We’ve all heard the phrase “stuck in a rut,” right? A rut is an indent or groove in the earth. If you see a groove in the ground, especially one caused by a bike or car, that’s a rut. If a rut is deep enough, you could get stuck in it.
If you’re stuck in a rut, you’ve probably been doing the same old thing for too long. We’ve likely ALL been there at one point or another. In fact, most of us tend to move in the same direction as always unless some external force is applied to get us out of that rut.
Gaining new perspective and knowledge is sometimes just the external force that we need. It’s one of the reason that I read. A book can be so powerful that it completely rattles you and forces you up out of the rut. As I look back on 2016, I thought I’d share five of the books that did just that over the course of the year.
- The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod. Technically, I started this at the very end of 2015 but it was so huge in my 2016 that I wanted to include it here. The Miracle Morning is an easy read. But that doesn’t make it any less profound! In it, Elrod lays out a routine for your mornings – one that can be done in as few as 10 minutes or be drawn out to an hour. It was powerful for me because it connected me to a simple practice that fit within my limited time that was both enjoyable in the moment AND had residual effects through the day. The longer I practiced TMM, the less I thought about it as a practice, but as a habit like brushing my teeth. Something just felt “off” until I completed the TMM each day — even if I didn’t actually get to it until late into the night. I’ll share more about this book in specific in a later post.
- The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan. I read and listened to this book multiple times in 2016. It is so simple and basic, that you could underestimate its value. A goodreads.com synopsis describes it best: “the One Thing…explains the success habit to overcome the six lies that block our success, beat the seven thieves that steal time, and leverage the laws of purpose, priority, and productivity.” The authors weave facts with stories. Pieces of the narrative serve as standalone quotes or reminders. For me, one of those is a self-reflective question, “What’s the one thing I can do right now, such that by doing so everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” Honestly, I apply this question when work seems too harried or I am getting hit with what feels like a “water from a firehose” amount of requests for my time, attention or energy. It helps me think what the most impactful thing is that I should do (hint: sometimes it is to wait for 5 minutes and do nothing)! But, amazingly, this is also the question I’ve asked myself in the evenings as the day is winding down. Often it’s taking two minutes to set my water bottles up for the next day while I know I have time and no competing commitments. Such a practice seems small, I realize. But when the next morning comes and I DON’T have to think about what I need to do for myself, my morning is easier.
- Essentialism by Greg McKeown. This was a great companion book to The One Thing. What I love most is that the book IS NOT about becoming more productive in order to get more done in the time you have. Rather, it is a reminder to make sure that you spend your time on the things that matter most TO YOU. McKeown forced me to consider the essential things that allow me to make the highest contributions through a disciplined pursuit of less. It seems counterintuitive that doing less can result in more impact, but it seems to be playing out that way in a few different areas of my life.
- The Legend of Bagger Vance: Golf and the Game of Life by Steven Pressfield. I had just read Pressfield’s The War of Art, and having learned a lot from that book was hungry for something else from him. I was so surprised to learn he was the author of this great story. I loved the movie (all three times I watched it) and did not know there was a book! (Duh!) The story extends beyond the end of movie, and brings to life the impact of decisions and focus. It’s hard to put into words how the book (even more so than the movie) talked to the seeker in me. It spoke to that part of me that is continually searching for deeper connection and awareness of Self, as well as my connection to Source/God/the Universe.
- Virtual Freedom by Chris Ducker. I love this book because it tells how he changed his thinking and approach to work to have bigger impact and enjoy more personal and professional success. This book shares his approach to virtual staffing, Ducker talks about how to work with folks as part of your team. He is very practical with information about how to use technology to help keep everyone “on the same page” and going in the same direction. I am familiar with temporary staffing solutions and have used them over the years, but this book helped me think differently about pursuing my coaching business while continuing to do the work I love as a partner at Social Entrepreneurs, Inc.
There are A LOT of other books I’ve read or listened to over the past 12-15 months and while I won’t go into detail about each of them, a few more include:
- The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
- The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown
- Start with Why by Simon Sinek
- The Go Giver by Bob Burg, John David Mann
- The Secrets of the Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer
- The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
What about you? How have you been impacted by books this year? Can you identify something that has helped push you out of your rut?
