Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills that Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to Succeed by Brian Tracy

Maximum Achievement: Strategies and Skills that Will Unlock Your Hidden Powers to Succeed Reviews

• 
  Joel Thomas

  I read this book in prison. It was the first "self-help" book I ever read. In 5 short years after my release; 1. I started a successful property management company. 2. I bought 12 houses, remodeled and rented them out. 3. I started a successful personal training business located in the financial district of NYC. 4. I traveled the world. 5. More importantly I changed the way I thought and looked. It changed my socio-econmic status and who I associated with. Everything about me has changed because of goals and the principles I follow in this book.
  To say this book helped me to be successful would be an understatement. The information in this book is like a scalpel, you can have it and do nothing or you can use it properly and change lives.
• 
  Rommel

  I just want to share these words about this book,,,LIFE CHANGING, LIFE CHANGING,,,LIFE CHANGING!!!
  
  The techniques in this book if applied are life changing and in every realm of life that you choose to apply them to, not just your career. The title of the book is a little misleading but the content has a mix of psychology, business sense, and life all mixed into a method of programming yourself for success, followed with ways to create action plans so that your ideals manifest themselves into reality.
  
  The author, Brian Tracy, talks the talk but has walked the walk going from poverty and a troubled background to a fullfilling and rich life, and not just in the financial sense of the words. I have never been positively impacted as much by a book as i am being with this one. Then again, I will probably echo this with other book i am sure to find in the future that will have this type of impact on my life.
  
  I am confident this book can help anyone to believe in themselves and map out their ideal life,,, and hey if so it happens that you only reach three quarters of your ideal life, is that not worth the read?
  
  Good reads!
  
• 
  Jenny

  One of the most comprehensive books on personal development, psychology and goal-setting I have ever read.
  
  I actually think the title does the book a disservice. As an already achievement-oriented person, I was hesitant to read something that would just push me harder. Quite the contrary - every page is packed with information that helped me get clarity on my mental patterns and true desires. I see this book as a rare "meta" book in the field of personal development because of how broad and all-encompassing it is. There are a few books that qualify for "changed my life" category - although it is a little too early to tell, I really think this could be one of them.
• 
  Vaishali

  "Work on yourself as if your future depended on it ... because it does. You cannot change the world, but you can present the world with one improved person: yourself."
  
  Amen.
  
  Another fantastic, highly useful edition from Brian Tracy.
  Very practical, hands-on info as well...
• 
  Moriah

  This is one of my favorite books. I almost think of it as a more spiritually based book than business. I enjoy the common sense approach to life, the steps to organization and seriousness of commitment to achieve anything worthwhile in life and the reiteration that you need to have a burning desire to complete your goals.
  
  There are a wide variety of angles and approaches that just make sense. This book trumps all the ideas in "The Secret," by Rhonda Byrne two fold. I reread this book often and think it's actually changed my life in a very positive manner. I am so grateful for the lessons and ideas and have actually integrated them into my life with ease.
• 
  Hayat

  This one is my new favourite books of Brian Tracy next to Eat That Frog! I can't wait to reread this Maximum Achievement.
  
  He has a a calm and soothing delivery that makes it relaxing to listen to him on audiobook and his ideas and wise words are just brilliant and simple. It really helped that i took my time listening to this book in chunks over a month. I can't wait to review this one with particular ideas and quotes i enjoyed added in after rereading it soon.
• 
  David Feinstein

  Maximum Achievement is a tremendous book. It's like a modern day version of "Think and Grow Rich," and "How to Win Friends and Influence People" and A goal setting seminar all in one.
  
  Also there are many step by step exercises to help you develop your skills. A book that should be reread over and over again.
• 
  Tim Grant

  Excellent. I especially like the section about to give constructive criticism & the danger of destructive criticism. My favorite quote of the book (paraphrase): "Decide what it is you want, then resolve to pay the price to get it."
• 
  Tony Rogers Jr.

  One of the best books ever written on the subject of success and achievement.
• 
  Brandon Clay

  I have a simple formula for success that requires the right Opportunity, Timing and People. This book, "Maximum Achievement" by Brian Tracy was a potent combination of the three and impacted my life at a time I most needed this type of message.
  
