The One-Life Solution: Reclaim Your Personal Life While Achieving Greater Professional Success – Setting Boundaries to End Workday Chaos

This book is astonishingly direct and to the point and easy to understand on how to get your life together for the best possible outcome in the short term and long-term. I’m a big fan of Tony Robbins, but this book is more concentrated and direct for me especially at my age, 61. Dr. Cloud makes integrating my life and focusing my effort and retraining my thinking, and habits quite simple. I will keep this on my shelf as a reference, for the rest of my life. Highly recommend.

It is hard for me to ignore any book by Henry Cloud. Back in 2003, my pastor preached a sermon based on Cloud's earlier book, co-author with John Townsend, called: Boundaries. The sermon interested me enough that I bought the book and read it. Applying prescriptions from the book to my personal and professional life led me to perceive my call into pastoral ministry. It is hard to ignore any book by Henry Cloud.The One-Life Solution is a book focused on constructing and developing better boundaries at work (19). Cloud observes: The irony is that most people are so caught up in trying to control the things that they cannot control--other people, circumstances, or outcomes--that in the process they lose control of themselves (22). In this context, Cloud defines a boundary as a property which defines where you end and someone (or something) else begins (25).In a work environment, Cloud sees boundaries bringing order to six key areas: 1. Ownership, 2. Control, 3. Freedom, 4. Responsibility, accountability, and consequences, 5. Limits, and 6. Protection (25-30). Interestingly, these six areas do not lend structure to the discussions that follow. Rather, much of the book focuses on untidy areas in professional life where applying boundaries can establish structure and reduce anxiety.Cloud suggests that a good place to start is with an audit. The purpose of this audit is to measure where you spend your time, disconnects between time spent and personal values, and what personal issues contribute to the problem (69). This method of analysis is reminiscent of what Miller and Rollnick (2002, 38) referred to as gap analysis--highlighting the discrepancy between present behavior and ...broader goals and values.An important point in assessing books with the character of movie sequels is: does the sequel add value to the initial book? Here the answer is yes--The One-Life Solution contributed real value to my understanding of boundaries. For the key was seeing examples of how to manage difficult office situation with tact and grace. A personal favorite was a story that Cloud told about an obnoxious CEO who would show up at his desk at 4 p.m. and lay into him--ruining his evening as well as his day. Cloud (152) simply made a rule not to talk to him after 4 p.m. If you have ever had a supervisor like that, then the wisdom of such a rule is obvious.REFERENCESCloud, Henry and John Townsend. 1992. Boundaries: When to Say YES; When to Say NO; To Take Control of Your Life. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.Miller, William R. and Stephen Rollnick. 2002. Motivational Interviews: Preparing People for Change. New York: Guilford Press.

This is an excellent book about reclaiming your life and doing it through the act of setting boundaries. Setting boundaries is something most of us stink at doing.The author talks about how our boundaries have been taken away from us with the onslaught of pagers and cell phones robbing us of our home time. He brings up great points that are relevant to today's world.I would recommend this book for those wishing to regain or re-establish their boundaries in life and work, reclaiming their time and energy.

I love Dr. Cloud. I have read several of his books including Neccessary Endings. His ideas are life changing and so on target with learning to overcome obstacles. This is not your typical self help. He does not say try harder or follow these prescribed steps and you will have success. He touches on just enough physcology to be introspective. But not soo much that you need years of therapy to wok through your childhood issues! He gives just enough strategy to help you move forward without giving you orders on how or when to move. Overall, I have found it very enlightening to have read this book and learn how I can begin to align what I believe with who I am in action. I read this book recently when I found myself in a work/personal situation where I was bending to the pressure of strong personalities who were moving me away from my core values. I was saying one thing about my principles with my mouth and yet my actions were reflecting a woman with no back bone at all. I was picking up the slack and working tiredlessly at jobs that were not mine to do. Then I found myself dumped on because it was now expected of me to carry the workload alone. When I finally spoke up I was humilated by my boss, being told I wasn't a team player. Instantly I was labeled a trouble maker and responsibilities that had actually been mine were delegated away from me. As a project manager with no project I felt worthless. Through this book I found the resolve to resign not because I couldn't take the heat. Ultimately, I have learned that I am a very gifted worker who should not be squandering my talent at a company that tries to motivate with harrassment. I left high school twenty years ago I don't need a boss who wants to be the "mean girl". Employees were in and out on her whim not on the quality of their work or ethic. Popular than ostracized was a game played to pin employees against eachother. Each of us vying for that proverbial "good job" pat on the back. Thank you Dr. Cloud for teaching me skills for succeeding!!!

This book is great for creating and honoring boundaries to help manage your time at work and home to ensure focus on priorities. It’s a great compliment to classics such as 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Highly recommend this book for anyone seeking better work-life integration

There really is one solution to having one life. I was introduced to Boundaries and Changes that Heal 16 years ago at a very difficult time of loss and pain. Each book by Henry Cloud has benefitted me. Immensely. Being in a good place again means I have the time and energy to do the work of reframing to get the full value from experience. As a person with many generations of Christian Heritage, I was grateful to break down some of my internal rubs over the seeming divides between my "secular and sacred" life as well as my "professional and personal" life. Am really enjoying the Leadership book as well.

Good & Serves the purpose.

great

amazing information.

beuty

Have you ever been in those tough situations wondering what to say? We might envision the possibility of a good ending, but how do we get there? The book is advice, structure, thoughts to consider and a guide. In essence, maybe not every situation will work out, but can we dialogue with what will be healthy for us and others. Themes of boundaries, and necessary endings do repeat, but also helps us move one step further with the ...what if