Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

An excellent motivational book for when you know what you should or want to be doing, but you cannot seem to switch your gears from "neutral" to "drive".

This book is part autobiography and part self help. The author provides tips on how she prepares for performances that others may find helpful. The author finds a lighthearted way to help the reader get over their anxiety related to performance.

This audiobook was so gentle and motivating! Imagine Marie Kondoing your entire life. The author spoke very softly and melodically and she integrated her personal anecdotes within the life lessons she was imparting in a very balanced manner.

Overall it's a book that explores loving yourself hard enough to become the best possible version of you.

Thank you @netgalley and @greenleafbookgroup for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review!

This is one of those books that offers advice but does not come off as preachy and I loved that. The author's gentle tone felt like a wiser older relative or friend who wants nothing more than to see your succeed, I highly recommend this book.

When I listened to the preview I was not interested in reading this book. The description was what persuaded me. I was most interested in boosting creativity and creating better habits. There were several good chapters that I listened to more than once. However, there was too much reference to piano playing and too many personal stories that I couldn't relate to.
I thought listening to a self-help book would be good to hear those positive suggestions over and over. However, I prefer to have a physical book so I can highlight and look for bullet points. With a physical book, it is easier to skim the parts I don't relate to.

This was great! What I could listen to anyway...there was a glitch in the download of the audio book so it kept stopping after the 2nd chapter.

But the author's voice was very soothing and nice to listen to. Will look for this elsewhere to get the whole experience.

From the Publisher: “This book is about helping readers prepare themselves mentally, emotionally, and physically for their own performances. Whether they are hoping to land a job, practicing for a speech, training for a marathon, or trying to accomplish a goal, Jeeyoon’s book will offer them advice, encouragement, and practical exercises they can use to help them perform at their best and achieve their dreams. With warmth, honesty, and compassion, Jeeyoon speaks to readers who are in their own green rooms and invites them to live the life they hope for.”

I enjoyed listening to Jeeyoon Kim’s Whenever You’re Ready. The book was well-organized and encouraging. While some of the tips were familiar and others new, all were a gentle reminder of ‘practicing’ for my best life. Kim’s voice is musical and soothing. I think the physical book would be good because I could refer back to specific tips easily.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely delightful book! I don’t gravitate toward self-help type books but was intrigued by this book. I was initially drawn in by the cover and was happily surprised that I really enjoyed the content as well.

Being this was the audio version of the book I wasn’t sure how I would be able to absorb the information being provided as I was intending that I would be wanting to look back and review things like a workbook. That was not an issue at all. The “lessons” are very practical and well explained. The pace of the book is quite beautiful as well. I loved how the introduction explains the way the author has designed and paced the book for the reader. I felt very accepted and welcomed into the text and didn’t feel overwhelmed or annoyed that things were unreasonable or unrealistic.

One of the best aspects of this audio book is the narration. The author has a beautifully soothing voice that is quite relaxing and enjoyable. I found it fascinating to hear her experiences and how she utilizes and applies her lessons in her own everyday life.

In total, if you like self help, self exploration books you will enjoy this. If you’re hesitant about the genre give it a try and you may find yourself pleasantly surprised.

4.5 that I rounded up to a 5.

I listened to the audiobook version of Whenever You're Ready: How to Compose the Life of Your Dreams, which was quite pleasantly narrated by the author and runs for about 7-1/2 hours. Jeeyoon Kim is an award-winning music educator and professional concert pianist who has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall. In the prelude, she notes "Whether we have piano keys before us or not, we all have a stage called life."

I love that she structured the book like a classical concert: it begins with a prelude and then shifts to multiple separated movements (what she calls a group of chapters) which focus on different themes (like building and maintaining habits, achieving goals, and work/life balance). Each movement is followed by a quick intermission that the author uses to help the reader gain an appreciation of classical music. For example, the first intermission is about Frédéric Chopin. There's also an encore at the end!