  As a student of the success classics I have always prided myself on understanding the laws of the mind and achievement. However, there was a "missing link" of those laws and their practical daily application in the world of business and sales...enter Brian Tracy.
  
  I had just gone through a business failure and was struggling to regain my footing financially and found myself back in corporate America...at the bottom. My mind would not let me accept that position as a long term occupation so I used this book to help me re-build my opportunities.
  
  I am a big proponent and believer in Strenghfinders 2.0 and through my assessment my #1 strength is Strategic. The language and syntax that Tracy uses speaks directly to my need to see things linearly laid out...progressively building to a crescendo of results.
  
  The most impactful chapters for me were:
  
  Make Your Life a Masterpiece
  The Master Program
  The Master Goal
  
  As a book on success, it contains all the basic core elements such as the power of thoughts/mind, eliminating fear, setting goals and living a life of balance.
  
  Tracy is credible because of his own struggles, similar to mine and certainly most people and the authenticity for which he conveys his approach to business and life success. He is an enduring figure in this genre and his decades of top tier status reflect on the power and effectiveness of the message.
  
  I have not read this book in several years, but now in doing this review and looking at the well-worn, highlighted pages, I will dig back in for reinforcement of key lessons.
  
  This book has reached "Classic" status which I reserve for books that have had the most impact on my life and represent timeless, proven techniques for which they were written.
  
  I highly recommend this book!
• 
  Fahad Naeem

  Insightful. Opens mind and enhance thinking capability.
  
  
  The notion of Self-help books don't work is false. Best sellers have tendency to hide what needs to be learnt and applied via self-help books that is why we SHOULD NOT read best-sellers.
  He comprehensively denoted importance of positive-thinking throughout the book and how much negative emotions are hazardous for our careers.
  
  The ideas presented in the book may also present in other self-help books but the way he described were substantive.
  
  
  It's a MUST read self-help book. And, I'm looking forward to read it again to learn and apply what was missed.
• 
  Kunmi Ariyo

  I read this book in 2001 and it changed my life forever.I had a bike accident in Oct and i broke my leg so i was at home for 3 months and that was when i read this book.this book was the best thing that happened to me during that period.
  I learnt the 5 mental laws.I learnt how to align my thinking with the things i wanted in life.I learnt how to build my self confidence and how to sell myself.It's a must read for everyone!!
• 
  Patrick Riddle

  This is Brian Tracy's finest work. I have read several of his books and this is all you need to read. It covers success for all parts of life.
  
  I have read over 200 books in the last few years in personal and professional development and this book is in my top 5. That is all I have to say.
• 
  Jennifer

  This book changed my life! READ IT!
• 
  Emma Sea

  Perfectly interchangeable with literally any other productivity/self-actualization book.
• 
  Leo Polovets

  Devoid of useful content. “Maximum Achievement” is all platitudes and parables and very little meat. The advice is stuff like “think positive” and “repeat ‘I believe in myself’ 50 times in the morning and at night.” Lots of mentions of the Law of Attraction. This was particularly disappointing after all of the science-based, insightful books that I’ve recently read (like Succeed and Willpower).
• 
  Juanmi

  - Re-read: maybe, perhaps passages
  - Grade: 4/5
  
  TL;DR —> Whatever you believe with feeling becomes your reality
  
  The book is similar in many ways to the 7 habit habits of highly successful people and specially to Think and Grow Rich. However, to me the other books are of greater value. The former has a better structure and the latter is more poetic. I lack the structure and the poetry in this book. Having said, reading the book a pleasure. It reinforces you with positive thoughts all the time. It also includes some action exercises to for example think about and write down your ideal self, or imagine that you are your own child, and what then could you do better to foster greater loving children. What I have troubles with is all the many laws and master program, master skills, master goal, master power, …. that are thrown at you. You have to make a big effort trying to organize the ideas. Summarizing:
  
