When I first began to listen to this Audible Original, I was skeptical. I don’t really believe its premise that you can fully take control of your life or that control is always in your hands. Trying to control everything is what stresses us out in our daily lives. But I wanted to listen to something new that wasn’t fiction, so I gave “Take Control of Your Life” by Mel Robbins a chance. This is different from other audiobooks I’ve listened to in that it’s a series of her coaching sessions with real people who have problems with control and fear. Some of these sessions I could relate to and some infuriated me.
In one coaching session, she speaks with Dan, who wants to take a leap with his career but is being held back by fear. One notable piece of advice she gives him is to be present in the moment in his everyday life but at the same time take steps to pivot. By that she means he should take small steps, which she refers to as building blocks, to make changes. Sometimes these baby steps take you somewhere you didn’t expect that was different from your original goal or dream. She tells him he’s turning his life into a race and putting too much pressure on himself. “We all end up at the same finish line at different times.”
In another coaching session with Heather, she talks about having a fixed mindset vs. growth mindset. A growth mindset means you allow yourself room to grow and take into account how hard you work. It tells you that if you work harder you can succeed at whatever it is you have failed at or are struggling with. It’s a way to battle self-doubt.
When I mentioned I was infuriated by a certain coaching session, I was referring to Cassandra, who makes seriously judgmental comments about people in her life and others in general. For example, she says choosing not to have kids is selfish of her sister (and likely others). I appreciated that Mel calls her out on her judginess and explains how she is wrong. Her judgment stems from being hurt.
Mel’s main point in this audiobook is to show how your current fear and how you handle it stems from something that happened in your childhood. I’m not sure I agree with that. She asks each person to share a moment from childhood when they first felt fear, but how can everyone possibly remember that? I could not tell you the first time I felt anxious or afraid. I think sometimes it’s just something you learn over time based on your experiences. I don’t always see how a problem you’re currently having is due to a childhood memory, but I still appreciated her advice on how to make changes in your life if there’s a certain area you’re not happy with.
Someone who is grappling with a major life change or needs a boost could benefit from hearing about how others are changing their mindsets and lives in small tangible steps. While I didn’t relate to every single coaching session, I still enjoyed listening to some of them.
Have you listened to this Audible Original?
