My Top 7 Books in 2017

In 2017 I decided to take this blog life a little more seriously and I got the bright idea from my coach to write a book.  I found that with my newfound love for writing, I need to read more than I write.  Also I found that people are interested in what I am reading so I decided to share my top 7  reads for 2017.  Why 7,  you ask? 7 is my favorite number and I like being different so I decided to give you my top 7.

 

I have deemed the following list as my top 7 for 2017 based on the impact they’ve had my own life and the writing style the authors used to communicate their ideas. Also, if you are wondering, I read about 15 books in 2017, which is I consider to be a low number.  My goal is to double or triple that number in 2018.

 

 

The Top 7 Books I Read in 2017

 

High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way –  Brendan Burchard

This was hands down my favorite read of the year.  I literally implemented the advice Brendan shares in this book as I was reading it.  Brendan provides evidence to back up  his claims of how high performers become high performers and what they do in their daily routine to become high performers.  Also, within the chapters he provides exercises for you to assess and reflect on your daily habits, which is helpful because you can take immediate action to become a high performer.

 

 

 

The Subtle Art of Not Giving  F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life – Mark Manson

Mark Manson is one of my favorite writers and I appreciate his no-nonsense approach to self-help.  In this book he breaks down the underlying reason why we suffer from depression and anxiety and provides great advice on how to manage it; and if you haven’t guessed, it involves caring less and accepting life for what it is. I like how Mark delivers his message because he uses countless examples in his life of when he cared too much and the negative impact it had on his life.

 

 

 

Let Go: Expanded Edition: How to Transform Moments of Panic into a Life of Profits and Purpose – Pat Flynn

I stumbled on this book through listening to a podcast, I can’t remember which one. Anyway, In this book Pat shares how he recovered from being let go from his architecture job which lead him to building a business to support his family. He also shares a variety of life experiences where he had to be okay with letting go and moving on. The main takeaway I got from this book is knowing when to let go of people and situations in your life in order to move forward into new possibilities.

 

 

Your Move: The Underdogs Guide to Building Your Business – Ramit Sethi

I have followed Ramit for a few years now and I pretty much love most of what he writes.  Although I’ve never read his book I Will Teach You to be Rich, I was interested in reading  Your Move because he basically compiles most of what he has written in his blogs and emails into one place.  Also it is an an e-book and it was $0.99 when it came out and I found it easy to pull up on my Kindle App on my phone.   Anyway, as I have started an online business, I found this book gives great advice on starting and growing a business. Similar to Mark Manson, Ramit  has a no-nonsense style of writing and he does a great job explaining step by step how he built his 8-Figure business. I also like Ramit’s style because he simplifies his concepts which is helpful because after you finish reading his book you are open to the possibilities of taking the risk to starting a business.

 

Tools of the Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons and World-Class Performers – Tim Ferris

This book is not one of those books you read cover to cover.  It is literally a guide that you pick up and read the pieces of advice that resonate with you most at the particular time in your life you decide to pick up the book. In fact, in the beginning of his book he encourages the reader to skip around.  If you have been living under a rock for the last 10 years and aren’t familiar with Tim Ferris,  he interviews some of the most interesting people on the planet and broadcasts these interviews on his podcast. He also wrote  #1 NY Times best sellers The 4-Hour Work Week and The 4- Hour Body.  In Tools of the Titans he provides readers a centralized place to access the tools and tactics of the highest performing people in the world.  I found value in this book because Tim basically gives you access into the minds of world class performers. I don’t see any other way I could’ve obtained this insight if not for this book.

 

Steal like an Artist:  10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative – Austin Kleon

As a creative, I needed this book. This book helped me get through my writer’s block. This book impacted me because it helped relieve my anxiety about feeling like I need to be ultra original in everything I create which leads to no creativity at all. Austin provides endless examples of creatives who have studied their idols and mastered their own creations.  He makes it clear the difference between good theft vs. bad theft.  This book is a quick and easy read that I am sure I will go back to over and over again when I need inspiration to create.

 

 

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles – Steven Pressfield

Similar to Steal Like an Artist, I needed this book to get me through the lulls I experience when I don’t want to create, thus the war of art.  This book is also a relatively simple read and it provided me the kick in the ass I needed to make progress on my book. If you are a creative, whether it be a writer, artist, or musician, I highly recommend you get this book and read it again and again. This book will help you confront whatever it is inside you that resists creating even though you know you should.

 

 

 

Happy reading!