out
  • Author(s): Alison Hill
  • Release date: December 2016
  • Publisher(s): Wiley
  • ISBN: 9780730330820