Act from Choice: Simple tools for managing your emotions, your habits and yourself, to be how you mean to be

Train your brain to help you manage your emotions, your habits, and yourself.

Everyone says and does things they later regret. We do those things repeatedly, unable to restrain ourselves as often and as much as we want. They’re habits. Act from Choice will help you manage those unwanted habits so you can be the way you mean to be.

Unwanted habits include things like inappropriate angry outbursts, procrastination, breaking the diet or abandoning the exercise program. When unwanted habits have their way, our actions (or inactions) may violate our values and aspirations—even our sense of who we are—leaving us disappointed with ourselves, even feeling embarrassed and out of integrity.Written in accessible, conversational language, Act from Choice presents up-to-date scientific research findings that explain why we have the unwanted habits we do, and why they are so hard to manage. Then it goes beyond mere explanations giving readers the tools needed to manage habits more effectively.

The simple tools presented in Act From Choice will help you manage your emotions and actions more successfully by teaching your brain to interrupt unwanted impulses and bring you to a state of mindfulness before the impulses turn into action. That self-aware, mindful state is essential to emotional intelligence. You’ll discover how to use that mind-state to resist unwanted impulses, act from choice and design your best life. Best of all, you’ll find that the tools are easy to master, and begin to be effective right away.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS:
“[Robert] Goldmann thoroughly examines unwanted habits in this helpful book…. Overall, the book does an excellent job of describing how humans form and keep bad habits, and it offers a wealth of effective tools and exercises to remedy them. The overall tone isn’t one of judgment or criticism, which may be helpful to readers who might be defensive or resistant to change. The guide makes its process a personal one in which the reader is fully in charge. A thorough, conversational guide to aligning one’s habits and actions with one’s intentions.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Wonderful. A twofer — It is written in a style that any overweight smoker can understand and use, and is a finely crafted though easy to understand text book for professionals. A great gift, especially for people raised on guilt.”
—Doug Jarvis, retired former Senior Vice-President, Cablevision Systems Corp.

“Goldmann’s education and decades working at the executive level do not alone account for the remarkable insight in these pages: rather, his insight comes from his obvious hunger to effect change—first in himself, then to cultivate it in his clients and students. What he achieves in his pages is a compelling description of recent neuroscientific findings; his purpose: to support us in making freer choices—to benefit ourselves and others, and live the fullest possible life as we define it for ourselves. He never lectures or dictates; he urges us forward. The Method he designs demands our attention and commitment. It does not fail to reward.”
—Sara MacDwyer, Attorney at Law & Mediator, Certified Family Law Specialist

“There’s one problem with The Act from Choice Method – it works too well! It leaves me no excuse for continuing my so-called “unwanted habits”; either I have to admit I don’t want to quit them or follow the Method and lose them.”
— Clyde Grossman, founder and former Managing Director of Interactive Studio Management, a video game business development. and consulting company, and founder of DoNoHarm.us.

“Goldmann thoroughly examines unwanted habits in this helpful book... [It] does an excellent job of describing how humans form and keep bad habits, and it offers a wealth of effective tools and exercises to remedy them... A thorough, conversational guide to aligning one’s habits and actions with one’s intentions.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Wonderful. A twofer— It is written in a style that any overweight smoker can understand and use, and is a finely crafted though easy to understand text book for professionals. A great gift, especially for people raised on guilt.” —Doug Jarvis. retired former Senior Vice-President, Cablevision Systems Corp.

"...Act from Choice [is] a self-management handbook to help you turn thoughts into action in a way that is posible, approachable, and foundational...This book is a guide for real action. It offers a step-by-step approach for improving your life using methods that work. ... The most wonderful aspect of this work is that every step of this guide has been considered from all angles and offered to the reader with kindness and humanity that will assist you in all aspects of your life. —Michael Kay, Financial Life Planner and author in Psychology Today

"ACT FROM CHOICE simply dazzles! It synthesizes years of research ... undertaken to make sense of suffering, to develop forgiveness, to instill compassion (starting with himself) in his clients and, now, his readers.... The Method... does not fail to reward.”

—Sara MacDwyer, Attorney at Law & Mediator, Certified Family Law Specialist

“...Part 1 [of Act from Choice] describes the theory ....It’s comprehensive and as good a work as I’ve found since grad school many years ago, yet easily understandable by the general reader. ... Part 2...[is] a systematic guide to changing behavior. If you follow the steps, you will get results.”

—Michael H. Smith, PhD, therapist, coach and organizational development consultant, Oakland California

“...Act from Choice is a step-by-step guide with handy worksheets and descriptive examples that are accessible to anyone who has struggled to express their values and be as they “mean to be.” It is straightforward, easy-to-understand and useful for individuals and the professionals (therapists, coaches, teachers) who work with them.”

—Georgianna Marie, transition coach, and founder of The GMarie Group, a training consultancy

“Act from Choice is the book I’ve been wanting for an embarrassingly long time. It dissolves my usual excuses for occasionally being cantankerous (an understatement) when I wish I’d have been calm and kind. ...The book’s introduction of Targeted Mindfulness makes it especially important and a treasure.”

—Bob Schwartz, a founder and former Vice President of Kagyu Droden Kunchab (KDK), San Francisco

....Robert Goldmann’s material combines a thoughtful review of the research literature with the rich experience of a coach who is clearly dedicated to helping his clients find and follow their own, true path. His insights will help you exchange helplessness, frustration, and fear for hope, action and fulfillment”

—Steve McElfresh, PhD, Vice President of People, New Relic Inc.