  - Know very clearly what you want, who is your ideal you, what is your ideal environment, relationships, etc.
  - Surround yourself only of those thoughts, relationships, learning material, images, big etc. that are aligned to your ideal. Forget the rest.
  - To work towards a goal, use the exercises: write it down, visualization, affirmation, verbalization, move as if you already had it, feed your mind with all the necessary content, associate with positive people, teach it to others, set a deadline, believe you can do it, be clear about your starting point, have a way to measure, know when you’ve reached your goal, identify the obstacles that stand in your way, identify what information you need, identify the people you need, make a plan, persist.
  - Again: visualize clearly what you want, and feed your environment with nothing but that image. Believe you can make it and feel and act as if you already had it.
  - Corresponding laws he talks about:
  - Law of attraction: you will attract that what you think about and what you are.
  - Law of substitution: we can really only have one thought at a time. Therefore, if you find yourself with a negative thought or behavior, replace it by a poisitive one
  - Law of Belief & Expectations: believe that you can do it, that you already have it, and expect always the best from every situation (in any case, I sense the man is also very realistic and often confronts you to be truly honest with yourself about your current situation, even it hurts, for it’s the only way to move on, take responsibility, and work on improving your life)
  - Another idea for attaining goals: think of the worst possible outcome. Be very clear about it and how much it could hurt you. Accept it as possible outcome of your venture. But then set yourself in action and put the measures so that the worst doesn’t happen
  - Quote I found on Wikipedia by Brian Tracy: "You are the architect of your own destiny; you are the master of your own fate; you are behind the steering wheel of your life. There are no limitations to what you can do, have, or be. Except the limitations you place on yourself by your own thinking."
  - In the of the book, he concentrates on improving human relationships (people in general, loved one, children). Summarizing: give you attention to people, listen to them, acknowledge them, praise them, expect from them the best, love your children unconditionally, just be kind, do unto others what you want they do unto you, pay attention to little things, bring always positive thoughts to people, be able to forgive and move on, respond with love upon wrong doings, set the example for the changes you want to see. BRING VALUE TO THE WORLD.
  
  I also copy a whole paragraph that I found truly inspiring, on changing your world:
  
  You cannot change the world, but you can present the world with one improved person, yourself. You can go to work on yourself to make yourself into the kind of person you admire and respect. You can become a role model and set a standard for others. You can control and discipline yourself to resist acting or speaking in a negative way toward anyone for any reason. You can insist upon always doing things the loving way rather than the hurtful way.
  
  Simply, we are responsible for our lives, do and get what you want.
• 
  Safa

  If you will listen to one thing I say, it's this:
  
  YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!!!
  
  This book was written in 1995. If I knew it then (6 years old) my life would have definitely turned marvelous. Not complaining at all though...
  
  Maximum Achievement could be one of the best books I've ever crossed. It's definitely life changing once you've absorbed all its wisdom wholeheartedly, it can only but take you into a journey of continuous improvements in all sections of your life.
  
  What I loved about it, is that it has a lot to say about DOING rather than just THINKING of doing. It insists that yes, what you think about comes about, but at the same time, you reap what you sow and you can't go reaping without sowing.
  
  We all know the mind is a powerful tool, and once we start thinking about something we often act on it. Thoughts are the catalysts that often brings out ideas into reality. The book is a complete circle of reaching goals and achievements. It's not enough to have a goal and think about achieving it if we are sitting back not willing to DO something about it. Finding more books and learning more from people who've been through what you are going through and reached the destination you want to reach, is an important task and one step that take you so far ahead. It's always easier to learn from other's experience and mistakes rather than go and make your own mistakes.
  
  The book also sets ground rules when it comes to goals and purposes, all in all every action and behavior is eventually based on making you fulfilled as a happy human being. Whether you want to do something good or bad, it shall reflect on the final outcome, because what you do upon others will be done upon you. So really just BE GOOD AND DO GOOD!
  
  So eventually there is only one road for happiness, no matter how many diversions it may have, it's the road of the goodness and higher purposes of benefiting yourself and everyone around you.
  
