Master the Day: Eat, Move and Live Better With The Power of Daily Habits Paperback – December 27, 2015

When I started reading Master The Day, I was admittedly hesitant. I started dieting at 8 and have read quite a few health books and my fair share of the self-improvement/productivity genre in general over the years. I’m at a point in my life at 30 where I’m fed up with a lot of it. Most of it doesn’t work, and not for the reasons we think. I have heard it all: Low-fat, low carb, six small meals a day, one big meal after intermittent fasting, eat first thing in the morning, exercise on an empty stomach first thing in the morning, juicing is good, juicing is bad, eat for your blood type/shape/hormone levels.... it goes on and on and on. There is SO MUCH conflicting information out there, it can get confusing.This book stands out from all the rest. It’s simple. We already know it. We just have a hard time seeing what’s there. There are no meal plans, workout routines, or complicated strategies you’ll have to set aside a whole afternoon every week for. This book isn’t even just about your health, but about how to change the way you view your goals and approach life.I have just started to implement some of the principles from Master the Day and, while I don’t need help losing weight at the moment, I have definitely been in a place where I need to make some changes and get back on track. I’ve already started approaching my days over the past week with more intentionality and better choices. After reading this book, I’m confident that I can take the right path to keep it up. After months of trying to push myself to get stuff done during a rough on again/off again breakup, trying to add more and more and reach arbitrary unrealistic self-appointed deadlines only to struggle to get out of bed on the second or third day in... it’s helpful to remember why that doesn’t work.In a book market full of sharks and shysters trying to sell you on some new elaborate or restrictive plan, Alex is refreshingly sincere, honest, and to the point. He takes you through the psychology of why and how we sabotage ourselves like an understanding friend who has been there and done that, reminding the reader to approach themselves and their dreams with more kindness and steadfast patience. If you’re stuck and can’t seem to get yourself moving in the right direction, whatever that is for you, read this book!!!

So late one night I was searching the internet for help with weight loss. I've been all around and through every diet and advice you can imagine. I've lost weight and gained it back whenever I've been under a lot of stress. So this one night I was desperate to find something that would show me the way out of my misery. I came across Alexander's videos and downloaded his free stuff. This was back in March of this year. I put the free downloads in a folder and promptly forgot about it. Then a few weeks ago, searching once again for some insight on how to get a handle on weight loss I came across Alexander's videos on YouTube. I thought they looked a little familiar and realized that I had come across him earlier. So I watched a few videos and had that feeling like this was it, just what I needed. I felt so motivated by the few videos I watched that I went right away and ordered the book Master The Day. The lesson here is that I had to be ready to listen. So as I started to read the book I got so motivated to make some changes that I wrote several things down. As I read, I highlighted the things that really rung true to me. I copied all the highlighted stuff over to these little flash cards that are bound together by a ring like students use for test prep. As I go through my day I refresh my memory of these amazing truths that are in this book. I only paid a small amount for the Kindle version of this book but I can say that the truths in this book are golden! I'm on my third week of practicing a few habits. I have been to the gym more times in the last three weeks that I've ever been. This book is just the right advice at just the right time for me and I can see that it will be for the rest of my life. And by the way, the habits and advice in this book are applicable to just about everything in your life that you might need help with.

I’m a self-improvement geek, so I recently toted a copy of this book along with me on a beach vacation. I loved every word of it. It’s well-organized and easy to read. The chapter recaps were quite helpful to review main ideas and condense them into actionable steps. I really appreciate his emphasis on the PROCESS. New behaviors can begin TODAY by using his simple techniques. I also like that desired habits are broken down to the next easiest step. I’ve already begun using this template to help my kids establish better habits. It’s easy to review the week’s habit goals, to visually assess progress, and trouble shoot why something didn’t go as planned (for example, teenage boys don’t like to get up with their alarms, but with this template, they will figure it out!). Alex’s experiences (both personally and professionally) support his philosophy—and the anecdotal stories sprinkled throughout were engaging and helpful to read. Personally, I’m interested in learning about habits for several reasons. I’m a dietitian and have known for many years that behavior change is what is needed for patients to be successful. The trouble is, we haven’t had Alex's framework as a tool to help guide patients. I’m no longer working, but if I go back, I will definitely use his model! As a mom, I feel like I can use these strategies endlessly on my kids to help them with any habit they need to acquire. Additionally, my oldest son is on the autism spectrum and I feel that identifying and building specific habits into his life can help him function more “normally” and on “auto pilot” for things like “activities of daily living”. Lastly, my hubby could certainly use this strategy with things like his car keys that he constantly misplaced. If only I can get him on board! :) I highly recommend this book!! It can help with habits in any aspect of your life!!