Things I've learned this week - Week 01

I’m really enjoying taking walks and listening to the podcasts, I used to commute 20-45 min a day to work (twice a day). Now that I work remote, I don’t have that time and instead I choose to walk before / during / after work and listen to podcasts. I have been discovering so many great shows on Spotify and feel as though space away from the keyboard helps to open my mind about ideas, etc.

Adam Grant - Re:Thinking - Unlocking Hidden Potential with Malcolm Gladwell

I’ve been a fan of Malcolm Gladwell ever since I read Outliers, many of those concepts have stuck with me over the years, most notably the 10k hours concept. In this podcast, Malcolm Gladwell dives into Adam Grant’s latest book about Hidden Potential. It has a similar vibe to Outliers, most people have to work really hard to get to where they are successful at something. I haven’t read the book but it’s now on my list after hearing this podcast. I’d give it a listen if you get the chance.

Mel Robbins - The Let Them Theory

A colleague at work reminded me of this podcast by Mel Robbins about letting go. Getting caught up in the things you can’t control is so easy. Mel suggests when someone is doing something you disagree with, just “Let Them”. I’ve used this in a few situations this week, and it has helped my stress levels.

I’m Currently reading the following three books.

• I’m reading both of the books below on my kindle and have been dedicating time in the morning (instead of doom scrolling on my phone, to read a few chapters before work).

• I will post summary of Built to Move in next week’s post, as I imagine I will be finished with it by then.

• Both books talk about this concept about compounding improvements that yield significant gains over time and both books reference this story about a cycling team that used this methodology to go from a team in last place to a team who collected many medals and records due to componding improvements. I’ve also heard this phrase “consistency over intensity”. This is something I’ve been applying to my life via small habits that I can achieve daily.

  • Atomic Habits - 22% progress

  • Built to Move - 78% progress

• I’ve picked up this book in paperback (not kindle) and been reading this on the couch as an alternative to watching TV. This book is about a young woman who ends her life and has the opportunity to go back and lead alternative lives.

  • The Midnight Library - 22% progress