My Favorite Books from 2020

A few nights ago, I was reflecting on the 39 books I read during 2020. As I was reviewing the books, I decided to share my top three. These books included “The Power of Moments” by Chip Heath & Dan Heath, “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, and “Pound the Stone” by Joshua Medcalf which I read with my son. If you have yet to read these books, I recommend you consider adding them to your 2021 reading list. Below are some of my reflections from each book.

The Power of Moments

The Power of Moments, Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact by Chip and Dan Heath

This book explores why certain events in life are impactful and memorable and how we can create these kinds of “moments.” The authors suggest, “The ‘occasionally remarkable’ moments shouldn’t be left to chance! They should be planned for, invested in. They are peaks that should be built. And if we fail to do that, look at what we’re left with: mostly forgettable.”

While reading the book, I reflected on times with my family and at work when we worked to create meaningful moments. About five years ago, my wife and I decided we wanted to give our children the opportunity to see a bigger picture of the world before they went off to college and started their own lives. So, when each of our kids are in their junior and senior year of high school, we take them out of the country, usually to a 3rd world, to experience a different culture and serve those in the culture. During the first of these trips, my wife took our oldest daughter, Rylee, to Ghana in West Africa. This trip made an impact on Rylee that you could see from the moment she returned home. She still talks about that trip and how it impacted her world view to this day.

I appreciate Chip and Dan for putting together a book focused on how to best create special moments. They do an excellent job explaining why some events stay with us while others go unnoticed, and they pose the challenge of why leave our most meaningful and memorable moments in life to chance when we could be creating these unforgettable moments.

The more I think about this book, the more I see the opportunity for these powerful moments just about everywhere. Special thanks to Dylon Jones for recommending this book. It was probably my favorite read in 2020.

Atomic Habits

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear. 

I found this book browsing through my library app, OverDrive, and it is now a favorite and one I plan to add to my re-read list. It is an easy read and is a nice mix of practical advice, psychology, and inspiring real-life stories. The author shares reasonable advice for creating good habits and breaking bad habits. His recommended steps are both clear and reasonably achievable. 

As I read the book, I reflected back to 2009 when I started training for my first Marathon. I wish I had read this book back then, because I remember struggling with starting new habits and breaking old habits as I began running for the first time in years. I looked back in my journal from that year and found these notes about my training:

“Training started out great. I created my own training schedule based on a beginners training schedule I received from Runners World and a suggested beginners training schedule one of “the crew”, Janda Jackson, a prior Boston Marathon qualifier, gave me. The first week, I stayed on my training schedule pretty good. I was schedule to run 17 miles for the week and ended up logging 17.1 miles. However, the following week was rough. I got sick at the beginning of the week, and instead of running the 21 miles I was supposed to, I only logged 4 miles. As the weeks went on, and the newness wore off, I found it difficult to balance work, training, and family.”

I went on to talk about a lesson I learned: if I skipped a run, it took me one step away from my goal and it was something I could never go back and make up. Because of these memories, the statement from the book, “every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become” really resonated with me.

A few of my other favorite quotes from the book included:

"All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision. But as that decision is repeated, a habit sprouts and grows stronger. Roots entrench themselves and branches grow. The task of breaking a bad habit is like uprooting a powerful oak within us. And the task of building a good habit is like cultivating a delicate flower one day at a time."

"Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it."

Pound the Stone

Pound the Stone: 7 Lessons to Develop Grit on the Path to Mastery by Joshua Medcalf. 

My son, Zane, and I listened to this book together while I drove him to basketball practice in the mornings before COVID hit. While he was in 7th grade at the time, and I was somewhat older than that, we both enjoyed the book and had a great time journeying through it together. This book was particularly well suited for us to read together as it is easy to read and written in story format. The story begins with a young man named Jason who is a naturally talented basketball player, but must overcome setbacks and poor decision. As part of Jason’s transformation, he is mentored by some great men and we see Jason choose a journey of grit, determination, intentionality, and persistence to overcome obstacles, struggles, frustrations, and ultimately lead to success. If you are looking for a leadership book to read with your middle or high school child, check out this book. 

After reading Pound the Stone, my son spent his own money to purchase a training program he planned to follow through the summer. I wondered if it would last or if he would do the first couple of workouts and then stop. But I was proud to watch as he completed the workouts each day, sometimes late in the evenings because he didn’t want to miss a day. I attribute some of the inspiration for his discipline to us reading this book together.

Special thanks to Matthew Sanders for recommending the book.

2021 Readings

I started my 2021 readings with “Talking to Strangers” by Malcolm Gladwell, “All You Have to Do Is Ask” by Wayne Baker, “Virtual Culture” by Bryan Miles, and “Coming Back Stronger” by Drew Brees (this one I am reading with my son). I am still putting together my 2021 reading list. I would love to hear what books you recommend in the comments below.