2020 was putting words into action
It is no secret that I read a few books. The intesting thing about all this reading is that you can't expect instant results from it. The ideas get planted when you read, but you can never tell when they will germinate, take root, and grow into something. For me, 2020 was a year that allowed this intellectual garden to burst into fruitful action.
My shelves are bursting with great reads and it's not possible to picture them all (picture attached) either due to space or because the read was digital, but this year I was able to use knowledge on people, process, psychology, philosophy, and pedagogy in practical and beneficial ways.
There were a couple of keystone books that helped with this. The Obstacle is the Way connected a series of previously isolated dots in terms of strategy and execution. It Doesn't Have to be Crazy at Work provided a keystone for the people and management books. The Manual threaded together mindfulness and philosophy. That's not to say these books were in themselves sufficient, but they made all the others click into place.
Yes, it has been a challenging year. A global pandemic is impossible to ignore, but it doesn't have to define the year. Our response as modern humans, good or bad, is what really defines 2020. On a personal level I've never felt so well-equipped to deal with whatever was thrown my way. That's not to say I successfully navigated everything with the levels of calm and joy that I would like; but the proportion of calm and joy has increased dramatically compared to previous and easier years.