Getting Unstuck

February 12, 2007
Butler, a psychotherapist and director of Career Development at Harvard Business School, says it's the ruts and dead ends in life that can provide motivation for the greatest change-provided you're willing to dig deep and confront unresolved issues from the past. Though it isn't an easy process, this self-help proves uncommonly fresh and thought-provoking. Butler's approach is built around a practical six-step process that he's used with thousands of corporate executives and students, who provide anecdotes and experiences. The book is divided into three sections: in the first, readers learn how to identify a psychological impasse and open themselves to the possibilities it hides; part two focuses on unearthing passions and interests that have been forgotten or buried; and part three is about "Moving from Impasse to Action," achieving the ultimate goal of change through a heightened awareness of "the energies and possibilities that are emerging, regardless of their threat to habit, comfort and stereotyped expectations." In the end, the real challenge may be in winnowing a single path from the wealth of options Butler uncovers.