I used to hate reading.. here's how I changed that (part 2)
The long awaited second part of the series.
A lot of the books I covered this year were mostly about business, but they can mostly be applied to any field and your personal lives.
One common theme I noticed was a lot of it revolved around psychology, and knowing how people think is crucial in every aspect of life. It’s good to know a little bit of psychology to understand human behavior better so that you can sell yourself or a service more effectively.
I hated reading
I used to absolutely dread having to read. In Singapore, we have daily morning book reading times at school where students are required to read for a good 15 minutes in silence before starting their lessons.
I’ve never finished a single book doing this. Back then, books at my age were a lot of fiction stuff. They were all just made up stories with no real value, and they were difficult to imagine.
As someone who is imaginative by nature, I find it hard to go through those types of books without getting bored quickly because there are no illustrations to follow.
It all changed when
I bought a Kindle in February last year. As someone who didn’t like reading, this was a bet on myself. I was collecting a lot of self-help books the year before, I liked the concept behind them, but I couldn’t start on any of them because they were so cumbersome.
Buying a Kindle was when everything changed. It made reading so easy, accessible and portable. I could read wherever I go — all I needed was to just bring the Kindle. So much knowledge and power in a small device. The e-ink reader’s energy efficiency; that’s a bonus.
Generally, the themes I like are business, entrepreneurship, psychology and habits.
Eat That Frog by Brain Tracy
In Eat That Frog, Brian Tracy provides practical strategies to overcome procrastination and boost productivity. The book teaches us how to identify our most important tasks—the "frogs"—and tackle them first to achieve greater success in both our personal and professional lives. Below are the key takeaways that capture Tracy’s approach to mastering time management and self-discipline.
1. Tackle Your Biggest Frog First
"Mark Twain once said that if the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long."
Tracy stresses the importance of confronting your most challenging and valuable task first thing in the day, setting a powerful tone for productivity.
2. The Power of Clear Goals and Planning
"Step one: Decide exactly what you want. Either decide for yourself or sit down with your boss and discuss your goals and objectives until you are crystal clear about what is expected of you."
Clarity in your goals is essential. Writing down your objectives transforms them from vague wishes into actionable plans, making it easier to focus and succeed.
3. Break Tasks Down into Manageable Steps
"How do you eat your biggest, ugliest frog? The same way; you break it down into specific step-by-step activities and then you start on the first one."
By dissecting large, daunting projects into smaller tasks, you create a clear roadmap that makes progress inevitable, reducing overwhelm and resistance.
4. Embrace the 80/20 Rule
"Twenty percent of your activities will account for 80 percent of your results."
Focus your efforts on the few high-value tasks that yield the most significant benefits. Prioritize what truly matters to maximize your impact.
5. Practice Creative Procrastination
"Since you can’t do everything, you must learn to deliberately put off those tasks that are of low value so that you have enough time to do the few things that really count.”
Not all tasks deserve equal attention. Learn to postpone trivial activities, reserving your energy for the tasks that will make the greatest difference.
6. Use the ABCDE Method for Prioritization
"Before you begin work on a list of tasks, take a few moments to organize them by value and priority so you can be sure of working on your most important activities."
Tracy’s ABCDE method helps you sort your tasks by priority, ensuring you consistently focus on what will yield the highest returns.
7. Prepare and Plan in Advance
"Make your list the night before for the workday ahead.”
Preparation is key. Laying out your tasks and gathering all necessary resources in advance enables you to hit the ground running each morning.
8. Develop a Sense of Urgency
"Develop a habit of moving fast on your key tasks. Become known as a person who does things quickly and well."
A strong inner drive and urgency propel you toward action. Cultivate a bias for action that keeps you moving forward and outpaces procrastination.
9. Single-Handle Every Task
"Set clear priorities, start immediately on your most important task, and then work without stopping until the job is 100 percent complete."
By dedicating yourself to one task at a time, you eliminate distractions and increase your efficiency, significantly reducing the time needed to complete important projects.
10. Continuous Self-Improvement and Learning
"The good news is that all business skills are learnable. If anyone else is excellent in that particular key result area, this is proof that you can become excellent as well."
Invest in your personal development. Enhancing your skills not only builds confidence but also accelerates your progress, ensuring you stay competitive and effective over time.
Conclusion
Eat That Frog offers a straightforward yet powerful framework for overcoming procrastination and achieving peak productivity. By focusing on your most important tasks, planning meticulously, and committing to continuous self-improvement, you can transform the way you work and unlock your full potential.
100M Leads By Alex Hormozi
In 100M Leads, Alex Hormozi reveals the art of converting strangers into loyal customers by creating irresistible offers and leveraging free content. Hormozi’s strategies break down the lead generation process into actionable steps, emphasizing the importance of delivering value, testing relentlessly, and scaling with consistency. Below are the key takeaways that capture the essence of his approach.
