It’s great to have goals, but it’s even better to have tools to accomplish them. Here are some books I think are useful to equipping yourself for a better chance at your goals.
The 8th Habit- Steven Covey
The first part of this book is exceptionally helpful. It’s a re-working of the 7 Habits, but into a format and method that was much more understandable and useful to me (and I’m a big fan of the other book). Why is this useful? Because it shows you some important ways to “frame” your thoughts:
- A compass guides you to your “true north.” A map is just a static interpretation of the territory.
- Work on your circle of influence; shy away from your circle of concern (that which you can’t control, but which worries you).
- Decide what matters most, and then execute against that decision.
Getting Things Done – David Allen
This book is hands down a very important book for people who just can’t find their way to getting organized. If you work through this book, find your best way to adapt Allen’s methods, and execute against them, you will see immediate improvement. I promise you that.
The 3 Hour Diet- Jorge Cruise
It’s not that this book is perfect, but Jorge Cruise does a good job of 1.) Making things accessible for people who aren’t necessarily into eating well by nature, 2.) Making things feel down to earth and real.
I pair this book often with a much more scholarly work by Dr. Andrew Weil – Eating Well for Optimum Health (which is a great book, but a little sloggy- I recommend the DVD for this one):
Winning – by Jack Welch, and Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance- by Lou Gerstner
I am not a businessman. I’m a little too touchy-feely and “out there” to qualify for a good business type. All the more reason why I try to read good books by brilliant business minds, whether or not I agree with their methods. It wasn’t until reading these two books that I started to better understand how a business has to think. I don’t subscribe to all their views, but I get it. And that’s important. If you don’t know the language of the people around you, you will easily fail.
Magazine Subscriptions
The trick to magazines, I’ve come to learn, is that they’re a monthly (sometimes weekly) reminder to take a look at the things you’ve set as your goals. I subscribe to Wired, Business 2.0, Fast Company, Men’s Health, and Wizard (a comics magazine- hey, that’s for fun!). I used to also get Trail Runner, but I haven’t been running trails lately.
Magazines are a way to keep your head on the things you’ve set for your goals. I’m sure you’ll have good suggestions for others that might match your own 2007 goals.
Books I’ve Missed or Need
I haven’t found a personal finance book that felt “real” to me. The books I’ve read suggest my finances are in great shape, and I just need someone to tell me how to open a 401K. I need the book that says, “Boy, you’ve REALLY messed up. And now here’s what we’re going to do.” Something tells me Christopher S. Penn of the Financial Aid Podcast has some recommendations here.
I also don’t usually recommend a specific book on spiritual strength. I guess it’s personal to me? Or rather, your faith or spirituality might not match mine. But I wonder of Jon or Michael or Rob have any suggestions?
What else do YOU recommend? We’d love to know. (Include links if you want, or just mention the title and the author, so people can search them.)