Richard’s Book Reading Challenge 2015 – June Update

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At the start of this year, one of the goals I set for myself was a book reading challenge.

It goes like this: Read at least two books per month

April Goal Update: My revised 'elastic goal' is still 24 books but within 8 months now and so 36 books in 2015

'Read' includes audio and includes the following sources:

• Traditional paper-based books - as available in bookshops or via Amazon for example
• Digital reader books - such as Kindle books and eBooks
• Audio books - such as those available via Audible and audiobooks.com
• Video streamed books - some classic self-improvement books are surprisingly available through YouTube

I will update this post each month with my progress, to share the material and also to hold myself to account 😉

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Why not share your reading challenges or recommendations in the comments section and then we can keep each other motivated...

My own book...The Property Investor Toolkit: A 7-Part Toolkit For Property Investment Success is now available in book format!

The book is also available NOW on Amazon

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Current Read or Listen:

Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely

The Power of Now  - Eckhart Tolle

 

 

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June 2015 Status Update

Book reading challenge revised goal status 23 books read year to date - steaming ahead of the upwardly revised goal by the end of May, despite Arnie's mega-long autobio! So, knowing what I know at the time of writing...I have already reached my original goal and continue to plough on with my revised goal now. Isn't amazing how powerful a publicly stated goal can motivate you...now therein lies the lesson...?

My revised 'elastic goal' as of April is still 24 books but within 8 months now and so 36 books in 2015.

Who has been inspired enough to join in with their own book reading challenge then?

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Total Recall: My unbelievably true life story - Arnold Schwarzenegger

Format: Audio

Key Idea:

Arnie's autobiography!

The Property Voice Insight:

To be very honest, I have not a big fan of reading autobiographies to a great extent. Loved the Nelson Mandela and Richard Branson ones, but have not read too many more. Then, I started to hear a lot about Arnie's book, not least because he reportedly made his first million through property!  Then I noticed the listening time in Audible was around 24 hours and I felt oh boy...that's quite a monster!! Needless to say, I completed the marathon and what a great read it was too.

What a fascinating story, simple country boy from Austria becomes a body-building champion, then a movie star and then Governor of California...sounds like a movie script already doesn't it? These facts alone probably reveal a lot about the man's character - visionary and persevering as a minimum. An adept businessman, a slightly less adept diplomat, but a decent Governor and the hint of weakness that undid his marriage are all there to see...or rather hear.

The first and last chapters are read by the man himself, the rest by someone else, so expect that if you get the audio version. The last chapter is an absolute gem and well worth the wait, as it reveals Arnie's philosophy or principles of success - and many, if not all certainly make sense to me. A good read...perhaps for the summer holiday...

The Slight Edge - Jeff Olson

Format: Kindle

Key Idea:

Positive micro, repeating habits and disciplines eventually snowball into life-changing success...or if applied negatively...to mediocrity and even failure.

The Property Voice Insight:

Loved this book. It builds on some of what I took away from The Miracle Morning, which I read earlier this year. The key idea is very simple and straightforward and yet in practice, we rarely seem to apply these principles into our lives. Small daily habits are both easy to do but also easy not to do as he puts it so well and therein lies the secret...winners do the small, almost unnoticeable stuff all the time and that's what separates them. Equally, as the author illustrates so well, even if we do this for a time, we can often forget, or give up before we see the results and then we end up back where we started...or even worse.

I bought the updated version of the book, which contains many real life case studies from readers, to add a different dimension to the book. As simple and straightforward as the book is; it is still extremely valuable - a step-by-step process to achieving life success you might even say. A classic and worth having in the library, therefore.

The One Thing - Gary Keller & Jay Papasan

Format: Audio

Key Idea:

If you want to achieve outstanding results, every day ask yourself the following question and act on the answer: What's the ONE Thing you can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary? It's a productivity book in case you hadn't guessed...

The Property Voice Insight:

There seems to be a recurring theme this month...getting stuff done, prioritisation, focus and discipline 🙂 This books certainly helps with all of these. Along with The Slight Edge and Eat That Frog, I certainly had my diet of how to get things done this month and they all helped in their own ways.

What I like the most about this particular book, is how it simplifies and helps to distill the noise down to...the ONE thing that I can do now that will make the most difference to my life. It's possibly and explanation as to why this update comes over 2 weeks into a new month as well 😉

Eat That Frog - Brian Tracy

Format: Audio

Key Idea:

Get more done and start with the biggest, ugliest task of the day!

The Property Voice Insight:

I must have had productivity issues on my mind in June, perhaps it was the fact that I was consumed in the Arnie autobiography lol. Another really simple concept to explain; whilst there is more in the book than the key idea, it suggests that by starting our day with our biggest (and probably least desirable) task, that we will achieve 80% of the results that we need to be successful.

The author reads the book himself and it is easy to listen to at double speed - making this a quick win in the reading challenge...in ore ways than one 😉 Definitely worth a read.

A Complaint Free World - Will Bowen

Format: Audio

Key Idea:

Stop moaning, complaining and criticising for a more fulfilled life. The idea is that we get what we think and talk about in life and as complaining and it's cousins are negative...that's what we will attract back to ourselves too. The book comes with a 21-day challenge aimed at helping us to break the cycle and bring about change in this respect.

The Property Voice Insight:

I caught myself out when I did a podcast episode on mindset a short while back. I realised that sometimes I had a tendency to be a little negative at times and so I decided to get this book to help address that. I was surprised to note two distinct patterns with my thoughts and words: 1) I don't actually complain that much compared to the average person (at one or two times compared to apparently at 20+ times per day, I was delighted with that result!) and; 2) when I did moan or complain, I was an Olympic Champion at the 'sport'...oh boy!

So, if nothing else, the book brought more awareness to my own particular complaining style if you like. Equally though, I then learned that ofetn I would go over the top in moaning and complaining, effectively beating my opponent into verbal submission at times, yet I realised that I rarely focussed on what change I wanted to actuially bring about! This meant that if I ever got into that cycle, that the poor recipient basically didn't know what they should do about things to put it right, even if they did know I was not happy. It was quite a cathartic experience to go through I can tell you.

I am now 16 days into my own 21-day challenge of going complaint-free, having had an expected false start or two, so my negativity in the form of moaning and complaining has subsided (which many people must be delighted with) but equally, I am much more focused on the change I need to bring about satisfaction and contentment...and that makes me delighted too! If you don't think you need or would benefit from this book and taking the 21-day challenge, you must be a saint...or have already addressed this in your life is all I can say.

PS - at 8 chapters, it's also a quick win with the challenge and bagged me another tick on the goal chart with a week to go 🙂