In this very candid book, author Debbie Wood, a mom, grandmother, avid hiker and serial entrepreneur shares her deeply personal journey from the life that was “supposed” to make her happy to the life that truly does. In a word, this book is all about “change.”

The First Mile is the Hardest is equal parts memoir, tell-all, self-help guide and reader journal structured as seven engaging, user-friendly Lessons.

Each Lesson begins with a Trail Tale from Debbie’s hiking life that illuminates the theme of the Lesson and corresponds to a circumstance in Debbie’s life that she very much wants to overcome. With the trail as her teacher, Debbie finds the life parallel, applies what she’s learned hiking and transforms her situation. Then, via Journal Exercises at the end of each Lesson, she invites the reader to pick up their pen and do the same. As the book progresses, the Lessons build on each other and the reader is on their own journey with Debbie out on trail just ahead, leading the way.

Each Lesson engages readers with very real stories, highly relatable life circumstances, and inspires them to begin transforming their lives immediately with the Journal Exercises at the end. Free on Kindle.