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12 min 48 sec
Available in:English

Do the New You: 6 Mindsets to Become Who You Were Created to Be

Pastor Steven Furtick offers six faith-based mindsets for people who feel stuck in an old version of themselves. They cover progress, self-worth, risk, fear, joy and using what you already have.

Table of Content

Just do you sounds like freedom, but pastor Steven Furtick argues it quietly keeps people locked inside the person they already think they are. In Do the New You, the founder of Elevation Church offers a different target: the true you, a self seen through God’s eyes that includes both where you stand today and who you could become. If you feel stuck in an old version of yourself, that shift matters. Furtick’s starting point is that God knew you before you knew yourself, and that the new you is formed through many choices, small and large, that bring you closer to that vision each day.

His argument is easy to state. The new you grows when you trade limiting habits of thought for six mindsets rooted in faith. Each one arrives with a story, from an Olympic wrestler to a church greeter with cerebral palsy, and each gives you a sentence to tell yourself the next time a challenge, a decision or a hard conversation comes your way.

From the seats, standing up looks easy. From the mat, with a heavier opponent on top of you, it looks impossible. Furtick’s first mindset starts with what to do when effort alone is not working.

An Olympic wrestler about to meet a near-perfect opponent said one short sentence to herself before the match. Furtick believes the same words can change how you count your time, love and energy.

A behind-the-scenes music producer took a leap at 54 on a platform ruled by much younger creators. His result points to one question most of us never think to ask before a risk.

Partway across a swimming pool, a young girl hears an inner voice loudly protesting with fear and doubt. A young prophet heard the same voice centuries earlier. Furtick explains where it comes from and which reply silences it.

On a family vacation, Furtick asked a playful question and got an answer he did not expect. The silence that followed changed how he thinks about who is responsible for happiness.

A church greeter with cerebral palsy found a hidden message inside the word people use to describe him. An ancient story about a left-handed man shows how far that idea can reach.

Furtick’s case begins with the advice many parents would give a child leaving for college, and ends by replacing it. Just doing you keeps you where you are. Doing the new you means seeing yourself the way Furtick believes God already does: unfinished, still being shaped, with your best days ahead if you let him refine you.

The six mindsets work as swaps. Where an old thought says you are stuck, not enough, likely to fail, too young, at the mercy of your moods or short on resources, Furtick offers a truth from his faith to put in its place. He also argues that stability comes from tuning in to God’s voice above all the others, including the voice of your own fears.

In practice, that might start with one call to someone who has already solved the problem pinning you down, or with Helen Maroulis’s sentence said under your breath before a hard moment. It might mean asking what happens if your idea works, and taking stock of the odd strengths you already carry. Trenton found three words hidden inside a label others had put on him. The new you, in Furtick’s view, is found the same way: by reading your own life again through God’s eyes.

About this book

What is this book about?

Be yourself is the advice most people give, and Steven Furtick thinks it falls short. Doing you, he argues, ties people to their current picture of themselves. He proposes a different goal, the true you: a self seen through God's vision, one that includes where you are today and who you could become. Furtick, founder of Elevation Church, builds that goal from six mindsets. You are not stuck unless you stop. Christ within you makes you enough. Faith will find a way. God's presence is stronger than the fear in your head. Your joy is your job. God has given you what you need for this season. Each mindset comes with a story, among them an Olympic wrestler before her biggest match, a music producer who started on YouTube at 54, a girl crossing a pool on one breath and a church greeter with cerebral palsy. Readers get a set of replacement thoughts for the moments that usually hold them back: a decision they keep delaying, a comparison that stings, a bad mood, or a weakness they would rather hide.

Book Information

Rating:

Genre:

Personal Development, Religion & Spirituality

Topics:

Mindset, Self-Esteem, Self-Talk

Publisher:

Hachette

Language:

English

Narrator:

Robert

First published:

February 13, 2024

Pages:

304

Length:

12 min 48 sec

Get the book:

Amazon

Who it's for

  • Christians feeling stuck

    Christians who feel stuck in an old version of themselves and want a faith-based way forward.

