EE 89 - Idea Lab - Books of the Year 2020
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In the lab today….
It’s day 33/42 in the Momentum challenge and we are almost there. Would you like to do a Momentum challenge with me in January? Let me know
Parallel Nutrition are the crew helping me keep my nutrition on track for the Momentum Challenge.
I love people who take action. Maybe your idea works, maybe it doesn’t but you’ve tried. This is why I was so impressed with Mooch founder, Suzanne, who I was lucky enough to meet during the week.
After her stores in Dundrum & Greystones were closed due to Covid she took action. After hearing me discuss different delivery alternatives on the podcast, she went and found a supplier who could provide her with packaging to allow her to deliver her frozen yoghurt.
That’s the difference between good entrepreneurs and great entrepreneurs. Having the grit to put in the graft and the willingness to take a chance.
If you are in Dundrum or Greystones, you can order Mooch here.
The Best Books of 2020
Atomic Habits by James Clear
This is the book I have recommended most over the last year. It is also the book I’ve gifted to many of my friends. I love it for a few reasons. The content is highly practical and you can apply the lessons you learn in it immediately. It breaks down how you can improve aspects of your life and habits by 1% every single day.
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
The original go-to book for people trying to improve their habits and routines. It was the basis for a lot of the content in Atomic Habits. It explores the fundamentals of why people have good/bad habits and how you can harness that for personal improvement.
The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday
Possibly the most appropriate book to recommend for 2020. It’s all about dealing with adversity and how your perspective can influence everything in your life. If you are looking to end 2020 on a high note, I’d definitely recommend this.
Company of One by Paul Jarvis
This builds on the topic we talked about last week where solo entrepreneurs can build businesses worth millions with zero or a small number of staff and very little overheads. Jarvis explores that idea in detail. If you want a non-traditional view on how you can run a business on your own, this is superb.
Losing my Virginity & Finding my Virginity - The autobiographies of Richard Branson.
As I’ve mentioned below, the first book in the Branson autobiography series was the book that made me rethink how business could be done. The man has managed to cram so much into his life so far. It’s an inspiring read and a nice bit of escapism.
Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss
The very best bits of all the podcast interviews Tim has done with some of the world’s most elite people. Each chapter is only 3-4 pages so it’s a lovely book to get able to grab for 5 minutes and get a burst of inspiration.
* To be fully transparent, the links above are Amazon affiliate links so if you buy through them, I get a small commission.
This Week
Listening
The True Geordie podcast with the founder of Gymshark, Ben Francis. I am always struck by how normal Ben appears to be despite running a business valued at over a billion. Very honest and open chat.
Watching
Industry on BBC 2/BBC Player. You’ll need a VPN if trying to watch this in Ireland on the player. It’s a drama/comedy about financial traders in London. I’m only two episodes in but loving it so far. The only downside is it’s old-school TV so you have to wait a week for each episode.
Reading
Finding my Virginity by Richard Branson. This is the second of his autobiographies. The first, Losing my Virginity is my all-time favourite book. It was the first business book that really opened my eyes to what entrepreneurship could be. I am such a fanboy that I went to London a few years back to see him speak at the launch of this book.