In 2019, I accomplished my goal of reading 26 books and in fact, exceeded the goal by finishing 30. As I reflect on all these books, what is most important is not the mere fact of reading the books (check the box) but rather the ability to extract the core concepts of each and put them into action. Equally as important is the ability to connect the dots per se on how all these learnings tie together to make me a better human being, both in life and in business. That was my WHY and ultimately why I invested over 250 hours reading.
2019 BOOKS LIST (in order of reading)
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Pivot, disrupt, transform by Marcia Daszko
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
Move the Ball by Jennifer A. Garrett
High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard
Sales Manifesto by Jeffrey Gitomer
Eat their Lunch by Anthony Iannarino
Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop
YouMap by Kristin Sherry
Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John C. Maxwell
The Storytellers Secret by Carmine Gallo
Your subconscious brain can change your life by Dr. Mike Dow
The Art of Storytelling by Hannah B. Harvey
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Raising Men by Eric Davis
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
The 5 languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman & Paul White
7 ways to be her hero by Doug Fields
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Culture Code by Daniel Coyle
The 5am club by Robin Sharma
What’s Next by Karen Grosz
Living with Seals by Jessie Eitzler
Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson
Mindset ‘the new psychology of success’ by Carol S. Dweck Ph.D
Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
There’s No Plan B For Your A-Game by Bo Beason
Can’t hurt me: master your mind by David Goggins
The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
CATEGORIZATION
MINDSET
Can’t hurt me: master your mind by David Goggins
Living with Seals by Jessie Eitzler
Everything is F*cked by Mark Manson
There’s No Plan B For Your A-Game by Bo Beason
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
Your subconscious brain can change your life by Dr. Mike Dow
The 5am club by Robin Sharma
Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop
Mindset ‘the new psychology of success’ by Carol S. Dweck Ph.D
HABITS
High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
LEADERSHIP
Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
Everyone Communicates, Few Connect by John C. Maxwell
The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
Pivot, disrupt, transform by Marcia Daszko
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown
Move the Ball by Jennifer A. Garrett
CULTURE
Culture Code by Daniel Coyle
The 5 languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman & Paul White
STORYTELLING
The Storytellers Secret by Carmine Gallo
The Art of Storytelling by Hannah B. Harvey
SALES
Sales Manifesto by Jeffrey Gitomer
Eat their Lunch by Anthony Iannarino
FAMILY
Raising Men by Eric Davis
7 ways to be her hero by Doug Fields
CAREER
YouMap by Kristin Sherry
What’s Next by Karen Grosz
SELF-HELP
The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
MY TOP 5 BOOKS
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Can’t hurt me: master your mind by David Goggins
The 5 languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman & Paul White
The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo
Radical Candor by Kim Scott
It is my belief that all success starts with your daily habits, which is why Atomic Habits stands out to me as a solid toolset/roadmap to help me get get more disciplined. Next, Can’t Hurt Me provided massive inspiration that I can always give more than what I give – in all aspects of life. Towards that end, I have a picture of David Goggins in my home gym, directly next to my goals on the wall. Every time I’m working out, I imagine he’s right there yelling at me in my face to push myself; push my mind! The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace was a refreshing reminder to dig in deeper to find out what motivates each individual, while ultimately maximizing my genuine appreciation of them. This led to me and the team exemplifying our appreciation of others while contributing extensively to shifting the culture. The Alchemist is just a classic that I like to read every few years to remind me that sometimes we travel the world looking for answers when they are right there in front of us. Radical Candor was one that helped push me in my corporate job to care personally and challenge deeply.
Which books did you read this year that you would highly recommend and why? Leave a comment.
My goal for 2020 is to go in super deep on the mindset + habits concepts to destroy the old me and level up to a much more happier and healthier person that galvanizes those around me. I’ve also decided to spend my year writing my own book, which centers around architecting one’s corporate career to a respectful six-figures.