Review: What Do You Want To Create Today: Build The Life You Want At Work by Dr. Bob Tobin

What Do You Want To Create Today: Build The Life You Want At Work by Dr. Bob Tobin

Link to buy What Do You Want to Create Today?: Build the Life You Want at Work

Story Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review:

It took some time to figure out exactly what this book is attempting to do. On the surface, it reads like a collection of stories from Dr. Tobin's own work experiences. It was unclear how those anecdotes could offer much help to others. But because I'm reviewing the book, I had to dive deeper to try and decipher the central unifying theme among those stories. And, pleasantly enough, there is one.

Part of what threw me off and caused some confusion about the purpose of this book was the title. "What Do You Want To Create Today?" suggests entrepreneurship and creating a new business or pursuing some artistic career path. But it's not. It's primarily about taking the job you've already got and making small changes to turn it into the job you want where you can start loving your work.

Some of the changes suggested in the book are more about re-working your own attitude than any physical shift. For instance, the chapter "Tough is Good" focuses on the idea that sometimes the hardest projects are the most rewarding. People who are bored by the same old, same old are more likely to make mistakes, but if you're mentally engaged, your work is better.

Many of the ideas and suggestions here are pretty basic when you think about them, but taking the time to sit down and think about them is the advantage of having a book in your hands. The notion behind "Get rid of the jerks" is simple enough, but how do you get jerks out of your cubicle when you don't have the power to fire them? Some suggestions are offered, including strategies the author has personally had success with.

One downside of the book has already been mentioned. Its title might be misleading and might cause some readers to pick it up in search of entrepreneurial advice. Another downside is that it's unclear whether the average person's work life will be vastly improved by implementing these suggestions. Yes, it's nice to think that if you ignore a jerk, he'll go away, but does he always? In my experience, that depends on the jerk. And the idea that following this book's simple suggestions – for instance how you should focus on dreams instead of spinning your wheels putting together shorter-term goals – seems overly simplistic. It's also got a very heavy focus on the author's personal experience, which might or might not translate into anyone else's work situation.

Overall, this is a decent career-centered book that has some nuggets of good advice to offer people who want to improve their work lives. Before quitting your current job in disgust, it might help to pick up a copy and see if you can make some changes that will make your situation more palatable, or even enjoyable. And if those don't work, there's still time to quit that time-wasting crummy job tomorrow.

Reviewed by Peter