This book review has been kindly submitted by Amina Meher Sultan and Sister Fatima
Review by Sister Fatima
The book “Screw It, Let’s Do It” is a simple book enriched with many meanings and lessons to learn. What really helps in implanting the tools of success into our minds is the experiences of the author which he shares in each chapter of the book. This helps in not just simply reading but also seeing and imagining the life of the writer just as though we would be watching a movie. The author has a clear way of expressing himself in simple language and terms. What distinguishes this book is the ability to turn the theoretical concepts into practice – it makes it easy for the reader to apply those concepts in his/her life.
The book showed that everything is connected and everyone is involved in forming our personalities, our plans and goals starting with the family.
Throughout my reading, a pen and a small note book were always by my side, because in each page there is something to note down, to think about, and to realize. There is a comparison between my life and the writer’s. I’d like to share some of the notes that I made while reading the book:
- Delaying tasks can grow fear which ends up accomplishing nothing; instead doing your tasks directly and immediately increases accomplishments and decreases ‘daydreaming’ projects.
- Small or big goals all have lessons within them for us to learn even if we fail to achieve those goals.
- Risks should always be calculated with hard or easy choices.
- Special people have talent and can think for themselves and their talent should be used for improvement.
- The experience of the ones around us can teach us many things and lessons that we can use in the future and many decisions made can be remade again because they were wise ones.
- Challenges, targets, aims, goals are different concepts which lead to one thing: keep us moving forward. While moving forwards we will face many obstacles that lead to change, struggle, and strength. On the other hand, the same path will offer us many opportunities that we need to chase and make use of.
- Hard won are more valuable than easy coming.
In conclusion, I’d also like to share just some of the memorable quotes that really touched me:
- Good name is a winning profit.
- Don’t cry over spilled milk!! instead look for solution.
- Give to be given, make a change in the world.
By Sister Amina Meher Sultana
In his Lessons in Life, you would see that he is called as “Dr Yes”, as he never says no rather he would find more reasons to do them than not doing them.
So much so that on just reading half of the book, I tried implementing the same that he shared in this book and my experience and also my sister’s experience are below:
Me: At work, there is always competition on who reaches the target of answering emails. So, when an email from the Email Queue is assigned to the personal mailbox of any agent, and if the customer’s issue is difficult, then any one tends to put that email back to the Queue without answering and leaving the same for someone else to answer it. By this, the next email that they would get in their inbox would be easy or not so challenging and they can achieve the target or escape this tough email. I decided that day and said to myself, SCREW IT LETS DO IT unless I do that email, I will never learn the resolution for that issue. If I put back the email then it would be left unanswered and I will never know the answer. I took it as a challenge to find an answer to reply to the customer and that way I always knew things update to date on my Product. My product knowledge was good and I was given opportunity to handle different queues as I never hesitated to take up work. I was always asked for answers that others did not know and this way of taking a proactive step helped m being left behind.
My sister at work again was handling clients from internal as well as external. Internal being local clients within the country and external clients being foreign clients. Her company has a branded caller id so clients will know who is calling. She always had to call up these clients and speak for orders and hold meetings. That day she had to call up the clients as an order from her boss and she was very scared as usual. As she remembered reading the book, she said to herself SCREW IT LETS DO IT and did her work boldly. On reaching home she told me how she handled the situation boldly.
He has fun with his Work, works hard and also enjoys with his family. As he says have fun at work and Money follows. By having fun it does not mean that Money Always come as he had his ups and downs and learnt from that. He always had fun and believed in what he did. That’s how virgin was born in the middle of a holiday. His friend who was his partner decided to move on his way as his ideas did not match Richard. He made the right choice and made money from the dream he always had for movie and Richard for Virgin.
From his lessons in life you would see that he is a bold man as he says life is full of hard choices. He firmly believes that anything is possible as he learnt from his mother during his childhood and as he grew. But whatever your dream is, go for it. He says, ‘Believe in yourself’. You can do it. Be bold but don’t gamble.
Challenge Yourself! Everyone needs something to aim for. If you challenge yourself, you will grow. He took challenges and worked hard for it and never let it go until he achieved it. He defined challenge as two types; one is to do the best he can at work and the other is to seek adventure. He never stopped challenging himself and as he grew older, he faced bigger challenges.
Also from his lessons he learnt from his mum, “stand on your feet”, that he was never spoon fed and was given the way to get the things done. As I read in another book “The one minute Manager”, “Help others to get the fish out and NOT by taking the fish out OURSELVES and giving them in hand (spoon fed)” Lesson learnt well.
I realized by this how my PRECIOUS TIME could have been saved all these years where I thought, I knew this work better, so let me do it fast and I did it myself, sparing my own time NOT LETTING OTHERS TO LEARN AND MADE THEM MUCH MORE LAZIER.
As he says, Stand on your own feet, Chase your Dreams, and that’s how the day that VIRGIN became a private company and he felt nothing but RELIEF, saying “Once again, I was the captain of my ship and master of my fate and I believe in myself, I believe in the hands that work, in the brains that think, and in the hearts that love.”
He also shares with us how he lived every moment of his life and taking right decision at that moment not leaving to regret about it later. However, whatever hard times that you would have come across, do not waste time in regrets but you should move on.
Many more lessons to be learnt from this book, like giving priority for family and friends and one of the lessons learnt are, A dispute with a friend or a colleague can be sorted in a friendly way.” His real life experience with Phil Collins who was a cabby by day and drove Richard, and the lessons he learnt from that, “Respect is about how to treat everyone, not just those you want to impress”. He was brought up to think we could all change the world and thus has made a huge difference in his life and wishes that we all could continue to make a difference.
Whatever we want to be, whatever we want to do, we can do it. Go ahead, take that first step – Just Do it.
