Rocco's reading list

A business book about businesses that choose not to expand. Why would a company choose not to make more money through expansion? Isn't that the point of a business? This book shows that there is some things more important than money, even for a business. I've still not come across another book like this, well worth a read.

Gpt - "Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big" is a book that explores the concept of companies that prioritize being great rather than becoming the biggest. The book profiles companies that have opted for excellence over growth and highlights their unique traits, such as strong company culture, focus on community, and prioritization of values over profits. The book offers insights into how these companies have been able to achieve long-term success and provides lessons for businesses looking to follow in their footsteps. 

This book tackles the differences of a successful person and an unsuccessful one. It helps change your thinking and let's you know what actions to take to become more successful yourself.

I said I loved it. Can't remember much about it though. Need to pick it up again.

The advice I got from this book changed how I think and act.

Out of all self-help style books this is by far the one that has had the biggest impact on my life.

Highly recommended.

If it wasn't for this book I wouldn't relise how easy it was to publish my own book, run my own Facebook page and create my own following.

This book is full of advice on loving and believing in yourself. How to be your own boss. Your already here so chances are you've read this, but if you haven't I highly recommend it.

You'll learn how to prime people to be more likely to agree with you, before negotiations start. I've not read in a long time, so have forgotten a lot. Big book, but I do remember enjoying it. Recommended.

This was the first book, since school, that I finished. I proved to myself I could finish a book.

I also implemented the rules and watched as my life improved.

The book has twelve rules, that if implemented will improve your life. It's padded with why and how these rules work, titles will be enough to improve your life, understanding will help you help others improve their lives.

I'll be honest I've still not finished this book. I'm on the second last chapter.

This book is a formula for how to be happier. I love this. If your not feeling great you need to read this book.

Book Takeaways - https://notepd.com/idea/solve-for-happy-823x

A book about how Trump became president. But it's also much more than that, it's a book about persuasion.

After reading this I had a new view of Trump and learned to look at the news through a persuasion lens.

If you'd like to know how you're being brainwashed this is well worth a read.

Persuasion - This book was all about how persuasive Trump is and the tricks he uses to be more persuasive.

Labelling people makes you focus more on that aspect 'lazy Joe' 'crooked Hillary' ect. Whenever you see something remotely related you'll think of the name and as a result see them in a worse light. A more positive version of this is bigging up your friends /yourself. Think of a nickname that makes people see the best of you.

A book about a man who coached tech giants on how to become even better. I loved learning about him and the advice he gave. If you want to know what even great people need advice on this is well worth a read.

To be a great leader you also have to be a great coach. As you grow your success is linked to the success of those under you. Helping them become successful is the goal of a coach.

A coach should help people see their own blind spots and hold them accountable for working on their sore spots

They take responsibility for making you better without taking credit for any of your accomplishments.

People should be free to take risks,
Give teams clear, meaningful goals,
Give them the freedom to achieve these goals in there own creative ways.

Teams succeed because players work together and have senior leadership.

In business compassion is a key to success.

Communication is another important factor. Lack of communication is a leading factor in job burnout.

People should be working for the betterment of the company, not focusing soly on themselves. Give tasks that help the company as well as encourage members to grow.

Have your team compete against rival companies. Not each other.

Great teams need to work together.

How to think differently depending on the situation. I loved the idea of mental models and this book is full of great ones that will help improve your life. Highly recommend.

Fun obscure data, but I didn't take anything that useful from this book. If you enjoy obscure facts check it out, if you're looking to learn something useful I'd pass on this.

The most disappointing book so far. At the time of reading I remember distinctly not liking it. can't remember where I was recommended this. Book full of advice, but sadly it's mostly rubbish. Really didn't like this book. Wouldn't recommend.

1. Stop hoping for a completion of anything in life.
The perfect time is never going to come so start living the life you want now. Spend an hour a day doing something you want to until your financias get better when you can spend even more time doing what you love. Spend your day in a way that you can sleep happy knowing you lived your day to the fullest.
Accept that you can't change your woman, if you can accept her flaws, good. If not leave her as you will only get frustrated (and lose) at trying to change her. If bad qualitys show, hug her and fill her with love in the hopes that she will react in love instead of anger.

2. Live with an open heart, even if it hurts
When you feel pain don't close up and run and hide in solitude. Open up your chest, breath in and feel the situation. React with a clear mind, not with your hurt feelings.

3. Live as if your father were dead
Stop being fearful of your fathers judgements. Start living your life for you and do what makes you happy.

