Book Review – Better Never Stops

Imagine running your life so far into the ground at 18 that you spend your twenties in prison. Eleven years in one of New Zealand’s toughest prisons was only the beginning of Paul Wood’s journey when he walked out in 2006.

From there, he became a doctor of psychology, a leadership and development specialist, motivational speaker, media personality, husband and father. His new book, Better Never Stops, seeks to help people tap into their potential and discover how great they can become. Dr Paul Wood’s third book brings together some of the most important insights, mindsets and tools for the relentless pursuit of excellence. Drawing on ancient wisdom, proven psychological techniques and the latest research, he explains our innate desire to strive for improvement.

Walking out of a physical prison can be a matter of time, but without the right mindset, we can spend a lifetime trapped in psychological prisons. He writes, ‘We all have the ability to make changes that are transformational. Yet we don’t all have the tools to initiate that approach.’ This book is designed to crystallise what is important to you: to minimise external noise, maximise your internal resolve and live a life truer to yourself. In doing so, we escape the prison of other people’s expectations and step fully into the arena.

The first step is understanding the machinery we use to navigate the world and visualising the mind as a garden that needs tending. I need to stop pouring so much YouTube weedkiller on mine. Wood outlines how small changes have a cumulative effect over time and explains why the brain responds so effectively to continuous, incremental growth. ‘Mastering this is not only essential to happiness and personal fulfilment; it also offers a better quality of life as we age and, crucially, a life without regrets.’