My top 5 books of the year
LifestylePersonal development

5 Books That Have Opened My Eyes This Year

I don’t know about you but I love reading and I especially love reading books.

Unfortunately I don’t spend enough of my actual reading time with a book in my hand, too often distracted by social media, newspapers and articles.

If there’s one habit or skill I need to work on, it’s getting my ‘reading books to skimming-the-internet’ ratio from a frankly terrible 40:60 to a more respectable 75:25.

Yep, it’s that bad.

If I do this I have no doubt that the effect on my intellect, my income, my vocabulary, my writing, my ability to empathise and listen will increase exponentially. All solid upside.

The fact is, most people don’t read. And if they do, they don’t read enough. If you read 20 pages of a book per day, you’ll plough through at least a book per month. This will put you ahead of 90% of the population in terms of being exposed to ideas, theories, stories and language.

Total amount of words read annually by someone who reads for 15 minutes a day: 1 million.

Source: Read Faster, Reading Stats (2014)

 

This year I’ve read somewhere in the region of half the books I should’ve. Of those that I have read, these are the ones I’ve derived the most value from – my top 5 books of year (so far).

LifestyleNutritionPersonal development

15 Smart Tips For New Dads – How To Get Your Mojo Back

All new Dads know the drill. Any would-be or wannabe Dads might as well get with the program, too, because it will creep up before you know what’s hit you.

I’m talking about the ‘Dad effect’, the gradual phenomenon that takes you from punchy to paunchy, from smooth to slovenly and from expectant to exasperated in the space of a few short months.

Its entirely natural given the accumulated lack of sleep and complete disruption to a lifestyle that previously seemed to footloose and fancy free. Your amazing little bundle of joy cares not for your training schedule, your early starts for work and the latest series on HBO.

As a consequence your waistline slowly expands, your jeans sink a little lower around your waist and your stubble starts to become more beard-like by the day.

It needn’t be like this, however. There are a number of small steps you can take to arrest this decline and get your mojo back post-baby.

Heck, if you can tick enough of these off, then you might even find yourself having sex again. Well, maybe.

FinanceLifestylePersonal development

Success Tips – What I Wish I’d Known at 25


For all the benefits the digital era brings (think Uber, Strava and, errr, Dominos delivery), it can sometimes feel as though we’re under attack.

A incessant daily barrage of information, news, requests, meetings, reports and other noise rains down on us like mortar shells, and keeping up, let alone getting ahead, can be impossible.

info 2

There are so many distractions and so much to do that taking time out to set goals and make plans for the future feels like a luxury that many people simply don’t think they can afford. Which is a real shame because academic studies have repeatedly shown that those people who set clearly defined goals achieve much more of what they want in life than those who don’t.

Put another way, a goal that isn’t written down is just a dream. And it’s unlikely to be achieved.

In light of this, is there a framework that can be set up and adhered to that allows you to take back ownership and control of your life? Can you set up rules that will help you create a rich and fulfilling life that benefits you and all those you come into contact with?

Here is my charter: a list of success tips or measures that I’d be happy for my son to adhere to as he develops into an adult or, more precisely, some things I wish I’d known 5 or 10 years ago.

Back To Top