4. Know your real edge and don't fake it
Your edge are your limits in any aspect of life. People will be able to tell if you lie about your edge and in turn won't trust you as you're more likely to lie to them as well. Live life at your edge and keep moving forward.
Honor your edge, your choices be truthful about your fears. A free man is free to acknowledge his fears, without hiding them, or hiding from them.

5. Always hold to your deepest realization.
Aproach each task with focus and give it your all. Find your focus and use it in every task meditate or pray if you need help finding this focus.

6.Never change your mind just to please a woman.
If you change your mind you're saying 'I don't trust my own wisdom' this weakining yourself and your woman's trust in you.
When you deny your deep truths just to please a woman people will feel your lack of authenticity.
Instead listen to your woman and make an informed decision based on your new knowledge.
If your wrong you will learn from it, but you show that you trust yourself and in turn others will see you as a leader and put there trust in you.
By making the decision you take full responsibility for your actions, good or bad. If you let her make the decision you will build up resentment and anger if the decision was bad.


7. Your purpose must come before your relationship
You can't make your relationship your purpose. Find what you were born to give to the world and focus on giving the world your all. Men with a purpose are more attractive (as they have a reason to live /grow/fight for what's important to them ) don't deny your purpose in order to spend time with your woman. Dedicate time to spend with her and put your full focus on her during that time.


8. Lean just beyond your edge.
Lean just beyond your fears and comfort in order to continue to grow. Don't settle for comfort and don't push yourself do hard that you'll hurt yourself in the process.


9. Do it for love.
Show love in everything you do. Don't do anything if you don't feel the love behind it.

10. Enjoy your friends criticism
Trust your friends criticism and listen to it. You don't need to act on it but do take time to reflect on it. You must also be honest to your friends when they ask for advice.

80 % of work is done by 20 % of staff. 20 %of said work has the same impact as the other 80%.

Learn to look for the 20% and focus on that. You'll produce better results and free up more time. The rule manafests itself in almost everything.

You could do a quick google search and quickly understand the principle. The book is mostly padding, don't waste your time with it. Understanding the principle will change your life, but you don't need to read that much to understand it.

Fun book with rules to follow should you want to attain power. A lot of it is based round kings, but you can rework these laws to help benefit your own life.

I can't really remember what this was about. Adapting to change, I think. Short book, easy read. I remember liking it so yeah check it out.

Not my usual type of book, but I loved this. Stories of outliers in different fields, what led to them and the after effects of them.

This helped me see that there's always more to a story. Basing judgement on the little bit you do know may lead to wrong outcomes.

Development Time


Feelings - thoughts - actions.
Sometimes we think our feelings through sometimes we act on feelings and wonder why things got worse. Step back and think before you act.

Write down how you handled your thoughts and feelings throughout the day. This will help you improve how you feel and think, which will also affect how you act.
If you can take note whenever you have feelings you don't want, when you have time reflect on what caused them.

At the start of the day imagine what difficult situations may arise. You don't need to deal with them but by being aware of them they will impact you less, should they arise.

It's normal to have emotional outbursts from time to time. So be aware that they are likely to happen.

It's also important to accept that you will have emotional outbursts and when you do you should reflect on what you should have done, deal with it appropriately, apologize to others if needed and finally, forgive yourself.

Guilt, shame, frustration and other negative emotions are there to remind us that we need to make a change.

Stories Beat Facts - We like to imagine that facts win out over everything but the stories we tell are far more persuasive.

Why do we spend more on the same tablets? Because we tell ourselves the ones that cost more must be more effective. And due to the placebo effect they are, but not because anything else is better.

Toothpaste would be cheeper and just as effective if it was tasteless and didn't throth in your mouth. But the story we tell ourselves is mint and throthiness means it's working. Without that we tell ourselves this doesn't work (even though it does).

This book is fascinating. Highly recommended it.

Takeaways - https://notepd.com/idea/alchemy-takeways-lqvwg

Takeaways 2 - https://notepd.com/idea/alchemy-notes-part-2-mx9yk

Book Takeaways - https://notepd.com/idea/influence-book-takeaways-1022

The second book that I really disliked. Wasn't a fan.

And the third that I disliked.

Absolute power of questioning
Ask better questions to receive better answers.
Avoid being negative 'why can't I? , why am I so unlucky? Etc

When you change the way you think, you change the way you feel. When you change the way you feel, you change the way you act. When you change the way you act, you change your life. It starts by changing the way you think.

Start with - who am I? Know what you value deep down.

