cover image Find Your Sweet Spot: A Guide to Personal and Professional Excellence

Find Your Sweet Spot: A Guide to Personal and Professional Excellence

Karen Elizaga. Globe Pequot/Skirt!, $25.95 (240p) ISBN 978-0-7627-9187-3

Elizaga, a corporate lawyer turned executive coach and life coach, has been working with both executive and nonexecutive clients for years; after having children, she realized that she needed to be a role model and find a more fulfilling career. Elizaga takes a holistic approach, covering all aspects of life, from finding a career to finding happiness and satisfaction in general, and she wants to help readers be truly fulfilled—living, rather than merely surviving. She focuses on how to build self-knowledge, how to understand what you like, and how to bring those interests into every area of your life. Elizaga writes, “When you draw on your sweet spot, you find the confidence to navigate any situation and the tenacity to pursue your goals, despite adversity.” Lessons on self-worth and self-assessment are interrupted with gimmicky “Sweet Spot Tips” and saccharine reassurances. The touchy-feely tone wears on the reader quickly, and chapters are slim and choppy. While a holistic approach to life is certainly desirable, this attempt to cover every single base ends up faltering. Elizaga tries to address everything from career to nutrition and posture, but each topic ends up getting only a sound bite. Charts throughout. (Jan.)