Acknowledgments

Many people helped every step of the way as this work was coming into existence. More people than I can acknowledge here have assisted me on this path of learning from difficult experiences.

I first want to thank the good friends who generously supported my early workshops on the topic: Nancy Norton, Elliott Freedman, Jody Isaacs, Pam Hoffman, JoHanna Katz, Sally Mack, and my dear cousin Elizabeth Rogers were among those who helped me get started.

There were several pivotal people on the path of creating this book. The seeds of this work were planted years ago during my doctoral program at Yale. I thank Professor Dennis Perkins for introducing me to a personal growth model that I have been able to build on since. Cliff Barry and Mary Ellen Blandford have been teachers and friends over the years. They introduced me to the transformational potential of personal growth work and contributed to my understanding of how people can change very deeply. I thank my colleagues at Innovation Associates for sharing with me their aspiration-based approach to working with teams and organizations. I have been greatly influenced by this approach to change.

I remember the moment when Russ Eisenstat looked at my workshop handouts and said, “This could be a book.” Synchronicity unfolded after that. I thank Todd Shuster for encouraging the germ of an idea and suggesting several potential literary agents. Kristen Wainwright, head of the Boston Literary Group, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for helping me create a lucid book proposal; and Jill Kneerim of Kneerim and Williams for so ably representing the book, and being an extremely knowledgeable advisor and delightful friend ever since. Ginny Wiley, LeAnn Grillo, Janice Molloy, and the staff of Pegasus Communications let me try out my ideas on them, gave me honest critique, provided lots of editing help, and also helped me create an attractive book proposal.

Traci Green helped with good cheer in my office, Kristin Solias provided great graphics, and Alan Hoffman, accountant extraordinaire, offered endless patience and never embarrassed me once during my years of learning how to keep track of financial matters. Patricia Volk helped me hand in my travel receipts in a timely way. Robin Bullard Carter helped transform me from a quivering mass of nerves around financial issues to someone who could bravely open bank statements and credit card bills with barely a whimper. Anna Huckabee Tull, who is far more than a personal organizer, helped me move to the next level of getting organized.

I had the blessing to be living in Jerusalem during the year it took to write this book. I am deeply appreciative of the many friends and colleagues who provided the support, inspiration, and community that is so helpful to the first-time writer. Foremost among them Danny Paller, Rachel Freilich, and Hovav, Shalev, Eden, and Livia. Sharon and Hananya Goodman and Yoav Peck blessed this work from the beginning. Hanna Matt and Sonia Twite both offered supportive friendship and read versions of chapters. Danny Matt, Robin Twite, Betsy and Menachem Kallus, and Dina and Chaim Zlotogorski offered much encouragement. Yedidya and Susan Fraiman provided ideas, books, and biblical references. David and Ronit Ziv-Kreger offered support for visioning. David Jaffe, Janette Hillis, and Andrew Shiller provided Jewish references and a passionate exploration of the spiritual path of everyday life. Ruth Mason wrote the first article about me in the Jerusalem Post, which set off a flood of inquiries.

Back in the States, I’ve also experienced great friendship. I thank Karen Erickson, Emily Wheeler, Kathleen Lancaster, Margaret Newhouse, and Mary Eisenberg for getting me unstuck and helping me to keep moving. Amy Metzenbaum has regaled me with great stories of disorganized people during our years of friendship. I could not have come this far without the loving support, deep listening, humor, and love of my dear friends Beth Sandweiss, Mishy Lesser, Susan Berger, Ellen Wingard, Nicola Kurk, and Maxine Freedman. Sara Schley and Joe Laur, Ron and Susan Kertzner, and Jim and Elana Ponet were cheering me on from various parts of the country

Special thanks to Hilary Pennington who let me run ideas by her, read drafts of the proposal and the book, brought me into her workplace, and offered valuable counsel and good friendship. Grady McGonagill, Joel Yanowitz, Chris Ives, and Benyamin Bergmann Lichtenstein read drafts and provided comments. David Thomas provided tough love and courageous feedback. Robin Ely gave me some key insights. Rebecca Shrum and Elizabeth Michaud became avid readers and editors during the final months of preparation and their comments have been invaluable. I thank Lara Nuer and Marc André Olivier of Learning as Leadership for coaching me toward a path of greater personal mastery. Jane von Mehren of Penguin Books has been a sensitive, patient, and enthusiastic editor. Brett Kelly has been endlessly helpful. I appreciate the team at Penguin Books who contributed their design skills and enthusiasm to create this beautiful book. Donna Zerner of Boulder, Colorado, was a superb editor, who helped me discern, over and over again, the essential meaning of what I wanted to say.

Participants in my groups have been fellow travelers every step of the way. Their passion for learning, their good questions, and their personal progress inspired me to write—and keep writing. I’ll let you remain nameless; you know who you are and I thank you a lot.

Members of my immediate and extended family were very helpful. My mother-in-law, Eve Stroh, provided never-ending support and interest and was always ready to hear about the next step. Dev Rogers, David Paul, and Kathy Schultz were great, and I offer special thanks to my dad, Dr. Norman Paul, who gave me financial support while I was working on the proposal. Many thanks to Jan Athos who showed up in my life just as I was completing the manuscript. She read it and provided words of support just when I needed them.

I received a great gift from my mother, who is no longer living. She demonstrated the possibilities of true personal transformation and the power of taking responsibility for one’s actions. I am ever grateful to her.

My dear husband, David Peter Stroh (A Neat Person) has been an encouraging partner who provided a constant sounding board, helped edit the manuscript, and pitched in whenever I needed help. Both of us have come to recognize and respect our great differences in how we organize ourselves. I learn from him. He learns from me. We learn together. I am grateful to be part of such a rich and flourishing marriage. Thank you for everything.