Take 5 minutes to really answer these questions

Am I a loving person?
Am I respectful?
Am I compassionate?
Am I generous and sharing?
Am I an honest person?
Am I grateful?

Task 2

Swap the am an I around an rewrite the sentences

Close your eyes and repeat the sentences in your head. Remembering when you acted that way. Focus on the feelings.


Think of more qualities you have and do the same exercises.

Repete this exercise every morning for 3 days.

Are you really being who you know you are?
What was a time I displayed that quality? How did it feel?

If you're not this person yet, ask yourself how can I be?

If you don't want to be this person that's the reason your life is unfulfilled.

Does a loving person really judge others?

Do I allocate time each day to focus on improving myself?

Do I usally focus on the worst in life rather than the best?

I want to achieve. I want a great relationship and to be fit and healthy.


Ask yourself what's wrong and start to notice bad things. Then start to fix them. Start small, work your way up. As the small get taken care of the big problems will be easier to solve.

If things are good ask how you can make things better for you or for people you love.

If you have trouble combating old beliefs scream in the mirror with as much power as you can saying 'this life is destroying me and I'm not going back under any circumstances'.

Tell people about your change, that makes it real and holds you accountable if you don't change

If you have a bad habit really think of all the bad effects it is having. Every time you think about doing it remind yourself over and over again.

Ask deeper questions

Do I want my own business?

What do I need to do to get my own business?

What steps will I take to learn what I need to know?

Do I want a good relationship

What do I have to do to find /keep that person?

Do I want to get healthy and fit?

Can I be fit and still smoke /drink?

Don't ask 'how life is treating you' ask 'how am I treating life?'

You're not the victim of this unloving destiny, you are the creator.

Take accountability for all your actions that lead you to where you are. At the end of the day you make you're own decisions noone else does.

Make an action plan and make your life better

When we feel we are not in control we experience fear. Take back control of your life.

If we don't take part in self control we are taking part in self destruction.

1 what drives you every day and what is the basis for your decisions?

2. What are you going to do today, that is diffrent from yesterday, that will ultimately shape who you are tomorrow?

3. What life changing decisions will you commit to making today that will help you achieve your goals?

4. Start one thing you can do right now that will make your world a slightly better place?

Let your feeling guide you. Emotion precedes action

5. How can I.....

Are we really comfortable with where we are in life?

It's evident with your constent disappointment that you're not

Don't settle for a 'not bad' or 'ok' life aim for an awesome life

We can't run and hide from ourselves, we'll always be there

Rather than running face it.

We create the lives we want

Your past beliefs and decisions helped you progress and if they haven't learn from your mistakes.

You can't change the past but you can learn from it in order to change your future. Learn from bad times.

Always remind yourself of the progress you have already made

You're in control of your own lives, only you can make it better

'When you feel you are declining in life it may actually be the complete opposite. You have actually advanced to a stage where you recognize how you must change in order to grow. '

Appreciation

If you start the day off happy the positivity will flow throughout your whole day

Learn to appreciate what you have or you'll never be happy.

What are the most important things in your life? If you have it be greatful and remind yourself to be greatful every day. Also make it a priority so you don't lose it.

'when we complain, we become the victim. When we are the victim, we don't get what we want in life, we get more of what we don't want'

Don't let negative thoughts on when they come brush them away or defeat it with really appreciating what you have.

Task
When you wake up write down everything you are grateful and thankful for. Spend as much time as you need. Aim to fill up 2 sides of A4 paper, if you can write more even better.
Eg. I appreciate my eyes for allowing me to see all the beauty of the world
I appreciate my bed for keeping me warm and comfy all night
I appreciate my friends for making life worth living.
I'm thankful for being alive, cause life is awesome.

If you are really struggling to think of things check out www.1000awesomethings.com

After that listen to some happy music, dance do whatever you have to to get your morning started off right.

Wasn't a fan of this. More a history and less about how he thought.

useless

How the world is a lot better off than you may think. This helped me be skeptical of data.

If you want to learn how misleading data can be, I highly recommend this.

The Gap Instinct - love this book it teaches you how to read data properly.

The gap instinct is when we forget about the middle and as a result imagine its an us vs them. For example poverty. Most people aren't poor, or super rich they lie somewhere in between (the gap), but how often do you hear that? We hear that it's the evil rich ruining everything or the scrounging poor taking our money. Keep in mind the gap and you'll be much less likely to be fooled by data.

My own book. This was life changing as I never imagined that I could write, never mind publish a book.

It's helped change my friends life for the better and that means more than what I get from most books.

Preview