| Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott How we should approach life—present and in awe. Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier When investing in a retirement account (like a 401K), the earlier you start saving, the less you have to save. Essentialism by Greg McKeown Ninety-nine percent of what we do is inessential. Also, we tend to over-value things we already own. When you’re decluttering your closet and can’t decide whether to keep or donate that blouse or those only-worn-a-few-times pants, ask yourself, ‘If I didn’t already own this, how much would I spend to buy it?’ And, when deciding whether to say yes to an opportunity, ask yourself, ‘How much would I be willing to pay for an opportunity like this?’ How To Be Free by Epictetus, Translated by A.A. Long We have a divine superpower: our ability to reason. We must always be fine-tuning it. Keep Going by Austin Kleon Robin Slone’s idea of stock and flow: Flow is the daily updates and stock is the stuff that will still be interesting in two years. Be diligent about turning flow into stock. Show Your Work by Austin Kleon On social media: Don’t show us what you’re eating—show us what you’re working on. Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon Originality is just a mix of existing material. Nothing is truly original. How To Keep Your Cool by Seneca, Translated by James Romm Good people don’t intentionally harm you. Therefore, if a good person harms you, don’t believe it. And if a bad person harms you, don’t be surprised. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, translated by Gregory Hays You can assemble your life action by action. No one can stop you from that. On Writing Well by William Zinssler To write is to rewrite. Taming the Tiger Within by Thich Nhat Hahn Compassion is the best remedy for anger. On the Shortness of Life by Seneca The only thing worth doing in life: following your unique path in a way that helps others. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson We exist for a split second. Deep Work by Cal Newport A day spent doing shallow activities will leave you feeling miserable, even if they seem harmless or fun. Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard Feynman Relentlessly follow your interests. Montaigne by Stefan Zweig Montaigne was obsessed with personal freedom—the freedom to be who he uniquely was, the freedom to think his own thoughts, and the freedom to devote his life to pursuits he believed in. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Resistance is real. The only way to beat it is to show up every day and give it everything you have. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel The best way to manage your money is the way that lets you sleep at night. Also, rarely does wealth come in a huge lump sum. Wealth is built with the obvious and boring stuff: saving, diverse and low-cost investing, and patience. Do the Work by Steven Pressfield When we have an idea that is off-the-wall, and we wonder if we should pursue it, the answer is always yes. When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris Hilarious. One of my favorite books of his. Perennial Sellers by Ryan Holiday “You don’t have to be a genius to make genius—you just have to have small moments of brilliance and edit out the boring stuff.” Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh*t by Steven Pressfield Every creation needs a theme. If you get stuck on your painting, writing your screenplay, whatever—ask yourself, ‘What is this thing about?’ The Artist’s Journey by Steven Pressfield The writer, the artist, exists on 2 levels. The first level is the conscious, material level. The second level is the higher level— the unconscious, the Soul, the Superconscious—whatever you want to call it. The artist shuttles back and forth between these two levels. She finds gems in the higher level and brings them back to the lower, physical one. Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg The importance of working on something daily. You can’t think all your best thoughts in advance. Growth Hacker Marketing by Ryan Holiday Virality is built into a product, not added on later. Journal of a Novel by John Steinbeck “[If] I knew right now that this book would not sell a thousand copies, I would still write it.”-John Steinbeck. Like Steven Pressfield said, you should only create for 2 reasons: the fun and beauty of it, or because you have no choice. The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris Theodore Roosevelt was a man of action. Also, not only did he almost never complain, he had the “time of his life” doing things that others complained about. Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday Nihilism is for losers. The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday I’ve been reading this book for years now as part of my daily routine. This is hands down the best book on how to live I’ve ever read. I cannot recommend it enough. A Calendar of Wisdom by Leo Tolstoy Another book I’ve read daily for years. Recommended by Ryan Holiday. A daily reminder of what’s important. Yes to Life by Viktor E. Frankl We say yes to life when we embrace our ability to choose how we respond to it. The Authentic Swing by Steven Pressfield “Writing is a weird medicine. You sit down not knowing what you believe and you get up knowing.” Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield Turning pro means doing your work without thought of praise or criticism. You do your work because you have no choice—because it’s in your heart like blood. Also, your unique, authentic self is in a constant struggle with your ego. The Daily Laws by Robert Greene We cannot be great if we are not our authentic selves. Meditations, The Annotated Edition by Robin Waterfield We don’t need more information—we need to go deeper with what we already know to be true. The Cost of These Dreams by Wright Thompson Endless ambition is a distraction and waste of life. Enjoy, right now, the life you’re living with the people you love. Leonardo Da Vinci by Walter Isaacson Leonardo Da Vinci paid obsessive attention to the things that most people didn’t notice or wouldn’t think to notice. (An item on his to-do list reads: “Describe the tongue of the woodpecker”). A genius in his own right, it was his obsessive focus on obscure details that blasted him light-years ahead of his peers. The Pearl by John Steinbeck You can have anything you want, but you can’t have everything you want. The Moral Sayings of Publius Syrus by Publius Syrus, translated by Darius Lyman Jr. A punchy maxim can say more than a thousand words. It’s All In Your Head by Russ “Don’t worry about being perfect. Be more concerned with being productive. Think less. Do more.” The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker It hurts to be present. Bubble or Revolution? by Neel Mehta, Adi Agashe, Parth Detroja Helped me to better understand crypto currency. A Sense of Where You Are by John McPhee The importance of practicing the fundamentals until they’re intuitive. The Boy Who Would Be King by Ryan Holiday Even a child knows what’s right and wrong. Virtue is simple, but of course, not always easy. |