  I could keep explaining this book, but one thing for sure I can't say it better! So read it for yourself. :)
• 
  Tatiana Pecherskaya

  Very inspiring! It's a great book for those who crave self-development, better understanding of him/herself and human potential. I started practicing some of the principles described in the book and noticed how my life started to change. You can do it too!
• 
  Zachary Wrightsman

  Wow! What an all around great book. It hits on everything in life. Goal setting, relationship building, parenting. A great book that I think everyone should read!
• 
  Stephanie

  The final book for our course was incredibly inspirational. I had come across many of the laws and concepts before, however the combination of the foundation and the application of the concepts was remarkable. I experienced multiple insightful moments throughout the book. It really helped me discover reasons for some of the and why I have managed to turn myself around, as I had implemented many of the tools and techniques recommended over the years.
  However, I realised I hadn’t used these techniques for some time, and it inspired me to apply the techniques specifically to three areas of my life:
  Family – the book showed me how I can be even more intentional with the environment we create at home.
  Health – I have always put my health and fitness last on my list. That must change. I have already started delving into the reasons why this is the case using the content on self-concept. “you perform as well as you believe yourself capable of performing”. I was terrible at all sports in school, and due to my damaged self-concept I was always picked last for teams. Also, up to the last couple of years I was naturally thin. Combined with examining the why behind the issue I have started applying some techniques to address it. I have used visualisation in the past with great success. I am creating some visualisations that are perfect for me in relation to the next technique which is goal setting. The book made me face a couple of important things with regards to my goals about my health – 1) I have never been serious about my health. I had my daughter late in life, I am serious about being a healthy older mum and getting to meet my grandchildren. 2) I have never taken full responsibility for my health, possibly because its always come so easily. My plan is to finalise the goals, affirmations and visualisations and then start to journal specifically about my journey to supreme health. The journaling will keep me responsible and will help me tease out any reasons I don’t give my health a higher priority.
  StephBe – I am clear on my year 1 goals and they have been going very well. One quote in the book that really stood out to me in reference to StephBe is “The best work of all is when you are achieving your own goals by helping others to achieve theirs”. My plan is to enjoy visualising a lot more and celebrate the small successes.
  This book is for you if you struggle with setting and sticking to goals, you have lost your way, you want to elevate your current goal setting.
• 
  Inna Volvak

  So, could you become that perfect and super efficient working machine the author describes in the book if you just simply learn how to organize yourself better? And actually do you want to? Is being in top 5% (as author mentions throughout the book) the only recipe for happiness?
  I think for majority of people the most important work they need to do is to connect to themselves, to identify what they really want and what could be the true source of happiness to them.
  The main problem with motivational coaching books is that they do not work in a long term. Because I believe that if someone has the energy and stamina to have a very big dream and work 12 hours a day 7 days a week with no holidays, he does not need any motivational books. He may need some tips how to improve his efficiency, but overall he is already doing the job. Otherwise I do not see how one can dramatically change himself by a mere will power and few exercises.
  However I want to give the credit to the author for providing quite a well-structured approach to goal setting, time management, for the advises on continuous education and social skills. I think in moderation it could be very useful to improve one's productivity and focus. However I think the claims that everyone can become a millionaire if he just focused well enough on the goal and worked hard enough should be taken with a grain of salt.
• 
  Meera

  I liked this book and found it helpful in continuing to keep myself efficient and meeting my goals. What surprised me was that this book went beyond how to be successful in your goals but also how to be a happier person. I liked that. This was not the best written book but I liked it still the same and would read more by this author.
• 
  Hajar Jmaile

  “Whatever you dwell upon, grows. The more you think about something, the more it becomes part of your reality.”
  The only one responsible for where you are and what you are today is YOU.
  If you want to use your full potential to achieve your desired goals (tangible and intangible) this book is a must read.
• 
  Mehmet

  I don't understand. How such a basic wishy washy book can get such a good rating on goodreads?
  
  The chapter on self-concept was good. Other than that it was a very weak success book. There is no framework. It is just a mix of unrelated disconnected factors which are claimed to yield success.
• 
  Clare Lewis

  This book has lots of valuable information about goal-setting. I gave 4 stars instead of 5 because it repeats a lot of content and it has lots of fluffy filler stories that I could have gone without.