  • Considering a new path

    People weighing a new venture or career change who keep asking what happens if it fails.

  • Believers fighting negative thoughts

    Believers fighting comparison, self-doubt or low moods who want truths to replace those thoughts.

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About the Author

Steven Furtick

Steven Furtick is an American pastor and the founder of Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, which has grown into a multi-site ministry reaching people through online streaming and television. He is a GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter and producer and a composer of Elevation Worship music. He holds a Master of Divinity degree and has written several books, including Crash the Chatterbox and Greater. He lives near Charlotte with his wife, Holly, and their children.

Ratings & Reviews

Ratings at a glance

3.2

Overall score based on 293 ratings.

What people think

Listeners find this book both encouraging and motivating for their spiritual development, offering actionable lessons that help integrate these mindsets into daily routines. The material is rooted in scripture and simple to grasp, featuring recognizable anecdotes that resonate with individuals on a personal level. Listeners characterize the experience as life-changing, with one listener mentioning it acts as a beacon of authenticity and wisdom.

Top reviews

Amelia

This book is exactly what I needed to stop the mental loop of negativity that has been playing in my head for years. Furtick doesn't just give you vague "power of positive thinking" vibes; he provides six specific mantras that actually hold weight when life gets heavy. I particularly connected with the idea that my joy is my responsibility, not something I wait for others to provide. While some parts felt a bit repetitive, the core message about walking in your God-given identity is undeniable. It feels like having a conversation with a mentor who isn't afraid to share his own stumbles to help you find your footing. Highly recommend for anyone feeling stuck.

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Noo

Ever wonder why it’s so much easier to believe the worst about yourself than the best? Furtick tackles this head-on by teaching us how to "Notice, Evaluate, and Walk in" the truth of who we are in Christ. I listened to the audiobook version, and hearing him narrate his own words adds a level of passion that you just don't get from the printed page alone. The "NEW" acronym is such a simple but effective way to reset when I feel myself spiraling into old, destructive patterns. It's not just a book you read once; it’s a manual for daily mental maintenance that I’ll keep on my nightstand.

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Hang

Picked this up during a really low point and the chapter on mindset #4—"God is not against me, but he's in it with me"—literally changed my perspective overnight. It’s easy to feel like the universe is conspiring against you when things go wrong, but this book shifts the focus toward a mindset of abundance and divine partnership. The writing is punchy and moves fast, making it easy to digest even if you only have ten minutes a day to spare for reading. Personally, I think the "action steps" at the end of each chapter are what set this apart from other motivational books. It’s practical, biblical, and incredibly empowering.

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Clara

Wow. I didn't expect a book on identity to hit me this hard, but Furtick manages to expose the lies we tell ourselves with such surgical precision. The concept of "doing" the new you rather than just "thinking" about it is a subtle but massive shift in how I approach my spiritual walk. It’s a beacon of authenticity in a world that constantly demands we mask our struggles or pretend we have everything figured out. I’ve already bought three copies for friends because I think everyone needs to hear that they are already equipped for the season they are in. This is easily one of the most life-changing books I’ve read this year.

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Malee

Finally got around to reading this and I’m struck by how much "what you say to yourself matters" resonated with my current season of life. We are often our own harshest critics, but these six mindsets provide a script to flip the narrative and start speaking life into our situations. The structure is very user-friendly, and the way he breaks down the "NEW" acronym (Notice, Evaluate, Walk) makes the transformation feel like a series of small, manageable steps. It’s definitely more of a practical guide than a theological treatise, which is exactly what I was looking for. This book helps you align your mind with your true identity.