As a musician and performer myself, I appreciated hearing about her mental, emotional, and physical preparations before her concerts. It is so very important to be fully prepared for many things in life, like job interviews, public speaking, marathon training, or goal setting in general.

I really enjoyed her advice, and her tag line about her suggestions: "Something to think about, whenever you're ready."

Admittedly I was only drawn to this book because the author is a Korean woman. The content itself is not something I feel like I need to read another book on. I was delightfully surprised by how the author's context and story gave new perspective to old tips and tricks. As she references, there's already a lot out there on productivity and performance - time logging, single tasking, setting intentions, etc. I appreciated the depth of sharing of her own story and a humility that didn't come across as false. Add to that learning about a new world of professional piano performance, teaching, etc. I was kept interested. I listened to the audio and will definitely be seeking out some of the resources she mentions and will follow her podcast. I even brought myself back to the piano!

Practical advice for creating the life you want and finding the courage to do the things you are scared of. Concert pianist Jeeyoon Kim relates what she has found to work for her to create her successful life. Having the author as narrator makes it feel like a conversation.

Listening to this #audiobook about building habits to reach your goals, creating small steps along the way.
.
@jeeyoonkimpianist, a concert pianist who has played at Carnegie Hall and numerous highly sought after venues, walks you through how to shape your routine to tackle the progress you want. She stresses that so much of the talent we assume people are born with is truly their hard work and consistent practice, not just in music but in many aspects of life.
.
As the daughter of a concert pianist myself, and a pianist myself, I have to concur. We may be born with a curiosity or interest - particularly due to early music exposure - but only when we invest and keep returning to practice and those instruments do we uncover our skills.
.
Like Jeeyoon, I too decided to examine what was getting in the way of some of my desires like regularly jogging. I found it was sometimes small hurdles like only having time to run in the morning and not having workout clothes ready that were easy to solve; I began sleeping in yoga pants and tank tops and kept my key on a hair scrunchie so I could roll out of bed, tie up my hair, slip on my shoes and hit the road. It worked like a charm when I made the preparations the night before.
.
Similarly, Jeeyoon reminds us we choose how we spend our time and new habits are best started in bite size pieces associated with existing habits. What if you played piano for just 10 minutes after the morning coffee that's already built into your routine? It's easier than you may think. The biggest hurdle is always simply being vulnerable enough to try, allow yourself to be a beginner, forgive yourself when you fail or break the habit, and get back up to start again.

#WheneverYoureReady #NetGalley #OutNow

#Bookstagram #booksaremylife #bookishlove #bookshelfie #bookblog #bookaesthetic #bookishallure #bookishfeed #bookgram #bookster #bookishphotos #bookishcommunity #bookishrainbow #bookstack #bookishladiesclub #bookishglee #booksgram #booksarelife #bookobsessed #bookcover #booklife #bookstagramer #bookishlife #booksofinsta #booknerds #booksta

I very much enjoyed this read. It takes things you’ve hear before and gives it a new perspective. I had a hard time with the audiobook at first, but adjusted the speed which helped.

I love her overall view on life and how upbeat yet realistic her view is. She definitely helps you want to get something started!

Great Read. Love the music that is woven in and how the book is laid out.

Big thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and GoodReads (I won this after I already requested it!).

THis was an interesting story. It was inspiring to hear Jeeyoon's history and how she overcame.. It really made me think about my life and how I can live my life.

Format: audiobook
Author: Jeeyoon Kim ~ Title: Whenever You're Ready ~ Narrator: Jeeyoon Kim
Content: 4.5 stars ~ Narration: 5 stars

You can read this book as a memoir or as a self-help book. But for me, it was more than just that.

I didn’t know the pianist Jeeyoon Kim before, so I watched some of her live performances on YouTube. She plays the piano very well, and I think we can learn a great deal from musicians like her. They go through enormous pressures and tests to achieve what she did. So she can now play so well in front of a demanding audience.

