To me, one of life’s greatest lessons is developing the discipline and desire to continually improve yourself. No matter who you are, what your occupation is, and what your skills are, there is always room to grow. I am constantly trying to push myself to find ways I can get closer to my goals as an entrepreneur, mother, wife and friend. One of my favorite ways to spark this fire is through books. We are very well into 2020, but before we get any further, I wanted to share the must-read books you can delve into so it can be a work in progress this year. The following novels will undoubtedly inspire you to seek even greater personal and professional goals this year.
If you are looking to improve upon your motivational skills, I highly recommend Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg. In this book, the author shares 8 key components of productivity that have helped propel other professionals forward. His concepts rely heavily on solid cognitive research and behavioral psychology, so it also gives you a glimpse into how the human brain works when it comes to productivity. In addition, he delves into multiple interviews of successful people and how they might differ from others.
This particular book really hit close to home because of my relationship with technology and the internet. The concept of minimalism is knowing exactly how much is enough – so digital minimalism is knowing the level of technology you should be intaking. As someone who’s career relies on the likes of the internet, this was a really refreshing read that allowed me to see the big picture. It reminds you how to enjoy the offline world and to be more meaningful and purposeful when you are online. I think this is a read that everyone living in this technological world should read!
Finding forgiveness is a life skill that isn’t really talked about but it is crucial in fostering relationships. If you tend to struggle with being too stubborn to succumb to forgiveness, this is a really eye opening book about letting yourself give in to empathy and compassion. Throughout the novel, personal insights and stories about forgiveness that come from the heart are shared. For instance, Sue Klebold shares her experience as one of the parents of one of the shooters from Columbine. This book is so special and will really help you to find your inner peace.
Julie Zhao is the VP of Design of the multi-billion dollar social media conglomerate, Facebook. With personal anecdotes about her climb up the corporate ladder, coupled with human behavior research, she shares the commonalities every manager faces. Even if you do not happen to be in a management position quite yet, I feel the skills taught within this book are transferable to every kind of career. Julie shares the importance of being a great leader and what skills you need to adapt in order to do so. The Making of a Manager is a great insight into how the business world operates and what you need to personally work on to advance your career.
Another novel about navigating this highly digitized world, Indistractable preaches the importance of where your priorities should lie. In this day and age, patience is becoming thinner and attention spans are becoming increasingly smaller as we are trained to seek out instant gratification. In this book, Nir will guide you in better ways to manage your time, prioritize what is truly important and to not get overwhelmed by the technology that continues to consume our everyday lives. After all, it comes down to being able to find that healthy balance.
When you take a look at the role of designers, they take a problem and work to resolve it in the most efficient way possible. This logic can apply to your life too! In Designing Your Life, the authors explain how you can craft the ideal life you want to live – no matter what stage you happen to be in. Above all, the book explains that you can only fail if you consciously design a life that makes you unhappy. Instead, you need to create an ideal life where you truly feel fulfilled and meaningful.
There’s nothing more inspiring to me than women killing it in their fields. As the COO of Facebook, Sheryl gets real about work-life balance and what it means to climb a leadership ladder (simultaneously). I found her musings incredibly insightful, inspiring, and motivating – one of my top must-read books for any boss babe!
