What I love about The Courage Habit is that it doesn't make fluffy promises, it is realistic and talks about courage in the context of our everyday lives. Some books are great to read but never quite get implemented into real life but this is a book that gives tangible knowledge and tools that you can absolutely take with you and implement. This book is real, its eye-opening and can change how you live each day by helping you not let fear hold you back.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this ARC.
I dipped in and out of this book over a number of weeks. I found it an inviting read and enjoyed rereading sections that I felt were particularly relevant to me based on the four fears described in the Courage Habit.

I highly recommend this book.

In The Courage Habit, life coach Kate Swoboda offers a four-step practice for moving past your fears to reach your dreams. I appreciated Ms. Swoboda's friendly, highly readable style and gently encouraging tone. Her content was a nice balance of anecdotes, explanatory text based on recent research, and practical exercises.

I particularly liked the author's description of four common fear routines: the Perfectionist, the Saboteur, the Martyr, and the Pessimist. Once you understand your primary fear routine, it's much easier to recognize when you lapse into that routine and then shift your pattern. There was a really helpful section on putting a container around an uncomfortable experience. I also liked how the author suggested reframing limiting stories by starting with what is true and then stretching the story in a more positive direction.

Note that while you might get some benefit from just reading the book, you'll benefit more if you take the time to actually do the exercises and work the program. The more commitment you put in, the more you'll get out of this.

If you subscribe at the book's website, you will gain access to a nice library of associated resources, including worksheets for the exercises and several audios.

I've spent a lot of money on coaching and therapy over the years, and for some issues, you really should work with someone, but for many changes you might like to make in your life, The Courage Habit might provide you with all of the tools you'll need. I would potentially recommend this for anyone who has the patience and determination to do the work.

I requested and was provided an ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review. Because I have not seen the final published version, I cannot comment on the final editing and formatting. The ARC I received had some editing and formatting errors, but it was an uncorrected proof, so hopefully those mistakes have been corrected.

I really enjoyed The Courage Habit by Kate Swoboda. She definitely knows the subject matter well, and is able to present the material in an interesting, interactive, easy-to-understand, meaningful and helpful way.

My takeaways from the book are that fear is the basis for us continuing to do what we have always done, even if it is no longer fulfilling to us or meets our needs. We get stuck in a cue/response/reward cycle that leads us to handle the same situations in the same way time and again, because we are comfortable with them. According to Swoboda, courage can become a habit, and we must find the courage to step outside our comfort zone if we want different results.

To know what changes you want/need to make, you must first decide what you want your life to look like. Analyze what it will take to get there, and then start making the necessary changes. Ask yourself "what would be different in this area of my life if my most courageous self was running the show?" (Note: I'm giving simplified statements here, but the author tells you exactly how to do the analysis, and steps needed to implement changes,)

Get out of your own way; don't let your life be determined by fear of change. Fear is not a reason to stop moving forward. It is an opportunity to question deeply what you are afraid of, and to reframe stories that you tell yourself that limit you, into ones that expand and build you up.

The author gives step by step help, includes case studies, and presents the material in an interactive manner. I applied the steps to two situations in my own life and found that I was able to improve both situations a lot.

Any changes you'd like to see in any areas of your own life? This book can help you get there!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ms. Swoboda, and New Harbinger Publications for allowing me to read and review this fine book in return for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

I have a friend who suffers from anxiety, rooted in low self-esteem as she approaches middle age because she finds herself questioning many of her previous life choices. I thought The Courage Habit might be a good book for her, so I picked it up. It is a surprisingly easy read and the author’s style is engaging. I am a big believer in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), ACT and reframing narratives, so I give this book a solid 5 stars. It’s grounded in best practices and may be the motivation you are seeking.

This was alright, it just read like many other self-help books out there which was a bit disappointing.