042: A Reading Rainbow
Thanks to everyone that had a chance to take a look at the last edition of The Ascender. We got some great feedback and it was great to hear that those ideas were helpful to you! Continuing in that theme I thought I'd share another list. This time it's a few books that have been influential for me on this journey in the music industry - both as an entrepreneur and as a creator. Being an avid reader I can go twice as high with this list, but I'm limiting myself to five. While these books aren't necessarily my favourite books, or the best books I've ever read, they have provided me with important ideas that have helped shape how I approach my work. Oftentimes when I need some perspective - it's in a book. I can go anywhere with this list, but I'm choosing to focus on books that have given me new perspectives and ways to grow. So with all that, here's another list.
But you don't have to take my word for it….or in this case you do.
1. The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris
This was a book I read many years ago. While Ferris can be polarizing at times, and this book goes pretty deep down the internet marketing rabbit hole, I would still recommend it to anyone who is an entrepreneur. Which as an artist, includes you. At its core, this book is about examining our beliefs in the 9-5 work day and our society's obsession with being workaholics. It breaks down many of those beliefs and will help you define what work is important and what work you are doing just to keep busy.
2. The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch
The one goes hand in hand with The 4-Hour Work Week, I'd highly recommend reading both of them. The tag line for this book is 'The Secret to Achieving More with Less'. The basic premise is that 80% of results come from 20% of the effort. Or put another way - 80% of our success comes from 20% of our work. When you start to think about your work and creativity in this way you will begin to focus your effort on those key things that can really help you achieve what you want. And let go of the other 80% that isn't really accomplishing much.
3. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
Ok, I need to be honest with you. I've only ever ready about a quarter of the book. But I think that speaks volumes about how important it is. After reading the section on Morning Pages, I put the book down and started writing. That was over 3 years ago. I've haven't read any more of the book, but I'm still practicing the morning pages exercise daily. It has been transformative for me. I'm sure I'll read the rest of the book at some point. But for now, that chapter only is worth it.
4. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
It's hard to include a book about travel given the current situation in the world. But I think this book is about much more. It's about choosing to live your life the way you want. Structuring it not around your job, but instead around what you value. In Potts' case, that is travel. For you it may be something different. I often pick up this book and read a chapter to remind myself that there is always another way to do things other than the 'typical' way.
5. Badass Habits by Jen Sincero
Honesty time again - I almost didn't include this book in this list. I'm a huge fan of habits and have read many books on the subject, this book isn't one of my favourites. Yet I keep coming back to it. I didn't want to enjoy this book when I read it. Yet I find myself with a calendar that is filled with the advice and principles Sincero presents in the book. For real, if anyone is interested I'll show you what I've been doing this year and how helpful it's been. I'm sure it's just my own preconceptions, but the book felt like the 'junk food' of habit books. Yet it has resulted in an abundance of positive change for me. So I guess it's way more of a 'green smoothie' than I'd like to admit.
Let me know if you've read any of these books, or if you decide to check any of them out. It's great to chat with friends to know what is connecting with them. I'd also love to hear any suggestions you might have about books that have been influential to you - it can be anything! That should be it for lists for a while now. We'll be back to the - as they say - 'butterfly in the sky' style next time!
~ Steve