1. The Power of a Compelling Offer
"Offers are what you promise to give in exchange for something of value."
Hormozi explains that a clear and irresistible offer is the foundation of effective lead generation, setting the stage for converting interest into action.
2. Crafting Lead Magnets That Work
"A lead magnet is a complete solution to a narrow problem."
By offering focused solutions for specific issues, you can build trust and pave the way for introducing your core, higher-value products or services.
3. Uncovering the Problem-Solution Cycle
"Every problem has a solution. Every solution reveals more problems."
This insight underscores the continuous cycle of addressing immediate needs while uncovering additional opportunities to provide further value.
4. Leveraging Free Content for Trust and Growth
"Your free content gives strangers an opportunity to find, get value from, and share your stuff.”
Hormozi emphasizes that consistently providing valuable free content builds credibility and drives organic growth through referrals.
5. The Art of an Effective Call to Action
"Good CTAs have two things: what to do and reasons to do it."
Effective calls to action combine clarity with urgency, guiding prospects smoothly to the next step in the lead generation process.
6. Testing and Refining for Better Results
"Every action a lead takes before they become a customer is a potential drop-off point.”
Continuous testing and optimization are crucial for identifying and fixing weak spots in your conversion funnel, ensuring a steady flow of engaged leads.
7. Scaling Through Consistent Engagement
"Even with no improvements at all, if you double your inputs, you’ll get more engaged leads."
Hormozi highlights the power of consistency—regular outreach, content creation, and advertising efforts are key to sustained growth.
8. The Leverage of Referrals and Word of Mouth
"Referrals are important because they grow your business in two ways: they’re worth more and they cost less.”
Satisfied customers naturally become your best promoters, turning word-of-mouth into a powerful, cost-effective marketing tool.
9. The Efficiency of Advertising and Targeting
"Advertising is the process of making known. It’s what we do to let strangers know about the stuff we sell."
Smart, targeted advertising amplifies your message, ensuring that your offers reach the right audience at the right time.
10. Building a System That Works
"Your only goal is to make that one message better every day."
By continually refining your messaging and approach, you create a scalable, repeatable system for lead generation that delivers consistent results.
Conclusion
100M Leads provides a roadmap for transforming every interaction into an opportunity. Hormozi’s insights remind us that effective lead generation is not about quick fixes but about building lasting relationships through value, testing, and consistent engagement.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson
In The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, Eric Jorgenson curates Naval Ravikant’s timeles s wisdom on wealth, decision-making, and living a life of freedom. Rather than emphasizing traditional metrics like hard work or status, Naval’s insights encourage us to cultivate unique skills, build lasting reputations, and harness leverage for exponential growth. Here are the key takeaways:
1. Making Money is a Skill, Not Just Hard Work
"Making money is not a thing you do—it’s a skill you learn."
Naval emphasizes that wealth isn’t earned solely through relentless effort; it’s about acquiring and refining the right skills that enable you to generate value and capitalize on opportunities.
2. Seek Wealth, Not Money or Status
"Seek wealth, not money or status. Wealth is having assets that earn while you sleep. Money is how we transfer time and wealth. Status is your place in the social hierarchy."
This principle urges us to focus on building real assets and sustainable wealth rather than chasing after the fleeting symbols of money or societal approval.
3. Play Iterated Games and Embrace Compounding
"Play iterated games. All the returns in life, whether in wealth, relationships, or knowledge, come from compound interest."
Naval reminds us that small, consistent efforts over time lead to exponential benefits. Success often comes from playing long-term games where the benefits compound naturally.
4. Leverage is Key: Capital, Labor, Code & Media
"Fortunes require leverage. Business leverage comes from capital, people, and products with no marginal cost of replication (code and media)."
Understanding and utilizing different forms of leverage allows you to multiply your impact, making it possible to achieve outcomes far greater than what individual effort alone could yield.
5. Develop Specific Knowledge
"Specific knowledge is knowledge you cannot be trained for. If society can train you, it can train someone else and replace you."
Instead of following generic paths, Naval advises developing unique expertise rooted in your genuine interests and talents—knowledge that sets you apart in a competitive world.
6. Embrace Accountability and Take Risks
"Embrace accountability, and take business risks under your own name. Society will reward you with responsibility, equity, and leverage."
True growth comes from owning your decisions and accepting the risks that accompany them. By standing behind your work, you build credibility and open doors to greater opportunities.
7. Authenticity Over Competition
"Escape competition through authenticity."
Naval champions the idea of being true to yourself. Instead of mimicking others, harness your unique strengths and passions to create something only you can offer.
