CHG Book Review: Today Matters By Allison McCarthy, CHG Managing Consultant

A new year not only brings resolutions but often a sense of wonder at the rapid passage of time. If you’re casting about—seeking a more reflective way to spend your time—there are plenty of motivational and time management books available. But one of distinction that answers the call on several fronts is John Maxwell’s book, Today Matters (© 2004, Warner Faith)

Subtitled, “12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow’s Success,” Maxwell combines a roadmap for goal setting along with reflective fodder for how to approach your daily life. If you’re seeking to make meaningful changes for how you spend your minutes or just need an anchor to help steady the waves of time, Today Matters is well worth the read.

Maxwell sets Today Matters up in a workbook fashion. Each chapter discusses a theme with significant real-life examples followed with thought-provoking questions and exercises. You can read the book straight through or use it as a text to foster change.

The book starts with an assessment of your current life habits benchmarking how attuned the reader is to the meaningful moments in their life. Maxwell provides inspiration and insight on how other individuals “make each day a masterpiece.” Key consideration should be given to your priorities and how you set your priorities—each day. While none of this is new to the seasoned professional who tries to cram everything into a busy life, the nuance comes from the approach and the habit-changing concepts.

Maxwell adds creativity and thinking to the daily infrastructure. Each book chapter provides a specific area of focus that will lead to certain outcomes. Along with the workbook section, the author peppers the chapters with reinforcing quotes helping to mark the central tenet of the chapter. The chapter titles in their own right serve as a prescriptive primer:

Attitude gives way to possibilities.
Priorities provide focus.
Health leads to strength.
Family creates stability.
Thinking leads to advantages.
Commitment brings about tenacity.
Finances provide options.
Faith generates peace.
Relationships foster fulfillment.
Generosity leads to significance.
Values provide direction.
Growth creates potential.

The above chapters illuminate what Maxwell refers to as the “Daily Dozen.” As an inspirational leader and thinker, Maxwell has spent decades on the concepts behind the Daily Dozen and he provides a quick study into each of these areas with the persuasion that practicing all elements will lead each of us to greater levels of meaning and awareness. After reading Today Matters, it’s easy to see how to make a life change: simply put—one day at a time.

Allison McCarthy is Managing Consultant with Corporate Health Group - Northeast, a national healthcare consulting firm, and is based in Massachusetts. For additional information, please call 1-866-315-7774 or contact us via the Web.

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