Stop Reading...
Hola.
I hope you are doing well and I want to thank you for reading this little newsletter each week.
Do you read a lot?
Or, do you know people who read a lot?
This edition might resonate (or be a tough pill to swallow, so buckle up my friend).
The Problem:?I Read a LOT
This week, imagine you and I are at a little independent book store somewhere.
You know, the kind that's NOT a megastore like Barnes & Noble (in the USA I think that's the last of a dinosaur retail store that really seems like a Starbucks and Toy Store wrapped in with some physical books that you can only find by ASKING someone instead of trying to look it up on their locked computers where there are no people around to help you when you need it).
I want you to close your eyes and imagine us walking into this little independent bookstore together.
Where is it?
What's the first scent that hits your nose when we walk into the store?
Got it? Good.
ME: "Hey, how are you?"
YOU: "I read so much. Actually, I have a stack of books that I've started and never actually finish them."
You might know people that read a LOT (well, if you are reading this article right now consider that you "know" me and that person could be ME if it's not you!).
You might know people who buy lots of books, or e-books, or audio books.
You might know people who have a library in their home, and have spent tons of money moving their books from place-to-place whenever a cross-country move has happened.
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Got the picture of that person?
(See my profile picture on LinkedIn if it's not you or if you have no frame-of-reference for weirdos like me.)
The Actionable Tip: Read Less
So.
Stop.
Especially if you are one of those people who START a book and never finish it.
And then repeat and rinse.
Err... like probably 98% of people who buy books with all the good intentions of finishing it.
I know it sounds counterintuitive.
Remember the purpose of this little newsletter reminder each week :-).
Your Next Step...
Think about the problem I've described and my actionable tip above.
Here is the part where?I need YOU contribute YOUR actionable tip?for others who are reading this short article....
Please share ONE actionable tip about something you've put into action with something you've read in a book (physical or e-book or audio book!).
Thank you.
Michael Vizdos
PS: I love working with my clients around the world. And. I know I am not for everyone (and that's OK!). I am in the process of re-writing a description around my "consulting" offers and I'd love your feedback (even if you are not "buying" anything today). Please take a look at consulting.mvizdos.com and send me a private message here with any feedback if you have three minutes! I appreciate you doing that for me.
Principal Data Engineer – Enterprise Data Lake - CarMax
1 年I am guilty of this. Here's one approach that I have found to be helpful - use your public library. They have a lot of great books, and I can put on hold the ones that I want to read - sorta like a reading list. Every week I have one or two books that come available from my list, which I can either check out, or put back on hold. I then check out one book at a time (usually audio books these days, or kindle) and then I focus only on that one book until it is done. When it is done, I can write down some notes or bookmarks I took, and then return it to the library. The time pressure of only having 21 days to complete the book timeboxes it for me (hey, sorta like agile) so that I focus on completing it during that window. Otherwise it returns to the library.
Coach & Scrum Master who loves using the values & principles of Agile to help teams be their best selves.
1 年I found combining a dog walk and audiobooks has worked well for the last 3 years. I've listened to a bunch of books. Finding time to sit and read has become harder for me. I blame it on the years of constant task switching (often referred to as multi-tasking). I've learned so much since then. I can't give just one tip. 1. Be as good as you can about being in the present. Stop focusing on the past or the future and enjoy where I am right now. 2. Accept others for who they are, not who you want them to be or think they should be. Thanks, Mike. This was me 3 years ago, but no longer! I stumbled on Jim Kwik and took his advice.
Deloitte Renewables and GridEdge Technologies Specialist. Seasoned Technologist. #iiot #renewables #gridmodernization #DERMs #DERs #EV #GridEdge #fleetelectrification #decarbonization #energypolicy
2 年Stop reading books but read my newsletter. Ironic, yes? I subscribe to the philosophy of Signore Professore Dottore Econ’s Anti-Library as articulated by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his book The Black Swan: “The library should contain as much of what you do not know as your financial means, mortgage rates, and the currently tight real-estate market allow you to put there. You will accumulate more knowledge and more books as you grow older, and the growing number of unread books on the shelves will look at you menacingly. Indeed, the more you know, the larger the rows of unread books. Let us call this collection of unread books an antilibrary.” This antilibrary has served me well.
Interim & Fractional Executive / Sales Leadership
2 年Likewise, Chris Brogan, guilty as charged. I feel like Michael Vizdos was in my house and saw the stack of books that I've started and haven't finished (yet). A recent one that I did finish and am applying principles from currently, is The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins -> Leveraging Priorities, Goals, Milestones, Outputs, and Leadership Feedback for a 90-day Q1,2023 sales plan. Now, back to the stack...
Nonfiction Business Book Strategist, Developmental Editor, and Co-Writer
2 年I love books, that's why they are literally my business. But there is only so much executive function to go around. I buy tons of books but don't feel any guilt for not getting through them because I know when I have a week off and my brain re-inflates, that will start happening. That is also why it is absolutely clutch that if you're going to write a book, to get all the friction possible out of it because some of us do not overabundance of brain cells to devote to such things while focusing on work.