How Am I Doing? 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself

This excellent debut from Yeager, psychotherapist for the Detroit Pistons, offers straightforward yet insightful advice on how readers can “cultivate a better sense of awareness” of their needs and desires. The author uses anecdotes from his career to explore 40 questions (“Who is the most important person in your life?” “What is your essence?”) aimed at illuminating one’s unconscious feelings and motivations. Noting that some Pistons players had wrongly assumed that “success, fame, [and] fortune” would bring fulfillment, Yeager encourages readers to ask themselves “What makes you deeply happy?” to ensure they’re pursuing their own goals rather than “what society tells us will make us happy.” The author asks “Are you coachable?” and recounts how his openness to feedback and criticism as a student and college football player helped him succeed in both arenas. Exercises offer pragmatic guidance on how readers can better understand themselves, such as when Yeager recommends keeping a record of one’s self-talk to gain clarity on the question “Do you have an encouraging inner voice?” Yeager’s prose is lean and direct, and the thoughtful reflection prompts that end each chapter provide a bounty of useful strategies for putting the principles into practice. The result is a perceptive guide for getting in touch with oneself. (Oct.)