A Book Review: S.U.M.O (Shut Up, Move On)
Feeling stuck in life? Paul McGee offers steps to move forward following the six principles in his book, S.U.M.O (Shut Up, Move On). As an international speaker and performance coach, McGee is passionate about helping people change their mindset, choose to be more proactive, and create their own path to a better and more fulfilling life. McGee offers training to organizations and schools not only in Great Britain but also around the world. In fact, he visited 33 countries to spread the word about S.U.M.O.
Takeaways
It’s not the event, but our response to that event influences our emotions. We can choose to go ballistic when someone cuts the line or to take a deep breath and deal with the situation peacefully.
S.U.M.O (Shut Up, Move On) has six principles:
- Change your T-shirt.
Remove your victim mentality and wear accountability to forge ahead.
- Develop fruity thinking.
Be aware of every thought that comes to your mind and choose the ones that promote self-growth.
- Hippo time is OK.
When you don’t get the results that you want, it’s okay to feel “mad, bad, or sad” and wallow in negative emotions. Just beware in using this time. The longer you stay in it, the harder it is to bounce back.
- Remember the beachball.
Consider the different perspectives of other people. What you see from your standpoint may be different from what other people see on their end.
- Learn Latin.
Remember the Latin phrase, Carpe Diem. Seize the day. Don’t let procrastination stop you from reaching your goals.
- Ditch Doris Day
Doris Day sang the popular song Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) which was released in 1956. The song is about leaving our dreams to fate, whatever will be, will be. But McGee disagrees. The quality of our life depends on our choices and we can choose a path to success.
My Thoughts
S.U.M.O (Shut Up, Move on) can be summarized in five words: fixed mindset versus growth mindset.
A fixed mindset is based on a belief that our skills, talents, and abilities are already pre-determined and can’t be changed. On the other hand, the growth mindset hinges on the idea that we can expand our skills, talents, and abilities.
The six principles basically point to these two. Take, for example, the first principle - Change your t-shirt. A victim mindset is a fixed mindset while taking accountability for your future indicates having a growth mindset.
Moreover, the fourth principle characterizes having a growth mindset. Remembering the beachball is all about respecting other's perspectives, an acknowledgment that there are many possible sides to a story, not just our version.
Lastly, seizing the day means grabbing the chance to do something for self-growth. With a can-do attitude, it's possible to create a successful and happy life by choosing thoughts and actions that help us grow and move forward.
The six S.U.M.O principles can easily be applied by asking yourself if the action you are going to take will make you grow or not.
Furthermore, one surprising principle presented in this book is the Hippo Time, “ the bridge between Shutting Up and Moving On.” I thought wallowing in negativity after a failure is a bad practice but McGee encourages us to have a Hippo Time to experience “emotional lows and be honest about those feeling” which I think helps us to have clarity and insights that are essential in planning the next steps to take.
For me, this book is for those who have just started delving into self-growth. The principles are easy to follow and the author also provides questions that would make you think about your life.
3.5/5
Discussion Questions
1. When you first read the title, what came to your mind?
2. What are the six principles of S.U.M.O?
3. Which of the six principles speaks to you the most?
4. In what areas of your life would you apply these principles?
5. What questions would you ask the author?
Further Information
Title: S.U.M.O (Shut Up, Move On)
Author: Paul McGee
Genre: Self-Help
Publisher : Capstone; 10th edition (April 9, 2015)
Publication Date: April 9, 2015
Print length: 203 pages
ASIN: B00WBIA4JQ
Quotes
