Review of Amplify Your Career and Life by Peter C. Diamond
“Is this all there is?”
It’s a question a lot of people ask themselves as they reach mid-life, a time when many find themselves feeling dissatisfied with their jobs or their lives in general. They may feel stuck in a rut, and may regret risks they didn’t take or goals they haven’t achieved. They may find themselves at a crossroads after being sidelined at work, and are wondering what their next step should be.
In his book, Amplify Your Career and Life, author and certified executive coach Peter C. Diamond focuses on those issues, faced by many people ages 35 to 55.
While people put great effort into raising their families and building their careers during their younger years, Diamond explains, a lot of them neglect to prepare for the challenges that may come along as they get older – for example, vulnerability to downsizing at work, decreasing energy that may come with age, and the demands of caring for kids and aging parents, to name just a few. Instead, as they find themselves in mid-life, many people go into “survival mode,” accepting the status quo of their lives, doing what they’ve been told is “right,” avoiding risks, and often hoping simply to get by at work until they can retire.
However, Diamond points out, mid-life should be a more rewarding time. The trouble is that many people don’t know how to articulate their values or even what they want from life. Often, it takes a life-changing event – a job loss, for example, or the loss of a loved one – to bring things into focus.
The point of Diamond’s book is to help readers get out of survival mode by following four basic steps: questioning and assessing where they are in life, creating a plan, conquering fears and self-imposed obstacles, and adopting changes that will help move the reader forward.
To help readers set a course and take control of their careers and lives, Diamond presents anecdotes about his own experiences and those of his clients, and exercises throughout his book that are designed to get readers thinking. In addition, he identifies important warning signs of distress and patterns of behavior that can frustrate the desire to change.
Diamond’s writing is straightforward and conversational, and his approach is organized. In addition, he touches on subjects to which many people in mid-life can relate. Readers won’t find it hard to stay engaged.
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