
Your Own Worst Enemy: Breaking the Habit of Adult Underachievement
Do you suffer from any of the following?
- Procrastination
- Wide swings of mood and self-esteem
- Ambivalence in making decisions
- Dreaming big, but never following through
If you or someone you love isn’t living up to his or her potential — and suffers from even one or two of the above feelings — here is a program that can help. Your Own Worst Enemy is the first book devoted to the problem of adult underachievement, a problem stemming from common behavior patterns that can manifest itself in almost every walk of life — from twentysomethings stuck in dead-end jobs to outwardly successful businesspeople who can’t help feeling they’ve missed their true calling.
In Your Own Worst Enemy, Dr. Kenneth Christian details the telltale signs of what he calls self-limiting behavior — everyday habits that can seem harless (like taking unchallenging jobs) or even worthwhile (like setting absurdly high standards), but that over time can send high-potential people into a tailspin of dead ends and frustration. He identifies underachieving types, from charmers, who substitute congeniality for effort, to extreme risk-takers, who casually gamble their future away, to best-or-nothings, who refuse to play if they can’t win. And he offers practical 15-step guide to help underachievers shake off their old habits and start taking an active hand in their own future.
Filled with persuasive case studies and useful advice on everything from overhauling workspace to remaking self-image, Your Own Worst Enemy will help underachievers everywhere visualize their goals, break through their barriers, and start realizing their unlimited potential.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“This book works, Dr. Christian maps the road to success and happiness in quick, clear, concrete steps.”
“A wise and practical guide to converting the inertia of underachievement into the momentum of success.”
About the Author
Kenneth W. Christian, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist with more than a quarter century of clinical experience. In 1990 he founded the Maximum Potential Project, through which he has helped more than a thousand people — from executives and entrepreneurs to students and others — conquer the problem of underachievement and maximize their potential. A frequent guest on television and radio, he divides his time between Paris, France, and New York City.
From Publishers Weekly
“Underachiever, and proud of it,” read millions of Bart Simpson T-shirts in the early 1990s. But lots of adults aren’t proud of their underachiever status, and Kenneth W. Christian has written Your Own Worst Enemy: Breaking the Habit of Adult Underachievement to help them overcome this habit. People who have a fear of failure and commitment, organizational difficulties or a tendency to misjudge success’s demands will benefit from Christian’s 15-step program, which focuses on visualizing and achieving goals. Christian is the founder of the Maximum Potential Project, an organization designed to help underachievers, and his book offers case studies and tried-and-true advice.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.