8. Build a Reputation That Opens Doors
"Be a maker who makes something interesting people want. Show your craft, practice your craft, and the right people will eventually find you."
A solid reputation is a powerful asset. Consistently delivering value not only distinguishes you from the competition but also attracts opportunities that might otherwise pass you by.
9. Optimize for Independence Over Time-for-Money
"You’re never going to get rich renting out your time. Whenever you can in life, optimize for independence rather than pay."
Instead of trading hours for dollars, focus on creating systems and assets that generate income independently—granting you the freedom to live life on your own terms.
10. Create Your Own Luck Through Preparation
"You created your own luck. You put yourself in a position to capitalize on luck or to attract luck when nobody else created the opportunity for themselves."
Luck isn’t a random occurrence; it’s the byproduct of preparation, persistence, and being open to opportunities. By honing your skills and staying ready, you set the stage for serendipitous breakthroughs.
Conclusion
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant challenges conventional wisdom about wealth and success. Naval’s insights teach us that true prosperity comes from developing unique skills, leveraging opportunities, and living authentically. By focusing on long-term growth, embracing risk, and building a reputation grounded in value, we can design a life of freedom and fulfillment—one where luck is just another outcome of relentless preparation and self-improvement.
The Woke Salaryman Crash Course on Capitalism & Money by The Woke Salaryman
In The Woke Salaryman Crash Course on Capitalism & Money, the author dissects modern work culture, compensation, and the art of negotiation. With vivid metaphors and straightforward advice, the book challenges conventional definitions of success and empowers the modern salaryman to navigate the capitalist landscape with clarity and purpose. Here are the key takeaways:
1. Letting Go of Resentment
"Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die."
Holding onto negative emotions only harms you. Instead, focus on releasing bitterness to move forward in your career and life.
2. Balancing Structure and Agency
"Structure is like the ocean, the environment around you. Agency is like the direction you want the boat to sail."
While your surroundings shape your opportunities, your choices determine your path. Understand what is beyond your control and steer your own course.
3. Adjusting the Sails
"We cannot direct the wind and the oceans, but we can adjust the sails."
External forces may be unpredictable, but you always have the power to adapt. Focus on what you can control to make the best of any situation.
4. Specialize and Aim High
"I try not to take on projects like these, because there’s an oversupply of writers who can write...”
Rather than competing in crowded fields, hone specialized skills that are in short supply. This focus not only distinguishes you but also commands higher rewards.
5. The Value of Skills and Creativity
"The lesson here is this: skills and knowledge matter. So do out-of-the-box thinking, creativity, and resourcefulness."
Extraordinary success comes from leveraging unique talents and innovative ideas. Don’t settle for following the crowd when you can lead with creativity.
6. Play the Game with Your Dice
"Keep throwing until you get a six (Effort) Master the art of throwing dice (Distinction) Have many sets of dice given to you at birth (Privilege)."
Success is a mix of persistent effort, distinctive talent, and the advantages you’re born with. Recognize your strengths, play your cards wisely, and keep striving until you hit your mark.
7. Know Your Worth and Negotiate
"Understanding what you can charge for your skills based on the market rate... Knowing how to be assertive, and fight for what you are worth."
Regularly assess your market value and be prepared to negotiate better deals. Your skills and expertise deserve fair compensation—never be afraid to assert your worth.
8. Become Irreplaceable
"Do work that others can’t do."
By focusing on tasks that require unique abilities or specialized knowledge, you set yourself apart from the competition. The more irreplaceable you become, the more leverage you have in your career.
9. Solve Hard Problems
"You get paid in direct proportion to the difficulty of problems you solve."
The complexity of the challenges you tackle often determines the rewards you reap. Embrace difficult problems as opportunities to prove your value and drive career growth.
10. Communicate Your Ideas
"If a tree falls in the forest – and there’s no one else to hear it – does it make a sound? Similarly, if you have a great idea or execution – and you can’t express it – can you honestly expect people to read your mind?"
Innovative ideas lose their power if not effectively communicated. Clear, confident expression is essential to ensure that your contributions are recognized and valued.
11. Don’t Undervalue Yourself
"It is entirely possible for someone to be able to command $10,000 somewhere else but be paid $4,000 for a role..."
Recognize your true market value and be willing to walk away from roles that don’t honor it. Upholding your worth is critical for long-term success and professional fulfillment.
Conclusion
The Woke Salaryman Crash Course on Capitalism & Money offers a refreshing take on career advancement in today’s competitive landscape. By focusing on specialized skills, strategic negotiation, and effective communication, the book challenges you to redefine success on your own terms. Stay woke, stay bold, and remember: your career is a game—play it wisely.
Hopefully I will be able to read more books this year.
Let's do another one of this next year.
Cheers,
Jay