It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be by Paul Arden Summary
Overview of It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be
Paul Arden's pocket bible challenges conventional success wisdom. With a 3.67 Goodreads rating from 16,000+ readers, this provocative guide asks: Why seek praise when criticism fuels growth? Discover why creatives embrace being wrong - and why ambitious risk-takers consider this their secret weapon.
Similar books to It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be
Feel the book through the author's voice
Turn knowledge into engaging, example-rich insights
Capture key ideas in a flash for fast learning
Enjoy the book in a fun and engaging way
Key takeaways
The Audacity to Aim Higher
What separates extraordinary achievers from everyone else? It's rarely raw talent or education - it's how desperately you want success. Paul Arden's manifesto challenges the comfortable notion that being "good enough" is sufficient. Looking around at the most successful people in any field, you'll notice they aren't necessarily the most naturally gifted. They simply wanted success more desperately and were willing to make the necessary sacrifices. The question isn't whether you want to be good - most people do. The real question is: how good? Do you want to be quite good, very good, or the absolute best in your field? Perhaps even the best in the world? Consider Victoria Beckham as a teenager. She didn't merely dream of becoming a famous singer; she envisioned herself as a global brand. Her benchmark wasn't other musicians but Persil Automatic detergent - she wanted to be as universally recognized as a household cleaning product! This seemingly absurd comparison reveals the extraordinary imagination that propelled her to international success. Notice how conventionally "clever" people - those who excel academically - often don't achieve the greatest success in life. School systems reward memorization, not imagination or determination. The truly ambitious secure opportunities based on their drive to succeed, looking forward to future potential rather than backward at past achievements.
Creative Tension and Constraints
Embracing Failure as a Path to Success
The Art of Perception and Taking Ownership
The Generosity Principle
Breaking Rules to Make the Impossible Happen
Embracing Your Creative Journey
Quick Summary Mode - Read or listen to It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be Summary in 8 Minutes
Break down key ideas from It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be into bite-sized takeaways to understand how innovative teams create, collaborate, and grow.
Flash Card Mode - Top 10 Insights from It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be in a Nutshell
Distill It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be into rapid-fire memory cues that highlight Pixar’s principles of candor, teamwork, and creative resilience.
Fun Mode - It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be Lessons Told Through 21-Min Stories
Experience It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be through vivid storytelling that turns Pixar’s innovation lessons into moments you’ll remember and apply.
Personalize Mode - Read or listen to It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be Summary in 0 Minutes
Ask anything, pick the voice, and co-create insights that truly resonate with you.
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
Get the It’s Not How Good You Are, It’s How Good You Want to Be summary as a free PDF or EPUB. Print it or read offline anytime.