Review of The Janus Plan
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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Janus Plan" by Jobert E. Abueva.]
Do you make New Year's resolutions only to break them a few weeks later? Do you have good intentions to improve a relationship, lose weight, declutter a room, improve your finances, or meet other goals, but fail to follow through? If so, you should read The Janus Plan: A No-Resolutions Path to Begin Your Year with Intention by Jobert E. Abueva. The Janus Plan is a six-step process that will help you meet any goal you may have. Each of these six steps is a goal, like a thread woven into a tapestry that represents your values. The inspiration for this plan was the Roman god Janus, who has two faces: one looking backward to the past and the other forward to the future. If you're wondering what the Roman god Janus’s two faces have to do with goal setting, this book explains it using the New Year holiday as an example.
I liked that each chapter began with an inspirational quote and was followed by a “Pause at the Loom” section that included prompts, questions, or rituals for the reader to reflect on. For example, one asked how you feel when you think about tasks you dislike doing (e.g., anxious, overwhelmed, or uninterested). Since I tend to procrastinate when it comes to unpleasant tasks, it would help to put Mark Twain's quote, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started,” where I'd see it regularly. Throughout the book, you'll also find “Stitch Notes” that provide brief insights, tips, and trivia. One example of what I thought would be a good trivia question was about the only country situated in all four hemispheres. The Janus Plan's flexibility was another positive aspect, as it made the steps easier to follow.
My favorite aspect of this book was learning about other cultures and their traditions, beliefs, rituals, and customs. For example, on New Year’s Eve, some people deep-clean their houses to drive away bad luck and misfortune and to invite good luck and prosperity for the coming year. Other people throw old or unused kitchenware and other items out of windows at midnight to symbolize discarding past negativity and making space for positive experiences. The different ways countries around the world celebrate New Year’s were fascinating, whether it was a big ball dropping, bells, ceremonies, feasts, the type of underwear worn, or many other traditions.
I didn't dislike anything about this professionally edited book and wouldn't recommend the author change anything. I enjoyed reading the histories of New Year’s Day, New Year’s Eve, and goal setting. The flexibility of the Janus Plan made it applicable to anyone, unlike other books I have read on this topic where wealth, education, and talent were the key factors to success. The only religious content was within the cultures, rituals, and traditions of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. It did not promote any particular religious or non-religious belief. Therefore, I found no reason not to rate this book a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy cultural histories about traditions and rituals and want to turn your good intentions into reality, you should read this book.
******
The Janus Plan
View: on Bookshelves |
Do you make New Year's resolutions only to break them a few weeks later? Do you have good intentions to improve a relationship, lose weight, declutter a room, improve your finances, or meet other goals, but fail to follow through? If so, you should read The Janus Plan: A No-Resolutions Path to Begin Your Year with Intention by Jobert E. Abueva. The Janus Plan is a six-step process that will help you meet any goal you may have. Each of these six steps is a goal, like a thread woven into a tapestry that represents your values. The inspiration for this plan was the Roman god Janus, who has two faces: one looking backward to the past and the other forward to the future. If you're wondering what the Roman god Janus’s two faces have to do with goal setting, this book explains it using the New Year holiday as an example.
I liked that each chapter began with an inspirational quote and was followed by a “Pause at the Loom” section that included prompts, questions, or rituals for the reader to reflect on. For example, one asked how you feel when you think about tasks you dislike doing (e.g., anxious, overwhelmed, or uninterested). Since I tend to procrastinate when it comes to unpleasant tasks, it would help to put Mark Twain's quote, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started,” where I'd see it regularly. Throughout the book, you'll also find “Stitch Notes” that provide brief insights, tips, and trivia. One example of what I thought would be a good trivia question was about the only country situated in all four hemispheres. The Janus Plan's flexibility was another positive aspect, as it made the steps easier to follow.
My favorite aspect of this book was learning about other cultures and their traditions, beliefs, rituals, and customs. For example, on New Year’s Eve, some people deep-clean their houses to drive away bad luck and misfortune and to invite good luck and prosperity for the coming year. Other people throw old or unused kitchenware and other items out of windows at midnight to symbolize discarding past negativity and making space for positive experiences. The different ways countries around the world celebrate New Year’s were fascinating, whether it was a big ball dropping, bells, ceremonies, feasts, the type of underwear worn, or many other traditions.
I didn't dislike anything about this professionally edited book and wouldn't recommend the author change anything. I enjoyed reading the histories of New Year’s Day, New Year’s Eve, and goal setting. The flexibility of the Janus Plan made it applicable to anyone, unlike other books I have read on this topic where wealth, education, and talent were the key factors to success. The only religious content was within the cultures, rituals, and traditions of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. It did not promote any particular religious or non-religious belief. Therefore, I found no reason not to rate this book a perfect 5 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy cultural histories about traditions and rituals and want to turn your good intentions into reality, you should read this book.
******
The Janus Plan
View: on Bookshelves |
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