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Evelyn

The chapter on making peace with your strength was a total "aha" moment for me because I've always struggled with feeling like I'm "too much" for people. Furtick encourages you to embrace the specific tools God gave you rather than apologizing for them, which is a message I desperately needed to hear this year. Not gonna lie, I highlighted almost every other page because the quotes are so sharable and punchy. If you need a boost of confidence that is rooted in faith rather than ego, you absolutely have to pick this up and read it. It’s an incredibly motivating guide for anyone looking to reframe their mindset.

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Javier

As someone who usually avoids the self-help shelf, I found this to be a surprisingly grounded read that bridges the gap between psychology and faith. The six mindsets are laid out clearly, and I appreciate how Pastor Steven uses personal anecdotes to make the "new you" concept feel attainable rather than like some distant, perfect version of myself. To be fair, if you are looking for an academic, deep-dive theological study, you might find the writing style a little too casual or "breezy." However, for someone needing practical tools to navigate daily anxiety and identity crises, this is a goldmine of wisdom. It’s very accessible for everyday life.

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Grace

After hearing so much hype on social media, I finally dove into these six mantras and I have to say the impact is real. Furtick has this way of leveling with you that makes the spiritual concepts feel incredibly tangible and immediate rather than theoretical. "I’m not stuck unless I stop" has become my daily internal dialogue when my work gets overwhelming or I feel like giving up on my goals. My only minor gripe is that some of the personal stories felt a little long-winded, but the takeaways are so strong that I can easily overlook a bit of fluff. It’s an inspiring guide for constant progress.

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Samira

Look, this isn't a deep dive into ancient scripture, but it is a masterclass in applying biblical truth to the messy reality of modern life. Furtick’s conversational style makes you feel like you’re grabbing coffee with a friend who happens to be a world-class communicator. The focus on reframing your mindset is incredibly timely, especially with how much "chatter" we all deal with from social media and our own internal anxieties. While the tone is definitely more motivational and self-help oriented, the foundation is clearly built on a deep trust in God’s plan. It’s a great tool for self-discovery, even if it feels a bit repetitive at times.

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Wacharapol

Truth is, I struggled a bit with the heavy reliance on religious text to prove points that felt more like modern psychology, even though the premise of the mindsets is fire. I was hoping for more concrete, secular examples to help ground the "joy is my job" concept in a way that felt less like a Sunday sermon and more like a life strategy. That said, Furtick’s transparency about his own flaws is incredibly refreshing in a genre that often feels overly polished and fake. It’s a decent read because while the message is powerful, the delivery felt a little repetitive by the halfway mark. Good, but not my favorite of his.

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Questions about this book

Furtick argues that the popular advice to just do you keeps people tied to how they see themselves now. He offers the true you instead, a self seen through God’s vision that includes both your present state and your potential. The book lays out six mindsets that replace limiting thoughts, covering progress, self-worth, faith in the face of risk, fear, joy and using the strengths you already have.

In order: you are not stuck unless you stop; Christ is in you, so you are enough; with God there is always a way, and faith will find it; walk with God’s presence instead of your fears; make joy your mission and your job; and trust that God has given you what you need for your current season. Each comes with a story, from Helen Maroulis to Rick Beato.

Furtick uses the term for the part of the mind that fills you with fear and doubt when you approach the limit of what you can do. He illustrates it with Abbey, a young girl who kept swimming to cross a pool in one breath despite that inner voice, and with the prophet Jeremiah, who said he was too young until God promised to be with him.

Start where you feel stuck and ask someone who has solved that problem for help, as in Furtick’s example of a friend who knows money. Before a hard moment, repeat Helen Maroulis’s sentence about Christ within you. When weighing a risk, ask what happens if it succeeds. Treat joy as a daily task, and list the strengths you already have, even the unusual ones, before waiting for more.

It suits Christian readers who feel held back by an old self-image, by comparison or by fear of failure. People considering a late start, like Rick Beato launching a YouTube channel at 54, will find encouragement. So will anyone who sees a personal trait as a weakness, given Furtick’s stories of Trenton, a greeter with cerebral palsy, and the left-handed Bible hero Ehud.

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Do the New You

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