It looked like an ordinary email from a friend and colleague. An update on her company? Perhaps a request for some technical assistance? A new project? But instead it was a gift wrapped in one simple question:
“So I have finished listening to seven books that I had really been wanting to read … Do you have any other suggestions for me?”
What a great question to be asked. I love books, reading and learning. The gift of the question was it caused me to slow down, reflect and then share – first with her, and now with all of you.
The addition of digital books to my world a few years ago, meant that I was never without a book. The timing of her question could not have been better. I had just returned home from business travel (again, tied to learning) with a raging cold. One of the type that make you wonder if you would ever feel good again. Not trusting my memory, I set out on a mini-research adventure to review the books I had read in 2017 – some more than once. (OK, some more than twice.) I was surprised about the number of books I had read. I thought about why I had initially purchased or borrowed each one and what they gave me in return.
This got me thinking about the blog post earlier in the year: Have You Set Your Goals for Reading in 2017? I wondered: Had I set a specific reading goal at the beginning of the year? Did I make time for reading? Had I been intentional about the books I wanted to read? Did I keep track?
Not exactly.
The only thing that was crystal clear for me was why I wanted to read. My goal was simple: to continue learning in order to grow, to understand concepts and people, to enjoy the written and spoken word. To listen better and more acutely. To find ways to stretch and challenge myself. To let curiosity be the beacon of where to go next, and to take recommendations of friends, mentors, colleagues, and thought leaders help guide me to the next title. I definitely did not have a set number of books as a target for success.
I wasn’t sure how or where I would find time for more reading in an already full day. This ended up being easier than I thought. I had untapped time available. Driving. Doing yard work. On a plane. Grocery shopping. During all the many micro-moments where I could be “with my book”.
Tracking? Hmmm… ooops. I did not “formally” track in a notebook, spreadsheet or journal. I knew what I’d read from the stored titles in my electronic library and the books that surround me at home. This is what I used to create the list sent to my friend and shared in this post.
Caveat: this represents most of what I read this past year. Some of these titles I’ve listened to or read multiple times in order to mine the nuggets out of them or to appreciate how they are written. Others were one-time reads. If it made it onto the list, I liked and valued it. If it’s in bold, I read it multiple times.
- 80/20 Principle – Perry Marshall
- Braving the Wilderness – Brené Brown
- Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted Word – Cal Newport
- Do Improvise – Robert Poynton
- Go Givers Sell More – Bob Burg, John Mann
- Leadership and Self-Deception – The Arbinger Institute
- Made to Stick – Dan and Chip Heath
- Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy – Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant
- Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works – A.G. Lafley, Roger L. Martin
- Switch – Dan and Chip Heath
- TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking – Chris Anderson
- The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World – Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Douglas Carlton Abrams
- The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals – Sean Covey, Chris McChesney, Jim Huling
- The 4-Hour Workweek – Timothy Ferriss
- The Go Giver – Bob Burg, John David Mann
- The Lean Product Playbook: How to Innovate with Minimum Viable Products and Rapid Customer Feedback – Dan Olsen
- The Legend of Bagger Vance – Steven Pressfield
- The Magic of Believing – Claude Bristol
- The Obstacle is the Way – Ryan Holiday
- The Power of Vulnerability – Brené Brown
- The Practice of Adaptive Leadership – Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow, Marty Linksy
- The School of Greatness – Lewis Howes
- True North: Discover Your Authentic Self – Bill George with Peter Sims
- Turning Adversaries into Allies – Bob Burg
And just for fun, I added in
- Girl in Cabin 10 – Ruth Ware
- In a Dark, Dark Wood – Ruth Ware
- The Life We Bury – Allen Eskins
Maybe some of these books have piqued your interest and you will go on to explore more on your own. Since reading interests vary widely, we are including suggestions from Goodreads Blog Post: A Very Bookish Gift Guide.
Reflecting back on the beginning of 2017, did I actually set out to read more than 25 books? If you told me I would actually exceed 25 books, reading some multiple times, would I have believed you? Not a chance. Although, it’s nice to think I could make it through that many books in one year, seeing the number of books read as the goal might have dissuaded us from starting at all. I’m certain it would not have been sufficient motivation as the goal of continual learning and exploration. Knowing me, I’d have moved on to something else that mattered to me (beyond a number).
If you have a goal in mind for 2018 (reading or otherwise), that’s a great place to start. Then think about why that goal matters – what is your reason for achieving it? Next, you need to find the motivation you need – specifically what will be different for you, your family and friends, or community? Whether that be from friends, colleagues, or book groups – find your motivation and use it to help you stay on course (or get back on course). If your goals is read and expand your world in 2018, just dive in.
Read for fun. Read to learn. Read.
Stay interested and curious about the world and those around you.
“There are essentially two things that will make you wise — the books you read and the people you meet.” ― Jack Canfield
We’d love to know what you are reading right now and what you enjoy about the book.
