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?Table of Contents1. The importance of asking the right questionsHow confusion is created, cultivated and magnifiedThe most widely accepted explanation happens to be falseDiscard harsh schemes before they do you inHow deep dissatisfaction gives birth to improvementsWhy most people cannot even get startedBeware of the human tendency to self-delusion2. You can figure out what steps to take nextHow much nonsense are you willing to listen to?Painfully torn by adversity: a escape by nightDon't let indignation undermine your missionPath widening and deepening: two great strategiesStarting in life without the benefits of wealth or educationHow a disciplined genius turned into an incongruous loser3. Trial and error are the norm, not the exceptionThe right move after having crashed and burnedQuick rebound after a downfallWhat you can do to accelerate your recoveryHere is the antidote against stagnationProven advice to improve your resilience and resultsThe danger of perfectionism: the teachings of Chuang-Tzu4. It's all about method improvementCareer remedies against career mistakesTaking steps to find new opportunitiesWhere a big plan fails, small solutions can winCan a clever man get stuck in a stupid situation?Learning to grow wiser and strongerTrain yourself to detect inflection points5. How to speed up your progressWhy you'd better tick every box on the check-listThe human inclination to rationalize passivityIndividuals with good ethics make fewer mistakesThe theory and practice of system buildingCan you apply your creativity each day?What I learned from a man who worked miracles6. Your steps should be logical, not randomLearning to think long-term in a short-term worldThe number-one cause of devastating errorsA strong warning against self-inflicted blindnessZero chances of finding the right steps in the darkFigure out the logic, so that you can prevent mistakesAmbition without logic is not a sign of wisdom7. If only you could cut your mistakes by halfMake fear your friend, and prudence your blessingA wide margin of error is a necessity, not a luxurySome people throw themselves to the wolvesThe right steps are often the smoothestDealing effectively with ignorance and prejudice8. Let organic growth determine your stepsNatural growth is better than artificial formulasHistorical experience is the best source of wisdomThe false narrative of motivation and enthusiasmFlawed arguments can be deliciously sweetWhen something breaks, it's showing you the wayEye-opening events are meant to make you change9. The philosophy behind sequentialityThe key to improving your personal effectivenessCan self-acceptance lead to better results?The trap of psychological defensivenessWhat works and what doesn'tDon't let high ideals make you irrationalThe mortal sin of hypersensitivity10. Why it's so difficult to see the winning pathMake sure that you stay alert and proactiveTaking action to seize market opportunitiesExpand your activities and maximize your successYou don't need to reinvent the wheelImproved old concepts can lead to great successHow a stonecutter found the winning pat
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.