Die Empty – Todd Henry

“Embrace the importance of now and refuse to allow the lull of comfort, fear, familiarity, and ego to prevent you from taking action on your ambitions…The cost of inaction is vast. Don’t go to your grave with your best work inside of you. Choose to die empty.”

Most of us live with the stubborn idea that we’ll always have tomorrow to do our most important and valuable work. We fill our days with frantic activity, bouncing from task to task, scrambling to make deadlines and chase the next promotion. But by the end of each day we’re often left asking ourselves, Does the work I did today really matter? We feel the ticking of the clock, but we’re stuck in first gear, unsure of the path forward and without a road map to guide us.

Here’s the hard truth: sooner or later all of our tomorrows will run out, so how we choose to spend today is significant.

Each day that we postpone difficult tasks and succumb to the clutter that chokes creativity, discipline, and innovation results in a net deficit to the world, our organizations, and ourselves.

Die Empty is a tool for people who aren’t willing to put off their most important work for another day. Todd Henry explains the forces that keep us in stagnation and introduces a process for instilling consistent practices into your life that will keep you on a true and steady course. 
It’s not about slaving over a project or living on a whim—it’s about embracing the idea that time is finite and making the unique contribution to the world that only you can make. Henry shows how to cultivate the mind-set and the methods you need to sustain your enthusiasm, push through mental barriers, and unleash your best work each day. His guiding principles and checkpoints include:

DEFINE YOUR BATTLES: Counter aimlessness by defining your goals wisely and build your life around achieving them.

BE FIERCELY CURIOUS: Prevent boredom from dulling your senses by approaching your work with curiosity. 
STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE: Make a valuable contribution to the world by getting uncomfortable and embracing lifelong growth and skill development. 
Sure to bring clarity and a sense of urgency to how you approach your work every day, Die Empty will help you reach for and achieve your goals. [From: Goodreads.com]

About The Author:

Henry is the founder and CEO of Accidental Creative, a consulting firm that helps organizations generate new ideas. His first book, The Accidental Creative (2011), offered strategies for how to thrive in the creative marketplace and was supported by a podcast of the same name. The imperative of the new book to “die empty” may sound exhausting, but it’s not about working yourself to the bone until you have nothing left to give. Instead, it’s about reminding yourself that your life is finite to create a sense of urgency that breaks the habit of putting your best work off until tomorrow. Many modern professionals are “busily bored,” cranking through a lot of work but not engaged or meeting their larger objectives. Henry provides a number of tactics and mental challenges to keep you focused on short, medium, and long-range goals. Keep this one by your bedside and read a section or two at the beginning or end of the day to keep yourself on track. [From: Amazon.com]

From the Publisher

“In a field crowded with rivals, Todd Henry stands out as a unique and original voice. I love Todd’s outstanding thoughts on how each of us possesses a career-in-potential, and it’s our challenge to bring it forth so that we can ‘die empty.’ If you can read this book and not be inspired, you need a 100 percent full-body-and-soul transplant.”
—STEVEN PRESSFIELD, AUTHOR OF THE WAR OF ART AND TURNING PRO

“Todd Henry says to create a life of meaning and impact you need to map, make, and mesh. You’re probably doing one or two of those right now, but just imagine how interesting your work will get when you incorporate all three into your daily life. Todd gives you the tools and points the way.”
—MICHAEL BUNGAY STANIER, SENIOR PARTNER AT BOX OF CRAYONS, AUTHOR OF DO MORE GREAT WORK

“Die Empty looks past simple slogans to highlight detailed strategies for building a meaningful life; a must-read for anyone interested in moving from inspiration to action.”
—CAL NEWPORT, AUTHOR OF SO GOOD THEY CAN’T IGNORE YOU

“In this powerful book, Todd reminds us that the world will not be changed by what we want to create, it will be changed by what we created. Life is short. Learn how to die empty.”
—PAMELA SLIM, AUTHOR OF ESCAPE FROM CUBICLE NATION

“No matter your role in your family, community, or business, Todd Henry will open your eyes to new ways to unlock your purpose and set you on the right path to pursue your personal mission. Die Empty will keep you on a true and steady course and help you reach your full potential every day.”
—TIM SCHIGEL, FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN, SHARETHIS, INC.

“You have a limited number of days on Earth. This book sends an urgent message: make them count!”
—CHRIS GUILLEBEAU, AUTHOR OF THE $100 STARTUP AND THE ART OF NON-CONFORMITY

“I can think of no better phrase to live your life by nor any better person to explain the message. Bravo.”
—JULIEN SMITH, FOUNDER OF BREATHER.COM AND AUTHOR OF THE FLINCH

[These Reviews are from: Barnesandnoble.com]