Mojo: How to Get It, How to Keep It, How to Get It Back if You Lose It Decide Now

"But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." -- Romans 8:9 (NKJV)

I was attracted to this book first because I have a lot of regard for Marshall Goldsmith and the books he has written. But I must also admit that I was more than a little intrigued by what he meant by "Mojo." That's a term I haven't heard much since the 1950s. Does anyone still use it?

Here's the definition that was offered: "Mojo is that positive spirit toward what we are doing now that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside." Just looking at the definition made me think that the book was all about getting into a "flow" state, something that's familiar to all of us (times when we are effective and everything seems effortless). But that's not really it.

The book instead addresses developing and maintaining an on-going balance between your self-image (what the book calls "identity"), "performance" (in the eyes of others and yourself), "reputation" (what others think of you, separate from your objective performance), and "acceptance" (being able to live with what you cannot change). As a result, this is mostly a psychological state . . . but one that has external elements (such as performance, reputation, and the effects of circumstances).

In the discussion that follows, I thought the most telling point was how much time is wasted (and how many mistakes are made) by wanting to appear to be "more intelligent" than others and in observing how "dumb" other people are. That's such a gem that it's a shame that the whole book didn't just address that point.

He goes on to point out the levers that can help you create a better balance in the context of changing yourself or changing your circumstances. There are fourteen tools he suggests (which I will paraphrase to make clearer):

Decide what to measure about identity; test for mismatches between your desired identity and the way you spend your time; be positive; eliminate the most onerous aspect of what you don't like about your circumstances; change in small increments that don't seem daunting; be consistent in all circumstances; seek out easier challenges; be clear about when to stay and when to go; be a class act in arriving and leaving a situation; measure your reputation and work at improving it; stop spending time on unproductive things; be respectful to and constructive with everyone you come into contact with; find the pattern in what you do well and badly so you can improve, and forgive. He also advises finding a partner you can work on these matters with. You can help each other.

The book also contains some diagnostics you can use to see where you stand now and how you might improve.

In typical Marshall Goldsmith fashion, the book is also illuminated by many self-effacing, wonderful stories from his personal life.

The book is quite explicit in its advocacy of the Buddhist philosophy of not being attached to the physical world. It would have been even better if more of that thinking had been tied into the observations here.

In parts of the book, you are encouraged to affirm a positive self-image. I thought that part of the book would have been stronger if it had discussed the ways that you can use your belief about God to affirm who you are in terms of who God says you are.

I think this book will be a wake-up call for many who aren't getting the results they want and feel lost in trying to figure out what might be the problem. They will soon have their feet back on the ground and their focus heading them off in a more effective, more satisfying direction.

Bravo!
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