The purpose of this book is to serve as a practical guide to self-improvement in life areas or problems that are common to most of us. These areas may include, but are not limited to, educational goals, vocational pursuits, and exercise or weight loss objectives, changing personal feelings or behaviors, working on relationships, altering communication styles or a myriad of other personal self-improvement goals. The hard work and struggles along the way can be valuable lessons for setting small goals, learning patience and perseverance. The road to self-improvement is not always easy, but may be quite rewarding, and so it may be with the reader of this book. Hopefully some of the strategies I share will help others on their road to self-improvement. As a final caveat to readers it should be known that this book is not intended as a substitute for the appropriate medical care or therapy needed for illnesses or severe problems that are beyond the scope of this book. Always seek the right type of help you need for the problem you have. Psychosis or deep depression with suicidal thoughts would be examples of problems beyond the scope of this book. This book also does not encompass all possible means of self-improvement. However, this book does offer numerous useful strategies and forms derived from many years of practical experience in helping others. I have also sought to make this book easy to read and understand, and as free from jargon as I could manage. This book serves as a useful adjunct to other resources you may use in your journey towards self-improvement. May your journey be rewarding!
About the Author: Randy Young was born and raised in the Midwest region of the U.S.A. After high school the author worked a variety of jobs before getting married, having a family and pursuing his A.A., B.A., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in the areas of human services, sociology, psychology, and training and learning. The author spent nearly 35 years working in the areas of mental health and substance abuse treatment. During this time Randy worked in nursing, social work, psychology and administration, and also enjoyed teaching as a college instructor. His primary life work has been dedicated to helping individuals learn to help themselves. In his semi-retirement Randy has enjoyed spending time with his wife, children, grandchildren and friends while pursuing activities he loves such as camping, fishing, vacationing, reading and writing. During his years of employment Randy spent considerable time reading and writing in the capacity of his work for a professional clinical audience. Now it is the author's desire to apply his love of helping others and writing to a broader audience of readers.