Sitting on Jo's bedside for some time - and now rather well-thumbed - is a brilliant book that came out a couple of months ago by Sharron Lowe: 'The Mind Makeover: The Answers to Becoming the Best You Yet'. We know Sharron as a beauty industry 'life coach', one of the UK's top motivators and influencers, who coaches everyone from the CEOs of vast global luxury brands through to in-store sales consultants - helping to set goals, overcome fears, and move forward in the most positive way.

She also, with Jo, has for the past 14 years run the 'Make A Difference Makeover' workshops for young homeless women at Centrepoint's projects in London: one night of fabulous pampering, followed by the 'Mind Makeover' second session (led by Sharron and the team she's trained) of invaluable insights and skills which have proved enormously helpful, over the years. As our friend and Editor at YOU Magazine Sue Peart commented at the time of launch, 'Sharron is the most dynamic and inspiring person you could ever meet. For Sharron, anything is possible - and this book will empower you to achieve anything.'

Which is quite a lot to live up to - but we really think this book does just that. Packed with practical exercises, it sets out to help anyone who's stuck in a career rut, who wants to lose weight, stop being so negative, clear the clutter from the home/office, deal with anger - the list's pretty extensive. We think it'd be great for anyone starting on a career journey, going back to work after a break - but basically, since we all ought to be working on ourselves all the time, it's a book that belongs by anyone's bedside, frankly, at any stage of life.

Here's just one exercise, typical of the book, which is interesting to do - and should make anyone think.

'Take time to make this personal to you and think of some of the key opportunities you've been presented with in your life: your work, relationships, travels, for example.

• Think of three opportunities you sized and the impact of each one.

• Think of three opportunities you let go and the impact of each one.

• How do you feel about the opportunities you dropped? (Inspiration or desperation?)

• Thinking about the one you dropped that had the biggest impact on yourself, ask yourself what not seizing this opportunity cost you? (I don't mean financially; I menthe lost to aspects of your life such as your self-worth, joy and experiences missed.)

• What have you learned from this exercise and what would you do differently next time?

The Mind Makeover: The Answers to Becoming the Best You Yet is published by Piatkus/£13.99 - buy here