Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday

“Not me,” you think. “No one would ever call me an egomaniac.” Perhaps you’ve always thought of yourself as a pretty balanced person. But for people with ambitions, talents, drives, and potential to fulfill, ego comes with the territory. – Ryan Holiday, Ego Is the Enemy

I thought that ego (a powerful belief in our own importance), could lead to success. After reading Ryan’s book I’ve realized that I am dead wrong…

Ego is a destructive force in our lives. It’s a major distraction to doing meaningful work and achieving long-term goals.

1-Page PDF Summary of Ego is the Enemy

Grit by Angela Duckworth

The most dazzling human achievements are, in fact, the aggregate of countless individual elements, each of which is, in a sense, ordinary.” -Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Our society causes us to believe that talent leads to great performances. We tend to marvel at the natural talent of others and overlook the importance of effort. Surveys show that people commend effort, but don’t actually believe it can compete with natural talent.

Angela Duckworth challenges this belief by researching top performers and documenting her findings in the book ‘Grit.’ I’ve taken the time to summarize ‘Grit’ into the following core message (video + 1-page PDF):

1-Page PDF Summary of Grit

10% Happier by Dan Harris

There’s a reason why businesspeople, lawyers, and marines have embraced meditation. There’s no magic or mysticism required—it’s just exercise.” – Dan Harris

Folks in silicon valley are calling it the ‘new caffeine’. Fortune 500 CEO’s and Hedge Fund managers claim meditation makes them more effective.

Despite all the good press regarding meditation you still might not be doing it because meditation just seems too mystical or ‘woo-woo’. In the book 10% Happier, author Dan Harris (co-anchor of the ABC News show: Nightline) demystifies mindfulness and meditation.

The following video will help you see meditation in a new (more productive) light:

1-Page PDF Summary of 10% Happier (how to mediate)

Born for This by Chris Guillebeau

To find the work you were born to do, you need the right combination of joy, money, and flow.” – Chris Guillebeau

In the book Born for This, author Chris Guillebeau urges us to find our ‘career lottery ticket’. What exactly is the ‘career lottery ticket’? How do we find it? Watch the following video and find out (you can find the 1-page PDF Summary under the video link):

1-Page PDF Summary for ‘Born for This’