The last, few years since I became an entrepreneur have been wonderful in many ways, but my reading has certainly tapered off, which I don’t like. When I had a long commute, I could easily get through audiobooks in the car, but I’ve had to be a lot more intentional since working from home.
In 2019, I wanted to recommit to reading more, and that meant Kindle. Believe it or not, I don’t actually love to read. I love to learn, and that’s why Audible was so important to me. It made it so much easier to read books while driving—and there’s a lot of that here in Atlanta.
However, if I wanted to read more last year, it meant I’d have to re-commit to Kindle. I’ve tried to get into the habit of reading about a chapter per night, which has been good for my bedtime routine. Overall, I’ve enjoyed it more than I thought I would, and am even giving Kindle Unlimited a try.
I didn’t really increase the number of books I read much from my total count in 2018, but I’m making progress. I think 2020 will be a good year for reading, though!
“Leaders are readers” and “leaders are learners” are two messages that have been instilled in me over the years, and I know reading also makes me a better writer. So, as much as I enjoy podcasts, I want to make sure reading stays on my radar. And that means being thoughtful about it.
Of course, it’s never as much about the quantity of books as it is the quality. Luckily, I found some terrific options. Take a look for yourself . . .
Books I read in 2019:
- Be the Bridge: Pursuing God’s Heart for Racial Reconciliation by Latasha Morrison
- Beginner’s Pluck: Build Your Life of Purpose and Impact Now by Liz Forkin Bohanon
- Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
- Your First 100: How to Get Your First 100 Customers by Meera Kothand
- Teach and Grow Rich: Share Your Knowledge to Create Global Impact, Freedom and Wealth by Danny Iny
- The Hospitable Leader: Create Environments Where People and Dreams Flourish by Terry A. Smith
- Simple Fat Burn: Three Steps to Becoming Fit and Lean by Cathryn Marshall
- Say Good Night to Insomnia by Gregg D. Jacobs Ph.D
- Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by Rachel Hollis
- Scary Close: Dropping the Act and Finding True Intimacy by Donald Miller
- Building a Story Brand: Clarifying Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller
- Denise’s Daily Dozen by Denise Austin
- Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
- Feeding the Dragon by Sharon Washington
- The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant by Drew Hayes
- Pause: 52 Questions That Lead to More Time and Money by Monica Shah
- Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
Here are some of my favorite podcasts from last year:
- Armchair Expert
- Building a StoryBrand
- Business with Purpose
- Business Boutique
- Catlick
- Cause Talk Radio
- Clarity on Fire
- Marketing Personalities
- Rhythms for Life
- Surviving Sarah
- That Sounds Fun
- The Enneagram Journey
- The Tim Ferriss Show
- The West Wing Weekly (about the TV show)
- Typology
I was even on a few podcasts last year:
Need more suggestions?
Short on time, too? Try Blinkist, which recaps popular books in 10 minutes!
Enjoy!
PS: Some links are affiliate links, which means I get a small kick back for introducing awesome people to awesome things. I only promote what I love.
Mental Post-Its 