I listened to an audiobook and read the book at the same time. The book is like a concert list. It contains a prelude, five movements, and an encore. I loved intermissions about classical pieces that Jeeyoon loves. I wish the audiobook format would include the complete works played by her. In both versions, the author invites you to listen to these pieces on her Podcast.

Both formats are great. If you are interested in the self-help part of the book, an ebook or a physical copy is maybe a slightly better choice. You have those “Something to think about whenever you’re ready“ parts at the end of each chapter, and it can be a better experience to see that written.

If you read a lot of self-help books about how to create a habit, stay positive, be successful, etc, you may know some of these tactics. But the format and the unique way the author presents this content deserves a 4.5 star from me. It would have been a 5 star if the author included the entire pieces of intermissions.

The narration did the author herself, and I liked it. Her accent made it even better and authentic.

I enjoyed listening to Ms. Kim's voice as she shares her life experiences and tips for our own betterment.

A great reflective read on life, challenges, motivations, and building habits. The author is a professional pianist. She does a great job connecting with the listeners early on, describing her humble childhood in Korea and introduction to music. She then progresses through her childhood, high school years, and challenges during undergraduate and graduate trainings. I consider this a refreshing listen (or read), focusing on steps to encourage life balance, changing daily habits, and ‘enjoying the journey’ rather than solely focusing on the finish line of life and its challenges.

Kim shares many stories that are personal, with her journey and challenges as a professional musician, and adaptations she has had to make during the COVID pandemic. She also has quite a history of teaching, with great anecdotes sprinkled in throughout. Perhaps my favorite part of this listen are the various teaching pearls that I plan to incorporate into my daily flow and repertoire of teaching tools.

I also enjoyed the creativity the author demonstrated, including arranging the read/listen into an organization similar to a classical music concert, with links for live music!

I highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley for my free copy. The comments above are mine without influence.

Thank you #netgally
I listened to this audio book today. Jeeyon Kim is a truly inspirational woman, her dedication to her life and piano practice is amazing. Her voice is soft and easy to listen to.
Her tips and encouragement on becoming motivated and inspired to start gently at ten minutes a day for 3 weeks.

* What you express who you are is another gift to the world. *

She made many things happen for herself being her own agent for years.

Believe in yourself. I am going to apply some of these tips to get my fitness back up.

Know your work can inspire others to create.

This book is part self-help book & part autobiography, but don’t let that put you off!
The self-help parts are lessons learnt from her life and she shares these with the reader/listeners but also challenges them with little habits or exercises they can try. She is realistic, understanding that not everybody can or will be a concert pianist but also acknowledging that with focus, you can face seemingly huge hurdles or impossible situations by breaking them into manageable chunks and focussing only on the next chunk! The title of the book comes from the moments immediately before a performance when she is backstage. Somebody will open the door and say “Whenever you’re ready . . .” - Jeeyoon uses this phrase to challenge the readers to take their own steps in life, whether this is to reach a goal, meet a challenge or develop a new habit.

The book is structured rather like a concert performance with a series of movements separated by intermissions. This really worked as she focussed on different aspects in each “movement” and the intermissions gave you time to digest the content before a change of pace/direction to the next topic. I will definitely be exploring Jeeyoons YouTube channel & Podcast as she references these in the text and they seem like great companions to this book.
The audiobook was narrated by the author & it truly feels like a conversation with her. The pace is perfect, and her gentle voice is almost soothing. Thoroughly enjoyable!


#WheneverYoureReady #NetGalley.

What a wonderful audiobook! Jeeyoon’s journey to become a classical pianist was paved with bumps and forks in the road. She overcame them by refocusing on what seemed to be impossible situations into manageable moments. She presented how to overcome obstacles by looking at them in a different manner and approached them with patience and determination. I really loved her story and am now following her on YouTube and listening to her podcast.