November 28, 2012

Ten Books That Shaped My Thinking

People often ask what I read. Here are ten books that have shaped my thinking over the years, many recommended by friends, clients and fellow coaches. I’ve added a note on why each one has stayed with me.

Mind and change

  • Frogs into Princes by Richard Bandler and John Grinder (1979). Edited transcripts of early NLP trainings. It’s dated in places, but it captures the curious, experimental spirit that drew me to NLP.
  • Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman (1995). A readable introduction to why managing emotions and understanding others matter so much in life and work.
  • Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono (1985). A simple, practical method for looking at a problem from different angles, alone or in a group. Great for breaking deadlocks.

Getting things done

  • Getting Things Done by David Allen (2001). The core idea, that your mind is for having ideas, not holding them, has saved me a lot of mental clutter. Write things down and trust your system.
  • Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy (2001). A short book on beating procrastination by tackling your most important task first.
  • The 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch (1997). Based on the observation, named after economist Vilfredo Pareto, that a small share of causes often drives most results. A useful prompt to focus on what matters most.
  • The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss (2007). Whatever you think of the title, it’s a provocative challenge to rethink how you design your work and life.

Body and performance

  • The 4-Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss (2010). Ferriss’ experiments with fitness, sleep and nutrition. I read it as a source of ideas to test sensibly, not as a rulebook, and I’d encourage anyone to check health changes with their physician.

Money and mindset

  • Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (1937). An old classic on goals, persistence and belief. Some of its claims haven’t aged well, but its emphasis on a definite purpose still resonates.
  • Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki (1997). It got me thinking about my own beliefs around money. Treat it as a mindset book rather than financial advice.

How to get the most from a book

Reading is easy; applying is where change happens. Pick one idea from any book you read, try it for a week, and notice what happens. That’s also how I approach coaching: small, practical experiments that add up.

What’s on your list? I’d love to hear what has shaped you.

If you’d like to find out whether this approach is a good fit for you, I offer a free, no-pressure consultation. Get in touch here and we can talk it through.