Don't Wait for Your Ship to Come in... Swim Out to Meet it: Tools and Techniques for Positive Lasting Change - Softcover

Wood, Gary

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1841127337 ISBN 13: 9781841127330

Publisher: Capstone, 2008

Synopsis

For those battle-scarred veterans of self-help books, psychologist Dr Gary Wood has answers that actually work. He argues that for real changes in the life of real people we need real psychology. In Don't Wait for Your Ship to Come In, Swim Out to Meet It, he presents an end to 'yo-yo self helping. This is a complete step-by-step program for personal development, based on the life-coaching techniques and evidence-based psychology that have made him immensely popular on British radio, TV and magazines. Written in his trademark, fun, conversational Dr Wood offers a wealth of tools and techniques for positive lasting change illustrated with exercises, quizzes and anecdotes. It covers everything from relaxation, to self-talk, to creative visualization, to goal setting. It also contains tools for enhancing anyone's creative capacity for change and overcoming self-sabotage. Throughout, the book focuses on personal strengths and solutions and contains tools for conducting a complete life review. Dr Gary Wood offers the challenge 'It's your life so take it personally'. This comprehensive, practical guide is a must for anyone who is truly serious about personal growth, empowerment and change.

About this title

From the Author:

I guess it's fair to say that I achieved more than other people expected of me. When I returned to education to study psychology I had the idea that surely the subject must have something to say about how we can learn more effectively. At school we were never really taught how to learn. So, I scoured the psychology books for any psychological treasure that would help me to learn better. Perhaps most importantly, from these small insights I found myself exceeding the expectations I had for myself.

Eventually I found myself at the front of the classroom teaching psychology and the significant milestone in my career was teaching a course in psychology for mature students. They didn't always have up-to-date learning skills but their enthusiasm more than made up for it. They were all in my classroom not because they thought they had to be there, but because they really wanted to be! That attitude made all the difference. However, what I found myself doing more and more was giving out confidence building and motivation tips. Even though it was a departure from the syllabus, I found I really enjoyed this aspect of the job. In fact I joked on occasions that sometimes the syllabus got in the way! Basically, I was passing on the tricks of the trade that had made such a difference for me.
I was also able to show that learning could be fun, and yes we did have fun! For the overwhelming majority of these students their return to learning was a life changing experience. Throughout I witnessed dramatic changes in their confidence and self-belief. It's an amazing thing to witness, that by pointing people in the right direction, with their effort and commitment, they are able to achieve much more than they expect of themselves!

It's true to say that academic psychology often falls short of offering practical help and pop psychology is often found lacking in the theory department. Increasingly I was also asked to offer practical tips in media stories and so I trained as a life coach to supplement my psychology and teaching qualifications. In turn, I developed the tools and techniques from the classroom into personal development courses and workshops. And this is how Don't Wait For Your Ship To Come In... Swim Out To Meet It! came about. I wrote this book so that many more people will benefit from my insights and experience. Put into practice: it works! The overall message is that you can achieve much more than you expect of yourself! Nothing would make me happier than for you to put into practice the principles of this book and prove me right!
Gary Wood

About the Author:

Dr Gary Wood [BSc (Hons), PgC, PhD, FHEA] is a social psychologist, author, life coach, and broadcaster. Combining an engaging and accessible approach with a solid academic background he specializes in communicating psychological insight on all aspects of human social life to a wider audience. Increasingly the need for down-to-earth evidence-based expertise finds him working in diverse arenas from the press, to radio, television and theatre, to corporate consultancy, and of course, the lecture room. He has taught psychology to students at all levels of higher education, in several UK universities and colleges. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Dr Wood has also worked with the Learning and Skills council to promote to encourage adults back to learning. He regularly appears on radio and television offering expert analysis and coaching tips, and is widely quoted in newspapers and magazines. He has featured on the Trisha Goddard (Channel Five) show as part of her 'Campaign for Change' team, on Big Brother's Little Brother and on Moneyspinners. he is a regular panellist on Five Live's The Late Show and has appeared on Woman' s Hour. He has been a featured agony uncle in eve magazine and is the life editor for health and style website, Mansized. Dr wood contributes quizzes and articles to a range of publications and is author of Sex, Lies and Stereotypes. As well as lecturing, he runs his own research consultancy, training and coaching practice. In his spare time he eats, sleeps...and occasionally sings! For more info, visit www.drgarywood.co.uk or www.psycentral.co.uk

About this edition

• Publisher: Capstone
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1841127337
• ISBN 13: 9781841127330
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 344