Lately, I’ve had my nose in the books (and the clouds, and my journal). A messy list of the people I’ve been learning from:
 
Jen Sincero, You Are a Badass at Making Money
 
Listening to this audiobook was my first encounter with this New York Times Bestselling author, who reads it herself, full of super fun, straight-talking energy. We all have our limiting beliefs around money – and I am often on the look out for techniques for identifying and overcoming them. Yet often I’m disappointed by “money manifestation” type books, because they often come off as shallow, overly woo-woo, or get-rich-quick. For me, Sincero has the perfect mix of woo-woo and down-to-earth practicality. This book is full of great exercises to help improve your relationship with money.
 
Key takeaway: “Money is a renewable resource.”
 
Tim Ferriss, Tools of Titans
 
This is a massive tome by the author of The 4-Hour Workweek, the book that first got me thinking nearly 10 years ago about a location-independent job and lifestyle. Tools of Titans is a full of productivity tips and ideas collected from “billionaires, icons and world-class performers.” This book is where I first learned about the 5-Minute Journal, a new habit I’ve adopted this last month.
 
Key takeaway:
 
From Ferriss’ interview with Peter Thiel, founder of PayPal and billionaire investor:
 
TF: What do you wish you had known about business 20 years ago?  
 
Peter Thiel: If you go back 20 or 25 years, I wish I would have known that there was no need to wait. I went to college. I went to law school. I worked in law and banking, though not for terribly long. But not until I started PayPal did I fully realize that you don’t have to wait to start something. So if you’re planning to do something with your life, if you have a 10-year plan of how to get there, you should ask: Why can’t you do this in 6 months? Sometimes you have to actually go through the complex 10-year trajectory. But it’s at least worth asking whether that’s the story you’re telling yourself, or whether that’s the reality.”
 
Leah Keller, The Dia Method
 
For women-only: A prenatal and postnatal fitness and nutrition program that was featured in one of NPR’s most popular stories last year (Flattening The 'Mummy Tummy' With 1 Exercise, 10 Minutes A Day). I’ve been doing this program since late December and seen amazing results.
 
Key takeaway: An incredible reminder of what happens when you find support that really clicks with you – and how a positive change in one area has a ripple effect on many other parts of your life.
 
Courtney Carver, Soulful Simplicity
 
I’ve long been a fan of Carver’s thoughtful e-newsletters from Be More With Less. She’s a simplicity blogger who also started the minimalist wardrobe challenge Project 333.

In her new book, Carver shares how an MS diagnosis was her wake-up call to slow down and offers practical ideas from her own personal journey on creating a more simple, meaningful life. She covers a range of topics, from developing a morning routine, decluttering, boycotting “busy,” and taking a “digital Sabbath.”
 
Key takeway: In the section about downsizing possessions, Carver talks about the importance of getting rid of things that you’re only hanging on to because you paid a lot for them. You already paid for that thing, she says. No need to pay anymore for it. This was a good reminder not only for material possessions, I thought, but also past mistakes and failures. You already paid for those. Let them go. You’ve paid enough.
 
Simon Sinek, David Mead and Peter Docker, Find Your Why
 
Simon Sinek’s talk, How Great Leaders Inspire Action, is the third most popular TEDs of all time. Watch it, if you haven’t seen it yet. At the base of Sinek’s message is that when you understand your Why, you inspire others to action. Another super important benefit of knowing your Why is being able to make clearer, faster decisions. Find Your Why is the practical guide for individuals and teams to find their Why. Here’s how:
 
1) Find a partner to help you.
2) Collect the most important stories from your past, both positive and negative.
3) Schedule a 3-hour session with your partner to share those stories. Your partner listens and takes notes on the recurring themes.
4) Draft your Why statement, which takes this format: “To _______, so that _________.” For example, Simon Sinek’s Why statement is: “To inspire people to do the things that inspire them so that, together, we can change our world.”

Well, that was a much longer list than I expected! Thanks as always for reading.