My (Late) Summer Reading Recs
Hello All,
I was recently invited to be on a podcast to talk about books that have had a significant influence on me and my business. Sadly, given the limited amount of time, I was only able to discuss a couple. I thought I would talk about them and some others here.
Business Books
Atomic Habits — James Clear
The idea behind this book is simple, yet deeply impactful: small, consistent actions add up to significant changes.
What struck me most is how doable this makes improvement feel. Instead of overhauling your life or business overnight, you just need to focus on getting a little bit better each day by adopting small manageable changes that slowly morph into habits.
I've started to implement this in ways that just fit with my routines. For example, my morning coffee preparation takes a few minutes. Rather than just standing around, looking at my phone, I started to do some low impact exercise.
After a few days, not only did it stop feeling like an effort, but now I actually look forward to it and feel like something is off if I don't do them. And the best part is that I feel much more energized in the morning and have probably improved my fitness.
Tiny Experiments — Anne-Laure Le Cunff
This is a new favorite (after watching a keynote by the author at a conference I attended). Instead of chasing rigid, linear goals (like 5-year plans or big milestones), Tiny Experiments encourages you to approach life and work as a series of small, meaningful trials. The idea is to test, learn, and adapt rather than waiting until you have the perfect plan.
The writer is a neuroscientist/entrepreneur, who delves into how an experimental mindset can turn uncertainty into opportunity. Rather than committing to something for an indefinite period of time, you would put a time limit around the experiment and give yourself ways to measure how you feel once it has elapsed.
One of the examples she gives is how she started making YouTube videos for her business, and even though they were successful by standard measures, she really didn't love doing them. So, she decided to stop and focus her energy on activities that she actually enjoyed.
The E-Myth Revisited — Michael E. Gerber
Despite having read this book many years ago, it continues to have an impact in the the way I approach my business. It explores the difference between working in your business (getting caught up in the daily grind) versus working on your business (building systems that allow it to run smoothly without being dependent on you).
As a solopreneur, it’s easy to get stuck in “technician” mode as this is what comes naturally to us. Consequently, we are often just keeping up with customer work but not really taking the time to develop the business for the long term.
The E-Myth highlights the importance of building systems and processes. For example, if you're sending the same email regularly, you would create a template. Or you might set up a checklist for each you new customer that you onboard. There are an unlimited number of ways to create systems that decreases your workload (especially with tedious tasks), freeing up your time to engage in more high level thinking.
Non Business Books
As an avid reader of literature, science fiction and the occasional mystery, I also have a ton of non business book recommendations. These are three that have stood out to me recently.
Anyone who loves stories and/or Greek mythology, this is the definitive collection. It is one of the most influential books of all time and although this book is over 2000 years old, it is still a delightful read.
It is also funny, deeply moving, irreverent and exciting and works on many different levels. You might also recognize many of the stories as the basis for many subsequent retellings including several of Shakespeare's plays, Chaucer, Dante and T.S. Eliot (to name just a few).
I will warn those of you that are squeamish, there is a lot of violence (which is so over the top in some cases that it is actually comical).
Murderbot Series - Martha Wells
This is another delightful series of books whose protagonist is a security robot, that looks and talks like a human, and (like many humans) just wants to hang out and watch soap operas in peace. It is funny and poignant and a super engaging read.
And if you don't feel like reading, you can watch the Apple TV series which does a decent job of recreating the first book.
Endless Night - Agatha Christie
I adore Agatha Christie's detective stories. Hercule Poirot's use of his little gray cells was a defining mantra for me when I was growing up.
But she also wrote some great books without a known detective. One that really stands out to me for its eerie gothic quality and outstanding mystery is Endless Night.
I would love to hear your book recommendations. Simply reply to this email and let me know!
Have an excellent weekend.
Ronika
New Membership Update
I know I’ve been talking about this for a while, and I appreciate your patience. Life has been a bit hectic with renovations, a move, and a few unexpected obligations but I’m excited to share what’s coming soon.
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