Unstoppable Women: Achieve Any Breakthrough Goal in 30 Days

By Cynthia Kersey
Published by Rodale
April 2005; $15.95US/$22.95CAN; 1-59486-104-8

Want to Become Unstoppable?

How many times has the phrase "if only" run through your mind? If only I could go back to school. Start my own business. Find more time for my kids. No matter what your "if only" is, motivational speaker and corporate trainer Cynthia Kersey can help you achieve it -- in just 30 days. The Unstoppable Women 30-Day Challenge is a revolutionary plan that's changed the lives of thousands of women. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, you'll complete simple, daily actions that will build momentum and keep you on target for success. It's time to make your "if onlys" a reality. It's time to become Unstoppable.

Author

Cynthia Kersey's first book, Unstoppable, was published in 13 languages. She is president of Unstoppable Enterprises, Inc., and her Unstoppable Foundation provides tools, resources, and funds to disadvantaged women and children throughout the world.

Reviews

"Unstoppable Women is a rich and inspirational guide that will support women everywhere in clarifying what they want and developing a concise plan to create it." --Debbie Ford, best-selling author of The Dark Side of the Light Chasers

"Cynthia Kersey, the visionary leader of our time, shows you the how, the why, and the steps to become totally and absolutely unstoppable. Read this book -- you'll be glad you did."

--Mark Victor Hansen, co-author, New York Times #1 best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series

"Unstoppable Women is a positively dynamic and inspiring book that will ignite in every woman who reads it a passion to make things happen in her life. This book is an essential read."

--Caroline Myss, author of Invisible Acts of Power

"If you're looking for motivation, read this book. The stories of these courageous women will inspire you to be unstoppable!"

--Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One Minute Manager

"Start reading and don't stop until the last page. It will change your life and make you unstoppable too!!"

--Millard Fuller, president and founder, Habitat for Humanity

"Unstoppable Women is an invaluable tool for any woman serious about fulfilling her dream."

--Jack Canfield, co-author, New York Times #1 best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul series

"Unstoppable Women is an exceptional book. The program Cynthia has developed is extremely practical -- and it's easy to incorporate the process into your life. In no time, you'll be speeding along the path of your dreams."

--Robert G. Allen, author of the New York Times bestsellers Nothing Down, Creating Wealth, Multiple Streams of Income, Multiple Streams of Internet Income, and co-author of The One Minute Millionaire

"Unstoppable Women is a must-read for anybody serious about making their dreams come true!"

--Les Brown, author of Live Your Dreams, It's Not Over Until You Win, and Up Thoughts for Down Times

"Cynthia Kersey has created a foolproof process to ensure that every single woman who reads this marvelous book will find the courage, confidence, and determination to reach her life's goal -- one unstoppable moment at a time. You can't read this book and not move forward."

--Gail Blanke, executive coach, motivational speaker, and author of Between Trapezes: Flying into Your Next Life with the Greatest of Ease

"I love this book! Unstoppable Women is a practical and hopeful read to help us identify where we really want to be and how to get us there. So often we feel powerless to create positive change in our lives. Maybe what's missing is the manual of how to get from here to there. This book is it."

--Donna Thomases, Organizer, Million Mom March and author of Looking for a Few Good Moms

"If you are serious about changing your life, Unstoppable Women is a must. It will guide and encourage you every step of the way and you are not alone. The women profiled in this book are remarkable in every way and remind you that your life is packed with unlimited possibilities no matter what your circumstances." --Frances Jones, co-founder, Feed the Children

"Unstoppable Women is a powerful book for helping the reader identify their heart's desire, then develop a plan to make it happen."

--Maureen Beal, CEO, National Van Lines

"Unstoppable Women offers readers a virtual "road map" to make a real, positive change in their lives in just 30 days. Cynthia dramatically captures the inspiring stories of courageous and 'unstoppable' women and then provides practical steps that can be followed by anyone wanting to make a positive difference in his or her life."

--Robert S. Apatoff, President & CEO, Rand McNally & Company

"'One thing at a time.' 'Take small steps.' We've heard the expressions before, but in Unstoppable Women, Cynthia Kersey brings them to life by teaching us exactly how to develop our plans for change in small, achievable, daily steps. She encourages us to strive for 'progress, not perfection,' and to help other women along our way. This book is an invaluable tool for anyone preparing to make changes in her life."

--Karen Baar, author of For My Next Act . . . Scripting Life After Fifty

"Cynthia Kersey offers women the perfect strategy to make the changes in their life they now only dream about."

--Jane Velez-Mitchell, television news journalist and correspondent for Celebrity Justice

"Finally -- a book for and about women that is informational, instructional, inspirational, and most of all, moves you to create a compelling new life of your dreams!" --Robin MacGillivray, president of Business Communications Services, SBC Communications West

"Unstoppable Women is as relevant for my teenage granddaughters as it is for me. Any woman can succeed at overcoming challenging circumstances and have unlimited possibilities with this 30-day program that really works. Inspiring and a must-read."

--Diane V. Cirincione, Ph.D., nationally syndicated columnist of "Your Attitude Is Everything" and co-author of Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

"Unstoppable Women helps women and men discover pathways to empowerment as we gain insight and inspiration from real life models of courage and transformation."

