5 Books to make 2018 great
With 2018 in full swing we all have resolutions and goals we want to achieve. We also want to make sure this excitement doesn’t just last for two weeks but lasts for the entire year. So how do you keep this excitement going for a long time?
For me one of the ways to keep this motivation ongoing is to keep reading. Reading is one way to be positive about your future. It also provides a great relief from the negative news cycles. So here are 5 books I enjoyed reading this year.
When by Daniel Pink – The premise of the book is simple. It is that when you decide to do something is as important as how you do it. For example, if you are an early morning person you should schedule the most difficult tasks for morning. You should take breaks during the day. Take nature walks even if it is for 5 min. Take a nap when you can for 20 min and take the coffee just before you take the nap. If you are in a midlife slump set new goals, be self-compassionate and appreciate how good you have it. For your career check if you are enjoying what you are doing, do you have autonomy, is it aligned with your life goals and will you stay in this job for the next 5 years. Another example was have earning calls with investors earlier in the day than afternoon to get better results. Schools for teenagers should open later in the day to adjust their biological clock. Overall an enjoyable breezy read just like his other books.
The Motivation Myth by Jeff Haden – Well-written book overall awesome motivation for me to realize once again that everything related to success rests only with me no one else. Others like authors can help us with some motivation and ideas but finally it is us who are responsible for the success we create. There are some good suggestions on willpower like eliminate as many choices as possible, decide tonight what you are going to do tomorrow, eliminate all alerts, focus only on what you must do and charge forward. Everyone successful has had the same fears as us but they took massive persistent action. First, we need to decide what we want and then we must do whatever it takes to succeed. Success leads to motivation.
Powerful by Patty McCord– I am sure you have heard of the unique Netflix culture especially the slide share presentation which details it out. The main theme here is radical honesty. Be brutally honest with your employees, give them full autonomy, get rid of performance appraisal, give unlimited vacation and many more ideas to create a culture of freedom. The overall theme of the book is about giving employees freedom and responsibility while ensuring they are also challenged. There is also a suggestion to do away with the performance appraisal if it is not working.
Your best year ever by Michael Hyatt – This is an informative book on how to create your best year ever. First get rid of your limiting beliefs, close your past through resilience and gratitude, SMARTER framework for goals (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Risky, Time keyed, Exciting, Relevant), find your why and finally have action steps. Simple formula to have the best year ever.
Herding Tigers by Todd Henry – This is an excellent book on how to lead creatives. I also have read his other books. There are a lot of questions that are useful in each chapter. The main premise is creatives require stability where you clearly articulate objectives and provide freedom to speak up. They also require challenge to get the job done. One good suggestion was to have a time where you ensure no distractions and many other common sense tips. I also wanted to share how I read. This book took me around 3 hours and I note down as I read key points and questions from each chapter. Now I don't need to reread the book at all. This I find is a better approach than reading for 5 hours but then we have to reread to get the points. Doing it in parallel makes it faster and retention higher.
Check out these books and they are pretty good for you to have a great 2018. The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.
For me one of the ways to keep this motivation ongoing is to keep reading. Reading is one way to be positive about your future. It also provides a great relief from the negative news cycles. So here are 5 books I enjoyed reading this year.
When by Daniel Pink – The premise of the book is simple. It is that when you decide to do something is as important as how you do it. For example, if you are an early morning person you should schedule the most difficult tasks for morning. You should take breaks during the day. Take nature walks even if it is for 5 min. Take a nap when you can for 20 min and take the coffee just before you take the nap. If you are in a midlife slump set new goals, be self-compassionate and appreciate how good you have it. For your career check if you are enjoying what you are doing, do you have autonomy, is it aligned with your life goals and will you stay in this job for the next 5 years. Another example was have earning calls with investors earlier in the day than afternoon to get better results. Schools for teenagers should open later in the day to adjust their biological clock. Overall an enjoyable breezy read just like his other books.
The Motivation Myth by Jeff Haden – Well-written book overall awesome motivation for me to realize once again that everything related to success rests only with me no one else. Others like authors can help us with some motivation and ideas but finally it is us who are responsible for the success we create. There are some good suggestions on willpower like eliminate as many choices as possible, decide tonight what you are going to do tomorrow, eliminate all alerts, focus only on what you must do and charge forward. Everyone successful has had the same fears as us but they took massive persistent action. First, we need to decide what we want and then we must do whatever it takes to succeed. Success leads to motivation.
Powerful by Patty McCord– I am sure you have heard of the unique Netflix culture especially the slide share presentation which details it out. The main theme here is radical honesty. Be brutally honest with your employees, give them full autonomy, get rid of performance appraisal, give unlimited vacation and many more ideas to create a culture of freedom. The overall theme of the book is about giving employees freedom and responsibility while ensuring they are also challenged. There is also a suggestion to do away with the performance appraisal if it is not working.
Your best year ever by Michael Hyatt – This is an informative book on how to create your best year ever. First get rid of your limiting beliefs, close your past through resilience and gratitude, SMARTER framework for goals (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Risky, Time keyed, Exciting, Relevant), find your why and finally have action steps. Simple formula to have the best year ever.
Herding Tigers by Todd Henry – This is an excellent book on how to lead creatives. I also have read his other books. There are a lot of questions that are useful in each chapter. The main premise is creatives require stability where you clearly articulate objectives and provide freedom to speak up. They also require challenge to get the job done. One good suggestion was to have a time where you ensure no distractions and many other common sense tips. I also wanted to share how I read. This book took me around 3 hours and I note down as I read key points and questions from each chapter. Now I don't need to reread the book at all. This I find is a better approach than reading for 5 hours but then we have to reread to get the points. Doing it in parallel makes it faster and retention higher.
Check out these books and they are pretty good for you to have a great 2018. The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.
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