The Seven Minute Difference: Small Steps to Big Changes

At a team-building meeting, Lewis, a stockbroker and motivational speaker, was asked to write what her purpose in life was. For the first eight minutes of the 15-minute exercise, her mind wandered. She snapped into action for the remaining seven minutes and felt stunned when she finally put down her pencil: she had encapsulated her deepest desires in that time, and with this book she asserts that others can change their lives, too, through such small steps. Citing a study that shows that corporate executives have only an average attention span of seven minutes, she posits that people should make seven-minute decisions that will result in enormous benefits at work and at home. She recommends a bevy of ""micro-actions"" (babysteps toward larger goals) and provides blanks for the readers to write down personal insights. The few stories Lewis uses to flesh out her advice tend to be familiar (a pallid retelling of Shackleton's perilous Antarctic expedition) or self-serving (her delight in returning home for Christmas). The readers most likely to respond to Lewis's recommendations will be those who have already made the major commitment to take small steps.