--Barnet Bain, producer of What Dreams May Come and The Celestine Prophecy

"Cynthia Kersey has coached our sales team because she delivers results! Unstoppable Women offers a simple yet powerful program that can propel your company to a whole new level! This 30-day program works!"

--Dyan Lucero, U.S. President of Jafra

"No matter where you are in life, Unstoppable Women will inspire you with beautifully written stories of courage and provide you with a simple process to change your life, one step at a time."

--Regina R. Testa, vice president, Xerox Corporation

"If you have dreams or aspirations, but are frustrated in making them a reality, this book is a must read. Unstoppable Women is motivational and inspirational, but the best news is that it is a practical guide that can help you achieve your goals. The women profiled in this book have remarkable stories and will remind you that you are not alone on your quest."

--Monica Luechtefeld, executive vice president, Office Depot

Excerpt

The following is an excerpt from the book Unstoppable Women: Achieve Any Breakthrough Goal in 30 Days

Unstoppable Action

Acknowledge Fear, Prepare, and Then Act

Loreena McKennitt knew that to succeed on her own terms, she needed more than musical talent and passion. She needed to educate herself about the music business. So she developed a step-by-step plan to become a savvy music businessperson: running her fledgling label, figuring out how to do media and publicity, and learning about taxes, agents, and contracts. By taking things a step at a time and preparing along the way, she reduced her risk of failure and kept herself from becoming overwhelmed.

Were there times when she was fearful? You bet. Fear is a natural reaction to change. It's the number one reason people hesitate to start anything new, opting instead for the way things are -- safe, comfortable, and familiar. It's important to realize that everyone experiences fear when venturing into unknown territory. It is a natural response. The difference between stoppable and unstoppable people is their response to fear. Unstoppable people acknowledge fear and manage it by confronting the cause and determining how they can prepare for the challenge ahead. They decide on certain actions that will enable them to feel as competent and confident as possible.

As women, we tend to be more uncomfortable with risk than men are; there are two major reasons for this difference. First, we have significantly lower levels of testosterone, the hormone behind aggressiveness, competitiveness, risk-taking, and high sex drive. Second, women have historically been trained to revere security, not risk.

Columbia University's Carol Dweck, Ph.D., one of the world's leading researchers on emotional development, says that women fear risk because they fear making mistakes. "Women take less risks because they don't want to expose their inadequacies. They see inadequacies as permanent deficiencies rather than things that can be learned over time."

For example, when a woman is applying for a job and is asked if she can do something she knows little about, she'll say no, Dr. Dweck says. On the other hand, men say, "Sure," meaning, "Sure, I can learn." They don't want to expose inadequacies. Many women, particularly bright women, see inadequacies as permanent deficiencies rather than things that can be remedied. Often, women will not think of the learning that will take place on the job and how they can grapple with that as time goes on, but will instead focus on the skills that they lack and the gap between what they know now and what they need to know.

As young girls, many of us were perfect and got a lot of praise for being good little girls. And it becomes a standard that we can't live up to and we're afraid of falling from that standard.

Let's take a lesson from the men. If we want to move into new territory and make a change in our lives, it's important to let go of the expectation of needing to know everything up front. This is unrealistic and holds us back. My personal strategy for approaching any new undertaking has always been to prepare thoroughly. Whether I'm giving an important sales presentation or speaking in front of a large audience, I never "wing it." Initially, the task may seem intimidating, but the more prepared I am, the more confident I become.

To overcome fear, we must prepare as best we can and then plunge ourselves into the very thing we fear most. Only by taking risks can we build our confidence.

Finally, don't be surprised if you don't get initial support from others when you take a risk. Philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said, "All truth goes through three steps. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident." Schopenhauer asserted that only 3 percent of people ever embrace a new truth during the first two stages, when their lives can be truly transformed. Ninety-seven percent wait for the self-evident stage, when embracing the new idea is safe and socially acceptable. Unfortunately, by then it's too late for any real opportunities.

By taking a risk, you are refusing to let fear create regrets for you. Instead, you are opening yourself to a world of new, exciting opportunities.

Is the risk worth the reward?

Are you experiencing fear and anxiety about your ability to achieve your breakthrough goal? Perhaps you've been putting off a particularly daunting step you need to take to achieve your 30-day goal? Take some time to think about what concerns you the most about this step. Acknowledge your fear -- but don't stop there. Brainstorm some ways you could prepare to take this step. Preparation is the key to taking fear out of the unknown. Of course, you'll never be able to foresee everything that could happen, but by preparing for the most likely scenarios, you'll feel more comfortable. Then go ahead and plunge yourself into the thing you've been fearing -- remember, the first step is the hardest! And once you've taken the risk, you'll be on your way to reaping the rewards.

Risk is the fuel behind all growth, all greatness. I've coached people who didn't achieve their 30-day goal in 30 days, but still said it was the most transformational experience of their lives. Why? For the first time, they had a plan and understood the mindset necessary to make real changes in their lives. They were in action! That is success! If we focus on what we gain through the process of trying and risking and see how we've grown and learned, we win.

Reprinted from: Unstoppable Women: Achieve Any Breakthrough Goal in 30 Days By Cynthia Kersey © 2005 Cynthia Kersey. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their website at www.rodalestore.com