Official Review: The Joy Factor by Lisa Roger

Twylla · Post by **Twylla** » 03 May 2020, 14:10

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Joy Factor" by Lisa Roger.]

4 out of 4 stars

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The Joy Factor by Lisa Roger is a practical guide to finding your optimal career path. When the amount of time you spend on the Negative Tasks is greater than the amount of time you spend on your Joy Tasks, it is time to find a new job. There is something therapeutic about using the tools in this book to quantify how well you fit into a position or a career path.

The approach laid out in this book to assessing job and career choices reminds me of the Six Sigma methodology. It is straight forward, logical, and mathematical. The idea of journaling has also worked well for me in the past. My favorite suggestion in the book is to leverage your Joy Factors to offer solutions to your employer for specific problems they are experiencing. That is brilliant. The most important thing you can do in your job is to make yourself indispensable. Offer solutions when everyone else is complaining about the problem. Also, the tools facilitate thinking about new skills you would like to develop as possible future Joy Factors and how you can create opportunities for yourself with these new Joy Factors.

I was one of the lucky people who had a good idea of the career I would like to pursue. So to validate the tools presented in this book, I imagined that I was just starting college, and I had to decide on a career path and a course of study. I used the tools in this book to decide on the best career path for me. Again it all fell in place very easily for me. I would choose Cyber Security as my career path and the course of study that would prepare me for a job in that area. Looking back, the only time I felt like the negatives outweighed the positives in my career was when I accepted a promotion for a job that paid well, but it was not a good fit for me. I was too young to realize that at the time. The cold hard truth is that there is no perfect job. No matter what job you take, at some point, you will have to eat a crap sandwich. So you have to ask yourself, “Do my Joy Factors outweigh the fact that I will have to eat the occasional crap sandwich?” Looking back on my career, I can honestly say the answer is a resounding “Yes.”

I found the risk management tool to be very valuable. The reason most people don’t move forward with a job change is fear. Putting a name to that fear, writing it down, and thinking through the mitigation plan to overcome it, suddenly makes it very manageable.

I would recommend The Joy Factor to anyone at any stage in their career to help assess their current and future career path. I am giving this book a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. It is well written and professionally edited. I didn't find any errors. I can’t think of anything I didn’t like about the book. My favorite quote from the book is “When you follow your dreams and passions the rest will fall into place.”

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The Joy Factor
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Adanna Inya · Post by **Adanna Inya** » 04 May 2020, 11:58

Wow! I wish people seeking clarity in their career and those who need to excel in their fields will read this. I will. Thanks for a thorough review.

Nzube Chizoba Okeke · Post by **Nzube Chizoba Okeke** » 04 May 2020, 12:18

I think everyone strives to be indispensable. If reading this book can get me to be indispensable in any place I find myself and especially in my career path then, I should add it to my shelf. Thanks for this detailed and informative review.

Splendour0606 · Post by **Splendour0606** » 04 May 2020, 13:44

Incredible! This reminds me of a time when I needed to leave my workplace but fear held me down. Though I have found a successful career path but I wish I had this book before now.Still hoping to read it.Thanks for this wonderful review.

J_odoyo · Post by **J_odoyo** » 05 May 2020, 02:42

A book providing a practical guide to finding one's optimal career path sounds interesting. Although I'm in my carrier already, I feel it's still beneficial to read it. Thanks for this incredible review!

Brenda Creech · Post by **Brenda Creech** » 06 May 2020, 17:43

This sounds like an informative self-help book. I bloomed late in life regarding my career. I went to college to get my nursing degree after my children were born. I wish I had had a book like this one many years ago! Thanks for the great review!

Ediomis_Enwongo01 · Post by **Ediomis_Enwongo01** » 07 May 2020, 15:26

This book is awesome! I think it would serve as a guide and a reference material for anyone about to choose or about to change a career. A very good and informative review. Thank you.

Edwin Amah · Post by **Edwin Amah** » 02 Jun 2020, 09:07

Great book and an awesome review. The joy factor in one's career should be based on following your passion and doing your dream job and not a factor of how very well you are paid to do what you don't like.