Reading Habits
I’ve spoken to a few people about reading habits going out the window since lockdown. I used to read a lot, because of a long commute I could comfortably get through a book a week, turning what used to be a bit of a dread into a hobby of sorts. Generally speaking, I think reading makes me a better person, more able to live and think independently, navigating the world with a clearer compass. It also enables me to appear much smarter than I actually am, I can quote profound statements I have no intention of ever understanding.
That reading habit started to fall apart when the commuting stopped and got completely destroyed by a long period of pain. Entropy can move quickly and whilst it takes months to build good habits it would seem they fall apart far quicker.
I stuck up a post on Linkedin last week with a collection of books to work through.
Thankfully those I know realised I was just giving myself a pre-emptive kick up the posterior to get back into study, it helps in conquering that bottomless pit of uncertainty in transformational and creative work.
One week in and one book down, The Travellers Gift By Andy Andrews. I didn't realise this book was actually mid-life crises self-help territory and it came as a present so I should probably be a little concerned, but it was a good read to start the habit, lightweight and quite nice.
The book gives us what are apparently the 7 decisions that determine personal success, the first two of which are …
- Accept responsibility for your present.
“Our thinking creates a pathway to success or failure, by disclaiming responsibility for our present, we crush the prospect of an incredible future that might have soon be ours”
Otherwise known as we are where we are, really the fundamental point here is that in this moment we can choose whichever direction we wish, the events that have brought us to this point have no momentum when faced with human will, we always have space no matter how small to exercise our volition and from that we can change the outcome of our future. Life is a vector that we can effect.
2.Seek Wisdom
“Only a fool refused the counsel of the wise, there is safety in counsel”
This is echoed throughout time, associate yourself with those that will bring out the best in you. You are heavily influenced by your company so pick it wisely.
I would go on but I don't want to steal Andy’s thunder, I’d read another of his books before “The Little Things” which was also pretty entertaining, whilst this book seems more influenced by the eudaimonic traditions that one was much more Rhetoric oriented and if I remember rightly taught the reader how to gaslight, which could equally be a key to a more sinister success, mostly in politics.
Next on the list is Team Topologies, the write-up will be a bit more tech relevant and useful I hope.
