My aim for 2020 is to be more intentional. Specifically, more intentional with my business and how I communicate.
This means I need to consciously make decisions on a daily basis to improve how I engage with the world around me. It also means a commitment to reading and following more authors and thinkers who can help guide me.
If you’re also pursuing this goal, the five books below are a great start. With topics that include building agility for a smooth career transition, plotting out a roadmap for a small business, and writing with clarity, they all inspired me to level up my writing, coaching, and productivity.
I hope they inspire you, too, beginning with a topic that rings familiar this time of year…
By Gretchen Rubin
Who should read it: Anyone who wants to be more productive.
There’s lots of material about mastering good habits, but Rubin’s book stands out because it doesn’t just tout a one-size-fits-all solution. Her curiosity about human nature led her to study different personality types (are you an obliger or a rebel…a project starter or a finisher?), and she uses them as guides to help readers identify a custom path to habits that stick. She also shares plenty of battle-tested experiences of her own, which gives her street cred as someone who’s walking her talk.
Rubin provides plenty of research-based insights to back up her theories, but it’s her relatable and quirky approach that makes her so appealing. She’ll give you homework, but she’ll also cheer you on and remind you to have mercy on yourself when you have a perceived setback.
By Jenny Blake
Who should read it: Coaches, anyone who wants to better prepare for change, and leaders who want to equip their teams for a nimble transition to a new role or situation.
Blake writes “If change is the only constant, let’s get better at it,” and this sums up her book’s message. She’ll help you lay the groundwork ahead of time so you’re ready when the time comes to make a quick move. It’s about building agility so you’re prepared to leap into a fabulous opportunity when it arises or to lean into out-of-nowhere circumstances that may not appear so great on the surface.
Blake’s Pivot Method isn’t limited to job changers looking outside the organization. It’s also for any leader who wants to help employees navigate a transition. And she encourages those of us who already love our current company to be “intrapreneurs” by advocating for and designing a new role as we see a need.
Read Books All Day & Get Paid For It: The Business of Book Coaching
By Jennie Nash
Who should read it: Book coaches, those who are interested in becoming a book coach, professional writers, marketers, and just about any service-based entrepreneur who wants to improve engagement, productivity, and process.
Jennie Nash is a highly credentialed author with decades of experience in the publishing industry — and knows a thing or two about the process of delivering best-selling books.
I’ll read just about anything by a fellow book nerd, but Nash is more than that. She also happens to be a pioneer in the book coaching business, so if you’re ready to explore a new role in the writing or coaching profession, this is a great little gem of a reference.
Bonus #1: The tips and rules can apply to anyone who’s trying to master their strategy and tactics in the creative services space.
Bonus #2: Nash is offering a free online coaching summit on January 20: http://bit.ly/2JxH2hJ
Bonus #3: If you need an experienced and disciplined hand with launching your own book, she can help you with that, too!
Fit Matters: How to Love Your Job
By Moe Carrick and Cammie Dunaway
Who should read it: Job seekers, coaches, hiring managers, recruiters, leaders steering a company through change, employers who want to hold onto great talent, and anyone who prioritizes fit over function.
The charm of this book radiates from Dunaway’s willingness to share her own journey toward a better fit, and both Dunaway and Carrick do what they do best — bringing an authentic desire to help people find meaning in their work.
Fit Matters isn’t just a great guide for anyone in need of a major career cultural shift. Like Jenny Blake, Carrick & Dunaway will give you the tools for exploring options right where you are. While helping you navigate the next steps in your career (inside or outside your company), they’ll coach you to “flex yourself” to achieve a better fit in your current role.
We shop around for cars, homes, and furniture, so why not do the same when it comes to our career. As the authors state so poignantly, the impact of a good (or bad) fit extends to employees’ families and communities — and that’s probably why it matters most.
How to Write Short: Word Craft for Fast Times
By Roy Peter Clark
Who should read it: Writers, writing coaches, book coaches, marketers, students, and anyone else who just wants to learn to tell a powerful story with as few words as possible.
Honestly, I’d recommend anything by RPC, but the need for trimmed-down content in today’s world can’t be overstated. Consider it a kind of Elements of Style for the information age — and funnier.
Sprinkled with exquisite examples of polished prose from classic writers to pop culture, I’ve read and re-read this book as I work to improve my own writing and that of my clients. I hope I’ve done RPC proud here by keeping things short and to the point.
Other books I love by RPC include Writing Tools, The Glamour of Grammar, and The Art of X-Ray Reading. I look forward to his latest release on writing for clarity, Murder Your Darlings, in January.
Your turn…
I’d love to hear from you! What are some books you’d recommend to help us become more intentional in our career and life?
Note: I do not receive any remuneration for recommending these books, or for items purchased.
Copyright 2019 Emily Wong