I enjoyed the challenges this book presents. It makes the reader want to confront the challenges and overcome them. I particularly liked the sections on customization. That helped to make the content specific to me so that I could use the strategies in my daily life. ( )

Reach comes at a perfect time in my life when I am taking on the challenge of a new job. I over set goals & expectations & had a serious set back. Now with the help of Reach I have gained understanding through wonderful examples. The confidence building is exactly what is needed for me right now. I'm thrilled that I have the book in hand to help me with great tools to put to practical immediate use. ( )

_Reach_, I cannot imagine a more perfect title for this book.

_Break Out_ would have perhaps been more snazzy. _Face Your Fears_, to the point with a no nonsense edge. _Quit Being a Baby_....well, you get my point. But _Reach_ - whether for the stars or just beyond yourself: going from the comfort zone to the magic zone. Beautiful. Happily, the title does the book justice. To begin, author Andy Moolinsky lays out what to expect from this book using his own experiences as an example. He then issues several challenges; to you rauthenticity, your likeabilty, your competence, your morality and yes, even your resentment. Areas in which we are most likely to talk ourselves out of something in order to apease some belief or fear that may or may not be true. He then gets down and dirty with the avoidance tactics we use to hide from these beliefs and fears. Generally, we spend more time avoiding a problem (and setting ourselves up for a negative feedback loop) then it would take to just fix it and move on (cliche alert - whatever we resist, persists). After (gently) shaming us for our wimpy ways, Molinsky gives us the tools to overcome whatever is holding us back. And here is the true gem of the book, we are then guided to making this behavior a positive feedback loop - making it a part of ourselves instead of merely an exercise Perfect.

I'll be honest, I consider myself a competent person in most areas of my life but there are a couple of things that bring out my inner doormat with a vengence. This book has helped me tremendously with fixing those areas and, while a long way from perfect, I am making progress. Molinsky was inspiring; not only in being an innovative researcher in this area but also as someone who has struggled with and overcome these same issues. I found the assessment tool in the last section of the book to be particularly valuable to as it pulls the entire book into one package (as opposed to a scattershot series of exercises) and has you apply what you have learned. Brilliant. If you, like me, have struggled with your inner wimp, I cannot recommend this book highly enough ( )

The theme of this book is you'll never know until you try. There are loads of examples of everyday people in everyday situations, and some famous folks with real life anxieties to use as examples. If you know someone contemplating a leap in their life, give them a copy. ( )

Decent advice book on a difficult subject. Author Andy Molinsky offers up clear, practical solutions for systematically stepping outside of your comfort zone and taking risks. In addition to laying the groundwork for these new habits, the author also rightfully makes the case that one size will certainly not fit all. Each person is expected to find their optimal path to achieve true reach.

From my own experience, I would add that repeatedly stepping outside your comfort zone, especially if the task is routine, will over time cause it to feel completely normal. A kind of desensitization through exposure. My favorite example is making cold calls—do it enough and the extraordinary-ness of it will wear off. ( )