Category: Reading

Books, & links to all kinds of stuff I found interesting

[Link] Be A Pro for One Hour

Steven Pressfield inspires:

Even if we’re working a full-time job, waitressing, driving an Uber, juggling kids and ex-husbands and all the other heartaches and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to, we’re in the same boat with many, many full-time, big-name professional artists and entrepreneurs.

 

[Link] 10 Things to Say Besides Yes

‘No’ might be only two letters but it’s often the hardest thing to say. I’ve struggled with this more often than I care to admit.   Scott Eblin has a few suggestions worth considering (& putting to practice).

Lots of folks are headed for a crash if they don’t master the art of answering the next request for their time and attention with something other than an unqualified, “yes.” In the interest of preserving your health, sanity and well-being, I’m offering ten things you can say besides, “Yes,” when someone asks you to attend their meeting, join their project or take on another commitment. Practicing these ten phrases and having them in your hip pocket to use when needed will enable you to collaborate with and support your colleagues without sinking yourself in the process.

[Link] The Right Amount of Time

Seth Godin offers a couple of alternative choices

There are two other choices, worth considering:

  1. Spend significantly more time than anyone else thinks is reasonable. Charge appropriately. Perhaps this will lead to an extraordinary outcome.
  2. Spend far less time than you’re supposed to, and invest that time into processes and alternatives and benefits that everyone else is overlooking.

[Link] HBR: Launching a Career in the COVID Economy

Gorick Ng’s book “The Unspoken Rules” has some advice, excerpt in the HBR’s Working Knowledge:

unlocking the best career opportunities requires job seekers to achieve three Cs:

Competence. Prove that you can do the job well, and people will offer you more responsibility.
Commitment. Demonstrate that you are excited about your job, and people will invest in you.
Compatibility. Prove that you can get along with your teammates and managers, and people will want to work with you.

 

[Link] Writing Simply

Paul Graham on why to Write Simply:

Of course, fancy writing doesn’t just conceal ideas. It can also conceal the lack of them. That’s why some people write that way, to conceal the fact that they have nothing to say. Whereas writing simply keeps you honest. If you say nothing simply, it will be obvious to everyone, including you.