My favorite books in 2016

As I’ve been doing a recap of 2016, one of the things I like to do is look back at the books I read (I keep a running list in Evernote – I’m at 35 books so far this year).

These are the books that had the biggest impact on me in 2016. What were yours? Share in the Facebook group.

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newton

In Deep Work, the author argues that in our increasingly distracted and multi-tasking world, we’ve lost the ability to go deep, to work on something with intense focus for several hours (or even days) at a time.

I’ve definitely noticed this about myself. When I was in grad school for history 15 years ago, I could read and write for hours at a time. Now, I get antsy after 20 minutes. (This was also before the Internet got really good. Back then, online videos were the size of a thumbnail and there were no social media sites. Hmmm…)

I’m trying to block off two mornings a week and one full day at least every other week where they are no calls, no client sessions, no podcast interviews, no events, and definitely no social media. Think about how you can set yourself up for doing deep work in 2017.

The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Dr. Gay Hendricks

This book has reframed how I think about the actual work/tasks I do day to day.

The author talks about taking the big leap to work in your Zone of Genius, which is where you’ll find the most fulfillment and joy, and being careful not to stay stuck in your Zone of Excellence or Zone of Competence (which is so easy to do and where I know I spend too much of my time).

This means I need to outsource things like creating Facebook ads and even updating my website. It’s not that I can’t do it or that I’m not good at. But, it’s not my Zone of Genius – mine is helping you find your unique angle and creating a powerful presentation that gets you noticed. The less time I spend on Facebook, the more time I can spend with my clients and developing new trainings and content.

What should you be doing and, more importantly, not doing?

Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger

Sebastian Junger is the author of The Perfect Storm (which became a movie) and the creator of the acclaimed war documentary Restrepo.

In his latest book Tribe, Junger talks about our innate biological human need for connection, group bonding and purpose, and how far removed our modern society is from providing that. A thought-provoking book about masculinity, war, gender roles (not what you would think!), and what we can learn from Native American ceremonies and leadership.

Trainwreck: The Women We Love to Hate, Mock, and Fear . . . and Why by Sady Doyle

This book was fascinating – about how our society and the media build up girls and women (particularly celebrities, but this affects all women) and then take glee in seeing them fall (Exhibit A: Britney Spears in the 2000s). You know, the paparazzi photos on the covers of the magazines in the checkout lines, an entire online conglomerate (TMZ) built on publishing stories about trainwrecks.

But, this is the part that stopped me in my tracks: the author makes a brilliant connection between women’s increasing empowerment and visibility and our society’s profound discomfort with it and our public shaming of women who don’t live up to our patriarchal construction of feminine behavior. (This is a topic I approached from a different angle in my recent TEDx talk on women and power.)

Whew, after all this heavy reading, I think I need a fiction book to read! Anyone have any recommendations? Let me know in the Facebook group.

Stand-Out Speakers Spotlight

I was so impressed with the women who were in my Stand-Out Speakers online group program this past fall that I’m sharing a couple of them with you in each of my upcoming newsletters so you can follow them too.

Lisa Princic helps impact-driven business owners dive deep into their truth and unique value and build a highly compelling brand around it so they can attract their best clients, create more powerful offers, and build more profit into their business models. She does this in a way that allows them to meet their growth goals with more heart than hustle. In addition to Lisa having attended my program, I had hired her as my business coach in 2015, to help me prioritize all of the ideas I had in my head for Speaking Your Brand. I also love that she does periodic silent meditation retreats (I’m due for one myself!).

Shelli Warren of SheConnex spent 25 years as an executive leader and trainer at a Fortune 500 company and is now a success coach helping other women launch their own encore careers as entrepreneurs. I met Shelli through the mastermind we’re currently in together and have been so impressed with her wisdom and her fierce advocacy for women. Shelli is particularly good at creating local events (she calls them feminars) to connect women with each other.

​P.S. I have a few slots in my calendar next week as well as in January if you’d like to do a 90-minute strategy session with me to create a focused plan for your speaking goals in 2017 or identify your core message (we go deep!). A client recently said to me, “I’ve done more in one session with you than I have by myself in the past year.” That’s how powerful it is to work out your ideas with someone else.​ Book your session today.