This Year I Will

How to Finally Change a Habit, Keep a Resolution, or Make a Dream Come True

By: M. J. Ryan

Narrated by: M. J. Ryan

Length: 4 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Learn the secret to making changes that stick! Every so often people get inspired (again!) to lose weight, to get organized, to start saving, or to stop worrying - but a few months later they give up, frustrated. It doesn't have to be that way.

In This Year I Will..., best-selling author M.J. Ryan offers breakthrough wisdom and coaching to help listeners make this time the time that change becomes permanent.

Why do people find it so hard to change? The secret is that everyone has their own formula for making changes that stick, but most people don't know what theirs is. They think there is one way to lose five pounds, and another way to stay on top of their e-mail, but they don't realize that for all changes, there is one system that works best for each individual.

This Year I Will... helps you lock on to your unique formula for planning, implementing, and seeing a life change through, so you can use it again and again to tackle anything else you'd like to do.

For anyone who has broken a New Year's resolution, fallen off a diet, or given up on fulfilling a dream, the ingenious strategies, inspiring stories, and sheer motivational energy of This Year I Will... will help you make a promise to yourself that you can actually keep.

©2006 M.J.Ryan (P)2009 Gildan Media Corp

Critic reviews

"If you're struggling and think that one more title can't possibly make a difference, think again. M.J. Ryan has the rare gift of breaking things down into clear pieces that can be tackled." (Laura Berman Fortgang, author of Now What? 90 Days to a New Life Direction)

Wonderful and encouraging

I really enjoy this book and listen to it often. I love that the author read her book because she her passion is apparent in her voice. This book motivates me everytime I listen to it.

Audio wasnt that bad.

First of all let me start off by saying that audio quality is not that bad. I have heard way worse ! Now it is not great .. but it the quality is not so bad that it gets in the way of the content.

Lets talk about the content .. Like others have stated it is not anything new. As a matter of she doesn't claim that it is new and groundbreaking. She goes as far as giving credit where credit is due and mentioning her sources.

The benefit here is that it is a nice and quick listen. You save time because you get allot of useful information in one place. It is a pleasant listen at 1.5 or 2.0 on the iphone app.

It provides some helpful recommendations.

It highlights some major and useful considerations when promoting changes in one's life and it provides many examples that help readers relate. The narrator's performance is not that good. I think she read too fast and a bit blantly.

Motivating!

What made the experience of listening to This Year I Will the most enjoyable?

I listened to this while starting a new exercise routine. It's motivating and helpful.

What was one of the most memorable moments of This Year I Will?

My a-ha moment was when she said persistence is on our side! Don't give up on any goal you want to achieve. We are in control. Sometimes I don't feel that way when trying to lose weight. I often feel like desserts own me! :) But Ryan is so right and it was great she reminded me that I am in control.

What about M. J. Ryan’s performance did you like?

I liked M. J. Ryan's reading more than many. Sure, she's not the perfect reader, but I felt like I was getting to know the author with her reading her own words. I could feel the parts she was really passionate about. It was nice.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

My main reaction is that I want to listen to it over and over to keep myself motivated and to capture information that didn't sink in the first time around. It's a short audio book so it doesn't take much time in car to get thru it. Even if you have a short commute.

Any additional comments?

I also like how she said we should act more like a scientist when trying to create a new habit. Don't beat yourself up if you ate that piece of cake or didn't go to the gym when you should. Scientist don't. They record the data and analyze it. We should too. Record what you do or don't do when trying to create new habits, analyze the results and try to figure out ways to improve in order to stick to our new goals and habits. Everyone is different. Keep going. Try new things until you figure out works for you.

Not as Professional as Most Audiobooks...

It was good content, fortunately. and hey, the author didn't have to pay anyone else to read it, so good for her.

Well worth getting

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. Very useful information regarding constancy without all the technical jargon. Story is told seamlessly.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Very enthusiastically told and a great listen. Too much secondary noise. Many times the author stumbles over a word and other unsightly noises as well. The content is powerful enough to deal with it.

Any additional comments?

No matter how much self development courses or books you've had this one still is a breath of fresh air and some info you've not heard before.

Self-help read to you in the author's bathroom

Would you try another book from M. J. Ryan and/or M. J. Ryan?

I would consider a hard copy versus audio for future books by this author.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Well, yes. I liked the conversational feel but the pacing was awkward and it sounded unrehearsed. The worse part is that is sounds like the reader was sitting in their bathroom reading from notes. Would benefit from a more professional reading of the material.

Any additional comments?

Might have to get a hard copy to get a real benefit from this material. A little disappointed in the audio book product.

Concise, practical advice to put into practice

What did you love best about This Year I Will?

I have been sifting through many books on how to create change in your life but this one has been one of the best. It gives you step by step advice you can apply to whatever habit or behavior you want to change. The other book that I really liked on change was

Any additional comments?

The sound quality on this was kind of poor, like she recorded it in her house. It doesn't matter though because the advice is so great that you want to keep listening anyway.

This year I will finish this book

What did you love best about This Year I Will?

The price - I bought it on sale

Who was your favorite character and why?

It's a narrative

Have you listened to any of M. J. Ryan’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

learning why it is I procrastinate. I will write about it....later.

First book read in 2015

This is my second time reading this book. Below is my review from last year's first listen:

Notes: Unlike the other books I've read, this one, I quite enjoyed. Some of the key phrases that M.J. used, like how resolutions can be fulfilled by 'desire, intent, and persistence (shoot, I forget if that was the last word, but if not, it's around the same idea). And it makes sense. I mean, I've heard it all before... that you have to want something, try it, then keep at it. But there was something about this particular book that I thought worked for me. I liked the short story/examples that supported ideas and ideologies about how to keep to your habits/etc. I thought it felt informative without being preachy. It read a bit like a research paper (quoting other books), but not overly so. I also liked the varied amount of different approaches suggested... because not one idea will work with everyone, and M.J. acknowledges that.

I think this book is worth another read... maybe this time next year. :)