I love books! I would not consider myself a “collector.” I’m more of a “hoarder.” There are more books in my house than I could possibly ever read. Regularly, I am adding more to my “collection” and others help me with my addiction. Because I am an Idea Addict, I have quite an array of books. They cross the span of genres. And I seem to be finding new ones all the time. Several months ago, I had the opportunity to help a friend move. This friend is also a book hoarder. He is older than me and has a larger collection. He plans to never let a book go. At…
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Read Great Books
A friend once shared with me that he does not have time to read good books. He only has time to read great books. The same is true for me…and for you. Stop reading just any book. Don’t even read good books. There are too many great books out there. Find them and get to reading.
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Dream
Being an Idea Addict, one of my favorite things to do is dream. “I have an idea” is a regular phrase my wife hears. For me, dreaming is my favorite pastime. It is a core part of my day, week, life, work and family life. Whether you love to dream or struggle with it, I think there are two key factors to stimulating the dreaming and ideation process. 1) Personal Development 2) Community Let’s begin with Personal Development. What are you reading? If you want to grow, you need to be intentional with what you put into your mind. What are you watching? What are you listening to? Jim Rohn…
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Read with Me: Linchpin by Seth Godin
Here is a list of what I’m reading this quarter. Would love for you to join in with me. The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss – I just finished this one. Biggest takeaway, in my own words, you decide if you are going to work to live or live to work. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? by Seth Godin – Started this one a few days ago. Jump in with me if you are interested. I think it will be a good one for both bosses and employees, as well as small business owners. Wisdom Meets Passion by Dan Miller and Jared Angaza – This is next up on my list. Looking forward…
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August Psalms Challenge
Starting August 1st, I’ll be reading the Book of Psalms. My goal is to read all 150 chapters in a month. Want to join me? Whether you are still deciding what role God will have in your life, new to faith, or you have been following Jesus for a long time, the Psalms are a great way to grow your faith. They help us see the power and mercy of God. “How am I going to read 150 chapters in 31 days? That seems impossible!” It is possible. It works out to about 5 chapters a day, which on most days will involve about 20 minutes of reading. Shhhhhhh. I…
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Measuring Productivity…Not!
I was sitting down to write a post on productivity. I have a list of books I want to eventually do reviews on. One on the list is Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. This is a biography, not a nonfiction productivity book. I got to thinking. Is it productive to read biographies or even fiction books for that matter? Part of me thinks not. I struggle to see the direct correlation such reading has to productivity. However, just because I can’t measure, or find it hard to measure, the productivity of certain activities, this does not make them unproductive. Creativity is a product of such reading, which is not easily measured.…
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Read with Me: Essentialism by Greg McKeown
I just listened to an amazing podcast. Last week Michael Hyatt and Michele Cushatt interviewed Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, on the This Is Your Life podcast. Go here to listen to this podcast episode. This interview was so good, I plan to listen to it on at least an annual basis to refocus me on the things I really need to be doing. Here are some of the notes I took. 1) Don’t be busy and unproductive. 2) What do I need to do and what do I need to stop doing? The first part here is the most important. What is essential? Everything else is…
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The New Version of GTD is Out!
What is GTD? It stands for Getting Things Done and it is a book about productivity by David Allen. More than just a book, it is a methodology for how to live a productive life. If your life is anything like mine, your list of to do items includes things like change the lightbulb in the kitchen, write up that report at work, make plans for vacation, prep study for church, call those 5 people when I get to the office, etc. GTD helps you get your life in order so you can get those things (everything) done. Originally written in 2001, the old version, while quite amazing, incorporates technology…
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How Do You Change A Habit? Step 1, Read This Book!
“Every habit can be changed.” – Charles Duhigg Do you believe it? I heard Charles Duhigg speak and he said these words. It seems crazy, I know. Here’s another… “Researchers have found willpower is the single greatest corollary to future success.” Duhigg went on to say that willpower can be taught and developed. If this is true, what is the potential for you? How about for your children? Habits Rule This book helped me to see that habits rule my life. They rule your life too. Of course, I had this sense already, but didn’t realize the far reaching impact of habits on me, those around me and society. I…
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5 Reading Hacks To Help You Become A Better Reader
“It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.” ~ Oscar Wilde I am becoming a reader. It is important to start here. Usually I say something like, “I’m not a reader,” or “I don’t like to read.” What we say about ourselves has a way of fulfilling itself though. If you love learning, like I do, reading is going to be an important part of your journey. If you want to become a better you, reading is essential. So here I am, a reader. If you struggle to read, I have some reading hacks for you to…