Announcing a book-of-the-month initiative
Because we're writers and we should probably also be readers
Hi Friend,
Late last year, I decided to read more. Not just more fiction books but more non-fiction as well. (Although I still adore mysteries and if you enjoy mystery combined with humour you MUST read The Thursday Murder Club series. It’s delightful and funny, with strong characters and a great plot. I’ve flown through the first two books in a matter of days.)
I have a library of non-fiction books I always put off reading because they aren’t as fun for me as a great thriller. Taking the advice of a few trusted colleagues, I’ve started buying audiobooks and listening to them on my walks. As it turns out, I love this. It gives me something to listen to while I get my pup outside for his morning exercise, and it expands my brain. Professional development and exercise at the same time! I’m becoming quite a multi-tasker.
To keep myself accountable to my commitment, I’ve decided to make it part of this newsletter.
Here’s how it will work
At the end of each month, I’ll announce what book I recommend for the following month. This recommendation will be open to all subscribers.
As I work my way through the book, I’ll share some of my favourite insights and takeaways (not all of them, because I like supporting authors by encouraging people to buy their books), as well as my thoughts on how the content relates to freelancing. I’ll also share any relevant stories from my experiences. This part will be for paid subscribers only.
The book for February is…
Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Here’s why I think it’s relevant: Our daily habits become who we are, and are an important predictor of long-term success. Good habits can push us forward, while bad habits can hold us back. As freelancers, it can be difficult to break bad habits because they’re so comfortable for us. We tell ourselves these habits work for us, without examining whether they hold us back (because who doesn’t love to be comfortable?). We expect that great success requires massive action at one time, rather than making incremental changes over the long-term. We also tend to focus only on results and not on progress when we evaluate how successful we are.
Atomic Habits emphasizes developing habits (or systems) that enable success, even if our adjustments seem small initially and our progress feels miniscule.
Because I’ve written about our need to push ourselves outside our comfort zone, shifting our habits might be a good way to start. I’m a chapter into it and I’ve already heard a lot about habits that rings very true for me.
Feel free to join me and recommend books you’ve found helpful, too.
Here’s to your ongoing freelance success,
Heidi