Reviews

Someday Is Today: 22 Simple, Actionable Ways to Propel Your Creative Life by Matthew Shepard, Elysha Dicks, Matthew Dicks

ariadne_exc's review

4.0

I loved this book. It got me up and changing things from the start. It got me to question whether my perspectives and patterns of thought and behaviour are serving or hindering me on my day-to-day.

That said, beware that if you don't take it up with a somewhat clear or defined goal or dream, it might not be a good fit for you right now. I personally do not have a clear dream or thing that I want to get done, so at some points I was left questioning whether his advice is a bit too intense for me. But the more you know [the better], I guess. This is also pointed out in the prologue and afterword as well. Additionally, the author has an ego. It wasn't as obnoxious as I was expecting, and I like his dry humour, so that helped, but if you really can't stand people that are a bit full of themselves... maybe read a sample before going for the purchase.

ashrith's review

4.0

Brilliant, practical, with an element of vulnerability. Although, found a few anecdotes to be repetitive.
Recommended!

ianbourn's review

2.75

I do not know how to feel about this book. There are some worthy ideas inside, but I feel that much of the writing could have been left on the cutting room floor - I found myself reading not out of enjoyment, but so I could just be done with it already. That being said, the Action Plan at the very end of the book, which is probably the strongest section, may not be as strong without the nearly 300 pages of build up. Idk. If the general thesis of the book piques your fancy, I’d say give it a try, otherwise you might be better off reading something else. 

hail_archangel's review

Here is all you need to know from this book: use your time wisely. The author spends every page pounding this into the reader's head, that is, when he's not bragging about how much better he is than the rest of the human population. Take his advice to use your time wisely and skip this! Read something worthwhile instead. 

anntharai's review against another edition

funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

A refreshingly interesting take on productivity of all sorts. The only book on the topic I've read recently that didn't leave me rolling my eyes. 

Not everything will apply to everyone, but anyone could find something interesting or useful. 

Have to admit there's only one thing I violently disagree with and that is ignoring roped off areas in national parks.  jfc don't do that! There are dozens of reasons not to do that, not least of which are consequences like sink holes/crumbling cliff edges/sub-opitmal proximity to sharp toothed  wildlife/causing irreparable ecological damage to the area or spreading infection from that area to other healthy zones. Why yes this is a soap box, no I will not climb down. 

june_zhu's review

informative fast-paced

1.5

cjv5's review

challenging funny inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

4.25

minervaxyz's review

informative

4.0

very realistic and not self-helpy
actually helpful and uplifting
a bit repetitive at times but also genuinely funny

omipotent's review

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

atheron43's review

informative slow-paced

2.0

There are a lot of good things in this book. But he tells how to save 32 seconds here and 5 minutes her, but then wastes 30 minutes of ours to say he is writing this sentence while someone is not doing anything productive-over and over. He could've just drove the point home that when he said he was writing in the parking lot or for a couple minute waiting for someone. There's times he goes on and on about his accomplishments, but in a way that is boasting and not modest. In the beginning I wished for more examples of his ideas outside of himself doing them. He chastises people for putting borders on corkboards-he doesn't have time for it. I realize it's not for everyone, but I get if something looks nice, I tend to go back to it more often and utilizing it-plus it's sometimes a creative outlet. He tells an older woman she better to get to writing implying she'll die soon if she doesn't and doesn't believe she ever wrote anything. Probably not after saying such a thing-I'd be discouraged too. But then he has a chapter on not being an asshole and one on being an optimistic. Matthew judges a man for copying an all ready published book as a waste of time-but the man went on to write other things. Matthew did several things for years before writing. Maybe the man did it as an exercise to get in the habit of writing, get over the fear of the blank page, or maybe it's made up as Matt thinks. But maybe it did get him writing sooner, and not the complete waste of time Matt judges it to be. We all waste time and I get trying to reduce that. I like hearing how people reduce the time of recurring or find the time to do things in the minutes between life. He says for creators to create but then judges for someone making something nice as a waste of 15 minutes that he doesn't have because there's no reason for it. But unless you know someones motivations for doing something seemingly wasteful, it's not our place to judge. If it was edited down to the most useful portions and the parts that I did really like, I could've saved myself about 137 minutes. But the action plan in the back is nice, and wish the book was just that, plus some examples of more than just him to drive the point home.