The Awesome Human Project: Break Free from Daily Burnout, Struggle Less, and Thrive More in Work and Life

by Nataly Kogan

Overview

Stop struggling and start living your best life—with the inspiring, proven program that's transformed over a million people.

We are all experiencing unprecedented levels of stress and burnout. Exhaustion is at an all-time high. Leaders are depleted, employees are burning out at an alarming rate, and parents met their breaking point long ago. We are struggling and in desperate need of a new path forward.

In The Awesome Human Project, Nataly Kogan, emotional fitness and leadership expert and author of Happier Now, shows us the way. She makes the compelling case that while challenge in life is constant, struggle is optional. Here, she shares an accessible, super-practical, and unboring guide for reducing daily struggle and burnout—so you can live, work, and lead with more energy, joy, and meaning, even during difficult times.

Nataly wrote The Awesome Human Project in response to her own journey. A refugee who achieved tremendous success, she had come to see struggle as a way of life. But her burnout taught her a powerful lesson: you can’t give what you don’t have. She writes, “Strengthening your emotional fitness is an essential investment in your success and leadership, and an act of love to everyone you care about.”

Filled with simple, science-backed practices and Nataly’s contagious energy, The Awesome Human Project will teach you how to strengthen your emotional fitness skills, create a more supportive relationship with yourself as well as your thoughts and emotions, reduce self-doubt, and cultivate more honest and meaningful connections with others.

The Awesome Human Project is a book that you do—not just a book that you read. It includes:

• Nataly’s proven, science-backed, five-week program to boost your emotional fitness
• Bite-sized neuroscience lessons so that you can learn to be the boss of your brain
• What awesome leaders do differently and why it matters
• Ways to get rid of guilt around self-care for good
• An “SOS” section to get you unstuck right now
• Nataly’s wildly popular “Notes to Self,” with inspiration to support your progress
• Awesome Human Awards!

There is an Awesome Human within every single one of us. The Awesome Human Project is the essential guidebook to help you embrace your Awesome Human and become the best version of yourself—with courage and compassion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683647850
Publisher:	Sounds True, Incorporated
Publication date:	02/08/2022
Pages:	312
Sales rank:	75,414
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Nataly Kogan is a successful entrepreneur, sought-after keynote speaker, and the founder and CEO of Happier Inc., a company that has helped more than one million people live happier lives. She and her work have been featured in hundreds of media outlets, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, TEDx, and The Dr. Oz Show. For more, visit natalykogan.com.

Table of Contents

The Awesome Human Manifesto 1

Read This First: My Dear Awesome Human Letter to You 3

How to Do Your Awesome Human Project 12

Awesome Human Awards 14

Part I The Back Story: The Teacher and the Method at the Core of Your Awesome Human Project 15

Chapter 1 My Story 19

Chapter 2 The (Updated!) Happier Method™ 27

Chapter 3 Meet Your Brain on Challenge 33

Part II The Warmup: Developing Your Awesome Human Qualities 43

Chapter 4 The Courage to Talk Back to Your Brain 47

Chapter 5 The Surprising Power of Self-Compassion 65

Chapter 6 Your Emotional Whiteboard 89

Chapter 7 Awesome Humans Are Leaders 109

Chapter 8 Emotional Fitness Is Like Broccoli 119

Part III Your Five-Week Emotional Fitness Challenge 125

Chapter 9 Week 1-Acceptance 131

Chapter 10 Week 2-Gratttude 161

Chapter 11 Week 3-Self-Care 185

Chapter 12 Week 4-Intentional Kindness 221

Chapter 13 Week 5-The Bigger Why 243

You. Are. Awesome! 265

Part IV Keep Your Practice Going: How to Be an Awesome Human Every Day… or Most Days, Anyway! 267

Chapter 14 Quick Tips for Regular Practice 271

Chapter 15 When You're Stuck in the Valley of Struggle 279

SOS 281

Overwhelmed 282

Stuck in Negative Thoughts 282

Can't Relax 283

Stuck in "This Is Not How It Should Be" 283

Don't Feel Good Enough 284

Burning Out from Overcommitting 284

Drowning in Others' Negativity 285

Missing Joy 285

Working Parent Guilt 286

Endless Self-Criticism 286

Embracing Your Awesome Human 287

Your Very Own Awesome Human Award 291

You are Enough (A Poem) 293

Gratitudes 295

About the Author 299

About the Cover 301

Editorial Reviews

11/22/2021

Kogan (Happier Now), the CEO of Happier Inc., prods readers in this gusto-filled guide to transform themselves into an “Awesome Human,” which she defines as a person forgiving of oneself, willing to question negativity, and who leads others to do the same by example. After divulging that “most of my life, struggle was my religion,” she lays out a regimen to becoming “Awesome” that includes developing courage and habits of self-care (she challenges readers to work on their “emotional fitness” over five weeks); exercises and “rewards,” such as writing out “Your Awesome Human Commitment”; and lauding oneself with an “Awesome Human In-Training” Award (much like praise on student homework, awards are doodled and circled on the book’s page). Finally, Kogan encourages readers to put their new skills to work in a variety of real-life situations, including feeling stuck, overwhelmed, surrounded by negativity, or flooded with guilt. The core message can be summed up with the chorus phrase: “Challenge is constant. Struggle is optional.” It’s not a particularly novel revelation, but it bears repeating. Fans of Rachel Hollis will enjoy this cheery but down-to-earth approach to emotional wellness. Agent: Claudia Boutote, Red Raven Studio. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

