A.I.M.: The Powerful 10-Step Personal and Career Success Program [Hardcover]

Before embarking on the A.I.M. program, I was just an ordinary guy with a problem that many, many others have had at some point in their careers.  I was unhappy.  I was becoming bitter.  I complained about my job a lot. I knew I was in a rut and couldn't figure out what to do about it.  I felt powerless, unfocused and alone. And I didn't see a way I could make things improve. That was my starting point before I began the A.I.M. process.

Today, I run my own firm that helps dozens of nonprofits improve their community impact each year. I work on very interesting and socially relevant projects for an ever-growing roster of clients. I have flown around the world to talk about community building, environmentalism and social marketing. I also teach at an innovative downtown university where the students are a joy to teach and my fellow professors often remark on my enthusiasm for my work and life in general. My friends and family constantly note that I seem happier and more motivated as the years go by.

This did not happen because of some exceptional piece of luck - nor because of some superhuman ability or intelligence on my part ... I was someone who happened upon a method - the A.I.M. method - that helped me determine who I was and what inspired me, and then put me on the path to achieving it. It happened because I put those principles into action with the help and guidance of a coach like Jim Carlisle.

I hope as you read this book that you will appreciate how A.I.M. changed my life - and how it could help you change yours. Jim and I have taken the better part of a year to write this book because we believe in strongly in helping those who need a way out. Every day we see people who would benefit from taking charge of their lives and moving forward to achieve, inspire and make a difference.

If you see a bit of yourself in my story - or in the dozens of stories we will share in this book — read on. I hope your journey is even more productive and rewarding than my own.

Despite all the effort you're devoting to your working life, if it's not as satisfying as it should be. You've had a gut feeling for a while, even if you can't quite put your finger on it, but you know that something isn't right. You may feel stuck, trapped, or just unfocused.  You're asking yourself: is that all there is?

We're not talking about making more money, but we could be.

We're not talking about getting the corner office, but we could be.

We're not talking about recognition, but we could be.

What we are talking about how fulfilled you could be by your career in the context of your whole life.

Jim Carlisle is a top executive coach who has worked with hundreds of clients, from CEOs and senior executives to graduate students and professional athletes. His decades of experience have been combined with the unique perspective of Alex Gill, very successful in his own right and a former client of Jim's, to make Jim's coaching methods accessible to everyone. Together they've developed A.I.M.: The Powerful 10-Step Personal and Career Success Program, and explain how to use it to address your immediate challenges and create an action plan for your future. Using a combination of real-life stories, self-assessment tools and a rigorous step-by-step process, Jim and Alex walk you through the program and lead you towards the kind of life you may not have thought possible. By the end, you'll understand that changing your life or career is not an impossible challenge - but something you can accomplish by following a method used successfully by many others who were just like you.  In the process, you will discover what may truly make you happy, allowing you to start on the path towards leading a more satisfying and dynamic life.

Only you can make your life better, and these are the steps to take to make it happen. If you're ready to be challenged, to be fulfilled, and to be energized by your life, it's time to get started with A.I.M.

Achieve. Inspire. Make a difference.