Alternatives to Tony Robbins?

October 13, 2009 1:50 AM

Recommendation for alternatives to Tony Robbins for people who find Tony Robbins a little eerie?

After borrowing it from the library, I've been surprised by how useful Tony Robbins's Program, "Get the Edge" has been to me, but I can't shake the feeling that Tony Robbins is a bit of a fast-talking salesman type guy.

Are there some good alternatives that are more thoughful, less like an infomercial?

I suppose I'm looking for something that helps me to pause from the activities of life, to consider my life and what's important to me, and then remind me to apply myself towards these goals.

I also like that it's on CDs; something about hearing someone's voice makes it easy to digest the information. And I like the structure, 31 days (or whatever) and you do a certain amount each day, building up progress.

Do you guys have recommendations?

posted by surenoproblem to health & fitness (10 comments total)

He practices what is called neuro-linguistic programming. I am sure you can find some other, slightly less eerie, sources of information on the subject.
posted by caddis at 4:26 AM on October 13

Are there some good alternatives that are more thoughful, less like an infomercial?

Based on my own experience, I recommend the following:

1) Finish your 31 day cycle if you find it enjoyable and productive.

2) In the meantime, spend some time each week examining different self-improvement resources in books, on the web, as well as your own experience (when do you remember being the most productive in your life? Can you recreate that situation on some level?)

Here are some random sources to get you started. Apologies because they may or may not suit your situation, I'm only mentioning them because many people have found them valuable or interesting. For you, it could be a different story.

productivity - David Allen's GTD system
neurolinguistic programming - (the basis of much of Robbins' work) - the books of Richard Bandler and John Grinder
reflection and focus - basic meditation, the works Eckhart Tolle, Buddhist or zen philosophy

You'll come across a number of suggestions. Make a list of them somewhere in your head or on paper, about what might seem like it could work for you.

3) A word of caution: Realize there will be no "perfect program" for you, other than the one you devise over time. Unless you get a personal coach or someone who knows you intimately, you are going to find problems with every program you come across, and you will find yourself wasting valuable time if you keep seeking a program that suits you best. I say this from my own experience, and from the experience of countless others I've seen drop programs and hunt for others--to the point where the hunting itself is an obsession, and serves as a way to procrastinate.

4) As time passes, you will start to develop knowledge of what works for you. Use it.
posted by thisperon at 4:49 AM on October 13

Note also that TR's company practices ...umm... dubious advertising practices re: price. Read the fine print.
posted by toastchee at 4:58 AM on October 13

+1 Eckhart Tolle...very very good stuff.
posted by toastchee at 5:00 AM on October 13

Check out Steve Pavlina's newish book. Similar in vein, but very straightforward and not a lot of new agey talk that is off putting to some.
posted by nitsuj at 6:42 AM on October 13

It depends on what you find creepy about Robbins; you might try Richard Bandler, particularly if you like a bit more humor and cynicism mixed in (including humor and cynicism about Robbins, often enough).
posted by nonliteral at 8:27 AM on October 13

I have studied this for years. I recommend backing up. Neurolinguistic programming (a small proportion of which is great) came from the psychotherapeutic methods of Milton Erickson and Virginia Satir and Fritz Perls. Their work is absolute gold. There is a ton of it and it is repetitious so start in their work wherever you wish. The most accessible book I have found (and it has self hypnosis techniques which I use on a nearly daily basis) is Psychobiology of Mind Body Healing by Ernest Rossi. This is out of print but great stuff. Rossi's newer work is more like Tony Robbins, not less.
posted by bukvich at 8:32 AM on October 13 [2 favorites has favorites]

I find both Tony Robbins and Steve Pavlina a bit psycho. But I like Martha Beck, Barbara Sher (see wishcraft.com for an online version of one of her books) and Fiona Harrold very very much. Fiona's book literally changed my life. YMMV. (Disclaimer: nothing NLP-specific.)
posted by gakiko at 11:04 AM on October 13

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Jim Rohn. Anything you look into with NLP is going to have people like Tony Robbins, because it has dubious scientific merits. On one of Tony Robbins' series, he actually states that he saw a red blood cell transform into a virus under a microscope after changing the blood's ph levels. This, of course, was so that he could sell you his alkaline diet program. Make no mistake, he is one of the world's worst charlatans.

I really like Tony Robbins when I first started listening to him, until I found out he was a complete wacko. Jim Rohn's motivational speaking is the standard stuff, no lunacy included - taking pride in yourself, considering what's important to you, and all the other good stuff you seem to be looking for. I can recommend "Take Charge of Your Life", "The Art of Exceptional Living", and "Design Your Life" as some of his good programs.
posted by RobotNinja at 11:19 AM on October 13

Havi Brooks is good. Her specialty is getting people to change old (or develop new) habits.
posted by Ouisch at 4:13 PM on October 13