Sequentiality: The amazing power of finding the right sequence of steps

Sequentiality provides a simple, but highly effective prescription for personal development. By means of real-life examples, this book will show you how to find the right sequence of steps. Amongst others, you will learn: How Luigi Cornaro overcame terminal illness and got to live 102 years The reason that made Giotto go backwards in his artistic development in order to attain financial success Which steps Giacomo Casanova took in order to become wealthy How biologist George Mendel failed miserably in his career goal, but still found happiness The huge error that destroyed Charles Dickens' life, and how to avoid it If you want proven ideas instead of impracticable theories, this book is for you. Are you willing to put sequentiality to work in your favour?EXCERPT FROM THE TABLE OF CONTENTSChapter 1. The importance of asking the right questions How confusion is created, cultivated and magnified The most widely accepted explanation happens to be false Discard harsh schemes before they do you in How deep dissatisfaction gives birth to improvements Beware of the human tendency to self-delusion Chapter 2. You can figure out what steps to take next How much nonsense are you willing to listen to? Painfully torn by adversity: a escape by night Path widening and deepening: two great strategies Starting in life without the benefits of wealth or education How a disciplined genius turned into an incongruous loser Chapter 3. Trial and error are the norm, not the exception The right move after having crashed and burned Quick rebound after a downfall Here is the antidote against stagnation Proven advice to improve your resilience and results The danger of perfectionism: the teachings of Chuang-Tzu Chapter 4. It's all about method improvement Career remedies against career mistakes Where a big plan fails, small solutions can win Can a clever man get stuck in a stupid situation? Learning to grow wiser and stronger Train yourself to detect inflection points Chapter 5. How to speed up your progress The human inclination to rationalize passivity Individuals with good ethics make fewer mistakes The theory and practice of system building Can you apply your creativity each day? What I learned from a man who worked miracles Chapter 6. Your steps should be logical, not random Learning to think long-term in a short-term world The number-one cause of devastating errors A strong warning against self-inflicted blindness Figure out the logic, so that you can prevent mistakes Ambition without logic is not a sign of wisdom Chapter 7. If only you could cut your mistakes by half Make fear your friend, and prudence your blessing A wide margin of error is a necessity, not a luxury Some people throw themselves to the wolves The right steps are often the smoothest Dealing effectively with ignorance and prejudice Chapter 8. Let organic growth determine your steps Natural growth is better than artificial formulas Historical experience is the best source of wisdom The false narrative of motivation and enthusiasm When something breaks, it's showing you the way Eye-opening events are meant to make you change Chapter 9. The philosophy behind sequentiality The key to improving your personal effectiveness Can self-acceptance lead to better results? What works and what doesn't Don't let high ideals make you irrational The mortal sin of hypersensitivity Chapter 10. Why it's so difficult to see the winning path Taking action to seize market opportunities Expand your activities and maximize your success You don't need to reinvent the wheel Improved old concepts can lead to great success How a stonecutter found the winning path

About the Author :
JOHN VESPASIAN is the author of nine books about rational living, including "When everything fails, try this" (2009), "Rationality is the way to happiness" (2009), "The philosophy of builders" (2010), "The 10 principles of rational living" (2012), "Rational living, rational working" (2013), "Consistency: The key to permanent stress relief" (2014), "On becoming unbreakable" (2015), "Thriving in difficult times" (2016), and "Sequentiality: The amazing power of finding the right sequence of steps" (2017). Excerpt from Chapter 2 By the time he was thirty-five, Cornaro was severely ill. In the following years, he grew so sick that physicians were regarding him as terminal. Because of poor nutrition and exhaustion, Cornaro was suffering from chronic fevers, insomnia, gout, and violent colics. In his writings, he is describing his constant pain as "a condition worse than death." Cornaro had consulted two doctors in Venice and received contradictory advice. One doctor had told him to eat more meat and drink more milk; the other had advised Cornaro to eat more vegetables and fish, work fewer hours, and take a nap during the day. After listening to the physicians, Cornaro had felt more confused than before. Excerpt from Chapter 3 Mendel's dream had been to become a school teacher, but he failed the oral examinations in 1850 and 1856. He possessed more than sufficient knowledge to become a school teacher, but due to his shyness, he had been virtually paralysed during the oral examinations. As a result, he never got a teacher's certification. After the massive efforts he had invested in his studies, the disappointment of not being able to become a teacher marked Mendel for rest of his life. His failure to pass the teacher's examinations meant that he would never be able to get the job he wanted. When he faced the fact that he would never be able to achieve his goal, Mendel came to accept that he would be spending the rest of his life in a monastery.