Table of Contents
One of the things I LOVE about reading are all the fabulous insights you can learn that can LITERALLY transform your life. It means I am slightly addicted to learning new things, and as such, have LOADS of books still to read or listen to, and they are rapidly piling up!
And as it turns out, I’m not the only one! There is now a word for it (found on wikipedia):
Tsundoku (Japanese: 積ん読) is acquiring reading materials but letting them pile up in one’s home without reading them.[1][2][3] It is also used to refer to books ready for reading later when they are on a bookshelf.
So if you struggle with the same affliction as me, then you’re my kind of person!
In this post, I’m probably going to add to your “Tsundoku” problem, but I promise you, these ones are WORTH taking the time to read, because the combination of all three will literally transform your life.
Why Are These Books So Life Changing?
Basically, if you apply the principles outlined in these 3 books, literally NOTHING will stop you achieving your goals.
Book 1 explains how you have the ability to figure anything out;
The second book shows you how to motivate yourself to take the actions you need to take;
And the final book demonstrates how you can integrate habits into your everyday life.
You may not apply EVERY idea to your own life, but all you need to do is take away a few things that can move the needle in a positive direction towards the thing that you want… whatever it may be (including money!).
Book 1 – Everything Is Figureoutable, Marie Forleo
I have the audible version of this book which I have listened to more than once because it’s so good. It is written by Marie Forleo, an absolute FORCE to be reckoned with! If you haven’t come across Marie, then you need to check her out. She has been invaluable to me when it comes to running my business. MarieTV is packed full of useful nuggets of wisdom. If I have a question, Marie has usually answered it already, so she has definitely become one of my inspiration “go-tos”.
And Everything is Figureoutable is no different! The book was inspired by her mum’s philosophy that literally everything can be figured out in life, no matter how hard it can seem. She applied her mum’s stock phrase “everything is figureoutable” to everything in her life, from attending university, creating a side-hustle, recovering from an abusive relationship and switching careers later in life.
“The problem isn’t you. It’s not that you’re not hardworking, intelligent or deserving, but that you haven’t yet installed the one key belief that will change everything: Everything is figureoutable.”
– Marie Forleo
What I also love are the stories she shares from women who have applied the same philosophy to their own lives. Like the story of Tererai from Zimbabwe who’s father married her off when she was just in Primary school to an abusive man. She was a mother of 4 children by the time she was 18. Her dream was to become educated to doctorate level, and then help other women and girls so they would never have to go through what she had to. She had limited money and had to work several jobs to earn enough money to pay for her education. Inspite of everything, she never ever gave up and eventually reached her goal. She could have given up at any point, but she didn’t. She is the epitomy of the “everything is figureoutable philosophy”.
This is just one of the many inspirational stories Marie shares. If you’ve not read this yet, you’re in for a real treat. Get ready to have your mind blown!
Book 2 – The Five Second Rule, Mel Robbins
So Marie’s book will give you the inspiration to work on your goals and dreams, Mel Robbin’s Book “The 5 Second Rule” will help you manage your motivation to keep working on them.
The concept is simple, count down from 5 through to 1 in a rocket-launch style, and this alone can be enough to just get yourself out of bed in the morning rather than pressing the snooze button repeatedly.
“The 5 Second Rule is simple. If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it” – Mel Robbins
I remember binge-listening to this on a flight back from America, and I was so inspired, I put it into practice as soon as I got home. Exercise is my biggest struggle, especially in winter, so I use the 5-second rule to get out of bed and start the process of exercising. I think what resonated with me the most was the fact that the things we know we “should do” are never the things we “want” to do. If we wait for motivation, we’ll be waiting forever. So the key is to do the thing, even when we’d rather not.
Mel Robbins used this idea to help get out of bed when she had crippling anxiety and depression, overcome the threat of bankruptcy, stop drinking and gain the confidence to become the woman she is today.
And WE can do it too.
Honestly, when you’ve read these two books, you will be so inspired to make changes in your own life too.
Couple that with book 3 and you’ll be unstoppable!!
Book 3 – Atomic Habits, James Clear
I was first introduced to James Clear through his website JamesClear.com. I signed up to his newsletter and absolutely LOVED his habit-forming concepts.
“Bad habits repeat themselves not because you don’t want to change but because you have the wrong system for change” – James Clear
Then when I found out he had a book, of course I had to get it! What I really enjoy about his book, are the evidence-backed ways in which you can form habits. And it’s not about taking big leaps, it’s about doing small ones with consistency. The “improve by 1% a day” philosophy, means that you improve 365% by the end of the year! For example:
- Writing a book is just the same as writing a series of blog posts;
- Paying off debt is a series of small contributions made regularly for a given length of time;
- Losing weight is about making small positive habit changes that incrementally build.
I also resonate with his idea of impersonating the type of person who has the thing you want. If you want more money, what habits would that person consistently do? If you want to lose weight, what type of person do you need to become?
Final Thoughts
If you’ve made it this far, and you’re still reading, I hope you can see how powerful this combination will be for you. IMAGINE what you can achieve in the next 12 months, 24 months, 36 months!?
When I decided to go to medical school, many of my peers thought it was strange that I was commiting 5 additional years of my life to education (which turned out to be 6!). My peers then also didn’t “get” why I chose to leave my career in obstetrics and gynaecology. They also don’t understand why I’m building a business to help YOU to manage your money with confidence as well as working as a GP.
But I’ve realised by reading these books, that I am being led by a desire to change my life. To shape it into the way I want it to be and for how I want the world to be: full of empowered, heart-centred women with money to make our world a better place to live in and leave for our children.
This dream involves consistent effort, and the application of many of the philosophies in each of these books.
They WILL change the way you think about EVERYTHING!
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