REVIEW: “Triggers. Build Habits, Build Your Character, Marshall Goldsmith

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

This book will help you understand how the environment affects your behavior, teach you how to deal with triggers of negative reactions, and lead you to success in the process of self-development.

As a rule, it is not easy for an adult to change character, even when there is a full realization that some trait prevents him from achieving success in work or personal life, to reaching a new level of development. And there are a lot of objective reasons. But have you noticed how much easier it is to change under the influence of external circumstances?

• Once your car will be scratched, and you will no longer neglect the convenience of others while parking on the path.
• Friends will stop inviting you to visit, and you are likely to wonder if you were tactful enough the last time.
• You will notice that it is easier to fall asleep after a walk, and the next evening you will go out into the fresh air instead of sitting at the computer until the night.

Anything that provokes changes in our thoughts and actions can become a trigger: people, events and circumstances. They appear unexpectedly.

At the same time, we are not able to change many of them directly, as is the case with a smartphone, which simply needs to be removed out of sight so that it does not distract you from live conversation.

For example, a colleague might annoy you. It is unlikely that an open conflict will force him to quit the next day: you will only ruin your reputation. And often a person who is unpleasant to you can be very useful for the company. You can suppress your irritation by avoiding conflict. But this will turn even the most beloved work into hard labor, and you into a ulcer.

Marshall Goldsmith recommends going the other way: changing your reaction to a trigger that provokes dislike.

Who Should Read This Book

Those who are ready for serious work on themselves.

This is not a collection of short tips and exercises to make you better. When Marshall Goldsmith is invited to help a successful leader adjust behavior for better results, he monitors every step of the client, speaks with the people around him and, based on this, helps to grow personally. You will have to do it all yourself.

Most of the book deals with triggers for unwanted behavior. With the help of real-life examples, the author proves that the environment has a huge impact on our behavior.

Goldsmith points out that triggers aren't always obvious.

The people interviewed almost always focus on good or bad behavior that they have experienced directly. Respondents rarely describe the setting where this behavior occurs. I have to push them to get this information.

In the book, you will also find a tool that will help you to respond correctly to external circumstances. These are special active questions that stimulate positive change. They need to be asked regularly.

There is another aspect of Goldsmith's work that I advise you not to miss:

When I meet with clients, I usually draw up a “change profile” in my head to assess how much stress the client can handle and what he should leave for next time.

In the process of cultivation, it is important not to go too far so that disappointment does not force you to give up.

If you are ready to work on yourself thoroughly, the book will help you figure out what triggers prevent you from changing for the better and how to develop the right reactions to the world around you.