How Am I Doing?

August 1, 2022

Drawing on his experience as a psychotherapist (currently for the NBA's Detroit Pistons), Yeager's self-help book features 40 effective questions that he uses to help his clients cultivate increased awareness of their motivating thoughts and emotions. Using these focused questions, he navigates readers on a journey to learn more about themselves, to recognize areas for growth, and to become comfortable with embracing who they are. Several helpful strategies and suggestions are included and examined to help one cope with depression or anxiety. Rather than relying on psychological jargon, Yeager breaks down the questions into easy-to-understand examples of introspection that then prompt self-examination. The book includes useful and detailed reflective exercises for readers to complete. VERDICT A good guided-reflection resource with thoughtful cues for initiating a deep conversation with oneself.--Bridgette Whitt

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August 22, 2022
This excellent debut from Yeager, psychotherapist for the Detroit Pistons, offers straightforward yet insightful advice on how readers can “cultivate a better sense of awareness” of their needs and desires. The author uses anecdotes from his career to explore 40 questions (“Who is the most important person in your life?” “What is your essence?”) aimed at illuminating one’s unconscious feelings and motivations. Noting that some Pistons players had wrongly assumed that “success, fame, fortune” would bring fulfillment, Yeager encourages readers to ask themselves “What makes you deeply happy?” to ensure they’re pursuing their own goals rather than “what society tells us will make us happy.” The author asks “Are you coachable?” and recounts how his openness to feedback and criticism as a student and college football player helped him succeed in both arenas. Exercises offer pragmatic guidance on how readers can better understand themselves, such as when Yeager recommends keeping a record of one’s self-talk to gain clarity on the question “Do you have an encouraging inner voice?” Yeager’s prose is lean and direct, and the thoughtful reflection prompts that end each chapter provide a bounty of useful strategies for putting the principles into practice. The result is a perceptive guide for getting in touch with oneself.