…[a] gusto-filled guide…[and] cheery but down-to-earth approach to emotional wellness.”
—Publishers Weekly

“The Awesome Human Project abounds with simple, practical tools to build emotional fitness, learn to embrace ourselves (and our awesomeness) wholeheartedly, and to leave the ‘shoulds’ behind so we can joyously revel in the ‘coulds.’ Nataly is a one-woman dream team of empathetic friend, wise mentor, and ebullient cheerleader and she teaches us to acknowledge our struggle, while we also joyously celebrate our wins and delight in every step of growth on our journey.” —Melissa Bernstein, cofounder and chief creative officer, Melissa & Doug

“The Awesome Human Project offers an inspiring blueprint sharing Nataly’s compelling personal journey and tactical ways to redirect your mind toward meaning, purpose, and fulfillment.” —Tiffany Shlain, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, founder of the Webby Awards, and bestselling author of 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week

“The Awesome Human Project is an inspiring and practical guide on how to feel more fulfilled and unlock even more of the awesomeness inside of us. The five-week challenge is like boot camp for emotional fitness. Just like practice in sports, The Awesome Human Project is hard work but rewarding. And Nataly is there like an awesome coach, dusting us off when we stumble, giving us encouragement and motivation, and supporting us on our next attempt.” —Jonathan Becher, president, San Jose Sharks

“We’ve somehow been convinced that a life of busyness and struggle is the only way to live. Through self-care and self-compassion, The Awesome Human Project shows us another way is possible. Nataly provides practical strategies to fully embrace your authentic self and unleash the awesome human within you, so you can live a more fulfilling and purposeful life.” —Jen Fisher, chief well-being officer, Deloitte

“As I read The Awesome Human Project, I was immediately struck by the approachable style of Nataly’s writing and the unique insights and practical tips she provides. If you sometimes find yourself exhausted from balancing work and life—kids, social schedules, school, spouses, and bosses—this book is for you! Part self-help, part science, and part workbook, The Awesome Human Project offers the perfect combination of tools to help any busy professional step away from the overwhelm of everyday life and chart their way out of the chaos.” —Stacey Hoin, chief human resources officer, Guardian Life Insurance

“The Awesome Human Project is a generous and practical guide to letting go of struggle and being your best self—from someone who truly understands what it means to build a happy life from the ground up.” —Ingrid Fetell Lee, author of Joyful and founder of The Aesthetics of Joy

“Is it possible to recommend a book to all humans? Because if so, I would absolutely recommend The Awesome Human Project to any human who interacts with other humans and the world around them. The lessons and practices in The Awesome Human Project will help me on my journey to becoming a better leader, colleague, professional, wife, mother, sister, friend, and person. I suspect the pages will be highlighted and dog-eared for years to come!” —Kerri Palamara McGrath, MD, primary care physician and director of The Center for Physician Well-being at Massachusetts General Hospital

“We are in the middle of a human revolution. There has been a much-needed shift, particularly in the workplace, toward embracing the importance of being fully human and taking care of one’s mental health and well-being. Nataly digs deep in her personal story and collection of wide-ranging research to provide a blueprint on how to train your mind and be the best version of yourself. Human connection, kindness, and gratitude are not just nice-to-haves. They are fundamentally important on the path toward greater meaning, purpose, happiness, and a better you.” —Eric Mosley, CEO of Workhuman

“Each time I read Nataly’s work or hear her speak, I am reminded of the power of mindset. The Awesome Human Project is no exception. Readers will find themselves both championed and challenged by the author, who calls us to examine and retrain our thinking. Grounded in real experiences and key neuroscientific insights, it is a pragmatic and thought-provoking guide to achieve what most find illusive—greater joy.” —Noelle Eder, global chief information officer, Cigna

“‘You can’t give what you don’t have’ has become my new mantra thanks to Nataly Kogan. It has never been more important for us, as leaders, to model self-care. But few of us—me included—have much practice in actually doing it. That’s where this book comes in, distilling Nataly’s engaging and effective teaching so that we can build happier, more sustainable lives. If you’ve gritted your teeth through the past year and wondered how long your stamina can hold out, please read this book!” —Peggy Northrop, CEO, Watermark

“This is the book our world needs right now. Like a supportive friend, but one who knows when you need some tough love, Nataly guides you on a meaningful journey to embrace your full awesome self so you can work and live with more joy and purpose. The Awesome Human Project is one you'll want to roll up your sleeves and DO, not just read.” —Fran Hauser, startup investor, keynote speaker, and bestselling author of The Myth of the Nice Girl

“What could be better than being an awesome human? Obviously, nothing! What’s a close second? The book you’re holding. Nataly Kogan gives overworked, disaffected readers hope— and a roadmap for turning optimism into action.” —Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, PhD, author of Rest and Shorter

“This book will help you make better choices about where to invest your energy and stop ‘shoulding’ yourself—at work and outside of work. I look forward to helping others and myself complete our very own Awesome Human Project—and awards!” —Alicia Davis, director of Global Finance Learning and Development, Dell

From the Publisher