Whenever you talk to HR people these days, heck really ALL people these days, they always bemoan that they don’t have enough time. I don’t buy it. If your perspective is that you’re too “full” it’s because of the things you are choosing to fill your time with. It’s true !!
Look. I know we all lead incredibly full lives, but there are amazing statistics about how much time people spend watching TV, using technology, etc. And, many people don’t have a problem catching a movie or a great dinner out on the town.
This isn’t a post on time management because I honestly don’t believe in it. Instead, I think you need to look at life as – what do I choose to fill my time with ??
One thing that almost consumes me is reading !! I find myself taking on two to three books at a time plus countless blogs. Why ?? Because reading allows me to continuously learn about endless things. Those within my field and about life in general.
Recently I’ve read QBQ! – The Question Behind the Question by John Miller and two great books by Andy Andrews – The Traveler’s Gift and The Noticer. I’m also waist deep in trying to take in The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. What’s so cool about the Ayn Rand book is that it was a gift from the great folks at Kinetix. Each year at Christmas they send out a classic book. I take it as a reminder to delve in and read something that I may have not seen in years. It’s a fantastic, and memorable, thing to do for people.
As for blogs, it’s hard to highlight them enough. There are so many folks who do great work. I have them listed in my blogroll on the site, but here’s the difference. I have all of these blogs in my Feedly reader. I make sure to read them all because I think that there are tons of information that needs to be taken in, used at work and shared with others.
So, this week – start reading. You’re kind enough to read my blog and I truly appreciate that. Expand your scope even wider. Take up a book. Find a new blog to read and follow. You’ll be amazed at what you’ll discover !!
Challenge for you as well – List what you’re reading in the comments section below. Let’s share the great items you enjoy. Fill it up and let’s see what happens !!
Thank you for sharing your reading list Steve. I am currently reading “The Black Swan” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, “Drive” by Daniel Pink and “The Speed of Trust” by Stephen M.R. Covey.
I regularly read The Harward Business Review and Fast Company.
I use Bloglovin’ for blog posts and I use Flipboard to keep up with current news and events.
I highly recommend http://www.brainpickings.org for a daily dose of intellectual stimulation.
The BIG MOO:
Stop trying to be perfect and start being remarkable, by the group of 33
Lean HR, Dwane Lay
Process excellence
Right now I’m reading Infectious Connections from @AchimNowak. I do a combo of FB, G+ #leadwithgiants and Twitter mainly, not LinkedIn for now.
I just read The Art of Racing in the Rain and you would love it Steve on so many levels.
Thank you for reminding us all about the joy of reading! I read for pleasure (Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series has been fun) and for knowledge growth (Introduction to Emergency Management for preparing for disasters by identifying hazards). Both forms of reading are learning adventures offering paradigms and increased awareness. It would be awesome to enjoy casual conversations that start with an enthusiastic share about book titles instead of a weather observation. Enjoy reading words strung together to make thoughts, ideas, inspiration, challenges….and so much more.
Everything I can get my hands on related to the Affordable Care Act (for educational seminar prep and to be ready to advise clients) as well as Orwell’s “1984” and “Brand Damage” by Larry Linne
I have several comments so I’ll start with my favorite line from your post.
“This isn’t a post on time management because I honestly don’t believe in it.” When I read this line I immediately pictured you being chased by an angry mob of Franklin Covey employees – not saying that Franklin Covey employees are prone to angry mobs, ha ha.
The QBQ – The Question Behind the Question | I read this book several years ago and found it very interesting. Curious to hear your take on it.
What am I reading? Well, I read a lot. I read a constant stream of blogs for the same reasons you mentioned. I also use Feedly and find myself stressing if I don’t read and comment as much as I would like. I’ve not read a new Doctor Who novel recently but I do read a weekly assortment of comic books on Comic Book Day, or Wednesday as it is known to most people. This is my chance to embrace my inner geek/child/etc. and is my moment of escape.