Do you rationalize your failures, ignore the consequences of your actions and sit on unfulfilled dreams and goals for years at a time?

Sounds like you could use a good kick in the keester, and professional keester-kicker Larry Winget is here to help.  

The Sgt. Foley of the self-help genre, Winget brooks no excuses when it comes to change. In the first half of this entertaining if rather one-note book, he lays out the 10 ways people sabotage themselves—through laziness, self-indulgence, low expectations, lack of vision, lack of a plan and a few more.

In the kinder, gentler second half, Winget presents a plan for change that excludes coddling and “coaching,” and relies on a commitment to action that does not yield to momentary wishes or ingrained bad habits.

You can get a clue about the tone of this book from the title of others by Winget: Y ou’re Broke Because You Want to Be, and Shut Up, Stop Whining and Get A Life.

There’s something refreshing about this guy’s approach, especially these days, as a generation of poor choices comes home to roost. More than ever, people need to take the reins of their own lives, and Winget’s tough love may be the best remedy.

Though his brash take on the human malaise can get a little irritating, it’s meant to be, like the burr under the saddle that finally gets you off your tail. The upside is pretty plain, too, as illustrated by another Winget best-seller. It’s called Success Is Your Own Fault.

By Marjorie Preston

Marjorie is Managing Editor of Casino Connection Atlantic City.