Book: "No Opportunity Wasted" by Phil Keoghan

"No Opportunity Wasted" is the result of a near-death experience of the author, which led him to ask himself what does he want to accomplish with his life before it is over. He was just 19 years old when this happened and thus in a very different place than most of us asking this question. However there are many similarities that the book is quite relevant to those in or near their "midlife" transition years.

The author, Phil Keoghan of Amazing Race fame, comes out of the experience by starting a "must-do-before-I-die" list. Keeping in mind that he was only 19 when he made his first list so it is not particularly varied or emotionally rich. Fortunately Keoghan stuck with the process and later versions become more well-rounded. In his mid-30s he included things that involved other people. For example, taking his daughter to Spain.

As the book jacket notes, "No Opportunity Wasted" is not an armchair adventure book and includes enough "how-to's" to be a call-to-action for anyone motivated to want to improve their own lives. One particular aspect of the book is how it is divided into eight themes (such as "Face Your Fear") for helping stimulate your own thinking and coming up with worthy item for your list.

In scanning over what others said about the book, reviews were almost universally positive and Keoghan's enthusiasm for this concept is contagious. One criticism I saw is true but could pretty much be applied to almost every self-help book published. Namely the topic could have been covered just as well in a magazine article instead of a complete book. But it is a quick and enjoyable read nonetheless and a worthy book topic. Those thinking of creating a life plan can certainly do it without Keoghan's book but if you've been thinking of creating a list but haven't yet started this might be the ticket to get you going.