Several people lately have asked me where I learn “stuff” from: ranging from technology info, to productivity, to the new primal diet I am on. I am quite honored that people would ask me this question. The quest for knowledge is important to me. I feel any day where I didn’t learn at least 3 new things, a let down.
So, inspired by a recent series of posts by my bud over at the Life of Jimmer, I thought I’d share some sources where I learn some of my “stuff” from.
Books
John Maxwell is my favorite leadership author. I find his mix of storytelling and guidance easy to read and thought provoking. I have read many of books, which to be honest tend to repeat themselves. I recommend Thinking for a Change, The 360 Leader, and Developing the Leader Within You if you are interested in leadership and self development.
David Allen’s Getting Things Done (or GTD for short) has helped me manage my work more effectively. GTD, and it’s cult like following, have helped many people to prioritize their tasks while reducing stress and completing more work. I am no longer a hard core GTDer, but there are still many principles I use (such as writing down tasks as opposed to always trying to remember them!)
Leo Babauta is the author of the immensely popular Zen Habits blog (see below.) In 2008 he published The Power of Less, a compilation of many of his best posts. In the book, Leo provides many tips for living a simplistic, stress free life.
Marcus Buckingham’s Go Put Your Strengths to Work is a good tool to help you discover what you are really good at. Unlike how we were taught in school, his book focuses on building your strengths and working around your weaknesses. Marcus helps you find your strengths, then using them to your advantage.
Blogs
Zen Habits is my one “can’t miss” read, each time a new post arrives in my RSS reader. The blog’s author, Leo, has achieved near saintly status in the blogosphere by sharing his down to earth ideas for a more relaxed, simplistic life. Great read. Be sure to also pick up Leo’s book, mentioned above.
Organize IT focuses on quick, easy to read, productivity tips. Most of the posts are less then 300 words but are very useful.
Productivity501 covers a wide range of topics from productivity, to organization, to personal finance. Drawing from his life experiences, Mark tends to focus on increasing productivity in an office environment.
PluginID is another blog which mixes productivity with other aspects of life. Glen is pretty opinionated at times, but his posts get you thinking.
Mark’s Daily Apple is my current must read, as I have switched to a primal diet. Even if you aren’t primal, Mark’s blogs is chock full of great recipes and workout suggestions.
Get Rich Slowly is a great resource for tips on managing money.
Other Resources
I’d be remiss if I didn’t give credit to my family, friends, and peers. I truly enjoy talking with people, hearing their stories, and learning from their experiences.
I also use twitter quite a bit. I tend to follow my favorite bloggers as well as a lot of techies, so I can keep in touch with the latest trends in technology. Also, since I went on my information diet a few weeks back, twitter keeps me abreast of the latest news, without the bias of the mainstream press.
Thanks for the shout out and the sharing Gregor. I think it’s a great idea to let folks in on your secrets.
| September 2nd, 2009 @ 6:16 pm