Book Review: Live Your Best Day Ever

For a recent edition of the Indie Business Book Club, we read Live Your Best Day Ever: Thirty-Five Strategies For Daily Success by Anne-Marie Faiola. The book is a rundown of 35 succinct strategies you can use to improve your life, or, as the author would say, “live your best day ever — every day.”

Many of you know Anne-Marie from her work at Bramble Berry, which led her to win the US Small Business Administration's Washington State Business Person of the Year Award a few years back. Fast forward to today; Bramble Berry is still growing, and Anne-Marie has added the Best Day Ever brand to her repertoire.

One of the best parts of this book is that the chapters are in the form of individual strategies, each of which can stand on its own as a short read on a specific theme. Each chapter contains activities you can perform immediately, so you can quickly begin to implement what you learn. The bite-sized points format is great for people like me who like to linger over a book and take the time to apply what I learn in meaningful ways. It's also great if you are short on time, and need to get a lot out of a book in a short period of time.

My Favorite Strategy

While it's hard to choose, I think my favorite strategy is Strategy 25: Have an Internal Rather Than External Locus of Control. This is one of the longest chapters in the book, and with good reason.

I think we humans need frequent reminders of how powerful we actually are. We need to be reminded never to surrender this power to forces beyond our control … which is pretty much all external forces. If you allow external circumstances, whether brought about by Acts of God or by other people, to control your perception of your life and how you can impact it for the better, you are surrendering your power. If this becomes routine, it pretty much ensures that you will never reach your full potential.

Donna Maria, Indie Business Network

Here are additional strategies that everyone, especially entrepreneurs, can use to have the best day ever every day.

1. 1. Find Your Why: Strategy No. 11.If you don't know why you are in business, you will not have enough of a reason to stay in business, nor will you have the focus you need to lead your business over the long haul. It's easier than ever to start a business today, and people start businesses for many different reasons. If you are not clear on exactly why your business exists, it will be extremely difficult to create a plan that serves your why.Entrepreneurship is challenging, even under good circumstances. Clarifying why you are doing what you do will help you remain focused. This “north star” will help you select the specific activities you need to focus on in order to achieve your goals and serve your why.
   2. Live in the Now, Plan for the Future: Strategy No. 16.While it feels good to live in the moment, you cannot afford to place your undivided attention there all of the time. A lifetime of “in the moment” living must be include focused strategic advance planning, followed by intentional execution of that plan.Planning for the future today ensures that you will be able to live in the moment long term.

Donna Maria, Indie Business Network

1. Be Thoughtful About Your Exposure to Media: Strategy No. 28.One of the quickest and most certain paths to business failure is unwise use of time. How can you possibly grow your business if you are spending hours chatting it up on every new social media outlet or spending too much time consuming traditional media because you cannot get enough of the political debate or the newest “must see” video that shows up in your Facebook feed?Turn off the television. Use a timer to limit social media engagement. Schedule time in advance to consume gossip magazines, soap operas and your favorite prime time TV shows. Doing this ensures that you never have to say that your business didn't grow because you didn't have enough time to do the things needed to make it happen.

Overall Reading Experience

Live Your Best Day Ever was easy to read because I could finish a chapter quickly and have time left over to implement what I learned. So often, we read great books, and they contain great information. But the information is not presented in a way that honors my time. The chapters go on too long, or the author simply tries to cram too much information into one section. This book is different. You can open to any chapter that moves you in a particular moment, and get a 5-minute refresher in an area of your life that you need to focus on right now. You can read this book efficiently, yet also get a lot out of it. That's a tough balance, and Anne-Marie pulls it off brilliantly.

Who Should Read Live Your Best Day Ever?

Anyone who could use some down-to-earth strategies to make life better, one step at a time. If you are tired of books authored by people who write “at you,” like they have arrived someplace and have nothing else to learn, then this book is for you. The author is transparent in her delivery. She shares more than just stories, she shares her life. If you like an easy, authentic writing style, you will enjoy reading this book.

How to Join the Indie Business Book Club

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About Anne-Marie Faiola

Anne-Marie Faiola is the founder and CEO of Bramble Berry. While leading the company, she earned an MBA from Heriot Watt Business University and completed the Entrepreneurial Masters Program from the MIT Birthing of Giants program. She holds a Master Soapmaker Certification from the Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetic Guild, as well as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) designation from South Puget Sound Community College. Faiola resides in Bellingham, Washington, with her husband Chris, and their two children, Jamisen and Lily.

Visit Anne-Marie's website.

Buy Live Your Best Day Ever

Buy this and other Indie Business Book Club picks at IBN's Amazon shop.

Of course, you can also purchase the book at your favorite local book store.

Feedback and Share

Did you read along with us? What do you think of this book? Which strategy resonated most with you? What steps have you taken since reading the book to begin to (or continue to) live your best day ever? Free to share in the comments below, or share on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.