It Works by Roy Herbert Jarrett – a Book Review
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It Works is an insightful little book by Roy Herbert Jarrett (RHJ) that was written a long time age (possibly in 1926 as far as I can tell.)
I am including this book in my favorite book list because it has to do with mindset, which helps you to build a strong foundation that will help you get things done.
For me, mindset is very important because, if you are feeling overwhelmed by all your stuff or all the things you have to do, then you may give up before you even start. On the other hand, if you hold the belief that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that you will get there one way or another you will be more likely to stay the course.
In the book It Works by RHJ, he outlines an extremely simple plan that you can use to accomplish your deepest desires. The book clocks in at 28 pages, so it is a super quick read and gets right to the point.
What Is It Works About?
From the title you may have figured out that the book It Works is about manifesting your desires.
The basic premise is that
If you know what you want you can have it.
Now, you may be rolling your eyes and thinking that this is all that woowoo kind of stuff. There are lots of things that we want that we don’t have.
Well, according to RHJ, wishing for something is not enough. Instead, you need to train your objective mind (which is your conscious mind) to decide with precision on what it is you want, these can either be things or conditions.
Having faith and believing that we can achieve our desires will harness the power of our subconscious mind.
The problem, he says, is that we often don’t know what we want and have a half-hearted approach to obtaining what we think we want.
This quick read by RHJ called It Works is a book about mindset that outlines a very simple plan that anyone can use to accomplish their deepest desires. Despite it's simplicity, the author says that "it works!" and I tend to agree.
The Plan To Get What You Want
Lucky for us, RHKJ continues on and tells us exactly how we should go about creating a plan to get what we want.
Without getting into the nitty gritty, the process is easy.
Make a list of everything that your heart desires, even if it seems out of reach. Write it all down and work with your list of a daily basis. Add new items and remove old ones.
Review this list 3 times a day so the things you want out of life command your attention. Think of the items on your list as much as you possibly can. And embellish with exact details to make them more specific.
Include the following particulars to make the visual of what you want come alive in your mind:
- brand
- model
- size
- dollar amounts
- color
And most importantly, define the “when”. When will you achieve your desired thing or condition?
Avoid The Skeptics
RHJ advocates keeping the content of your list to yourself because there will be people out there that don’t believe in what you can achieve and will try to dissuade your objective mind.
His advice is to avoid the skeptics and surround yourself with people who have already achieved some of what you want. In other words, role models.
If other people have accomplished your dreams, then why shouldn’t you be able to as well?
Be Aware of Your Internal Naysayer
RHJ names the enemy “Discredit”. This is that inner voice that will tell you that you can’t do it. Or if your plan does come to fruition, that it is all a coincidence.
Be aware of this.
Instead, when you do achieve one of the items on your list show gratitude to your subconscious self and be happy in the achievement. This will reinforce your faith that this process “works”.
Use The Plan For Good Purposes Only
At the end of the book RHJ does issue a word of caution. This plan should not be used to hurt others. Your success should be used to help others.
Great is the reward to those who help and give without a sense of self.
I like to think of it as “a rising tide lifts all boats” and as you accomplish your goals, you can help others get ahead as well.
How This Relates to Organizing and Productivity
The process outlined in this book from a century ago, is very similar to the process that I use in my Ultimate Guide to Personal Productivity.
I have clients make a list of all of their projects and massage it on a daily or weekly basis. This keeps their attention focused on what needs to get done.
This project list is not comprised of tasks that are immediate in nature, but is a compilation of all the things that they want to get done.
If “it works” for smaller things, why not expand the scope to include the bigger things you want to get out of life?
It makes sense to me. And that is why I include this book and others like it on my list of favorite organizing and productivity books here.
A Positive Mindset Is The First Step Towards Productivity
A “can do” attitude, faith, and gratitude have clearly always been necessary ingredients for getting what you want out of life.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
