A Thread - What to read in 2021? Wisdom via @EricJorgenson…

“I think there’s a lot to that idea. It’s really more about identifying the great books for you because different books speak to different people. Then, you can really absorb those.” - @naval

It was a few years back I started thinking about the idea of rereading books vs trying to “keep up” with the constant consumption of new material rolling off the book publisher’s assembly lines.

I believe the consept first landed on my radar from that very @farnamstreet podcast where @naval shared the quote referenced above.

It immediately made sense to me.

It’s crazy to think about how much the world has evolved in just the last decade.

Technology is creating shorter attention spans with the constant bombardment of bite-sized “click bait” headlines and iPhone notifications.

For those who haven’t watched the Netflix doc The Social Dilemma, look no further than the algorithms designed to constantly keep our eyes glued to our phones and in turn the ad dollars being spent there.

Which leads me to a thesis I believe to be more and more true.

I believe the ability to focus...

to absorb...

to go deep...

is becoming a true super power.

Which brings me back to the idea of compiling a short list of books that you want to truly absorb and reading them over and over until you understand them to the level you’ve acquired all they have to offer.

With that in mind...

Today marks my third time reading through @RyanHoliday & @SteveHanselman’s @dailystoic.

Pictured is my copy below, which I grabbed back in 2016 when it came out.

As you can see, it’s got some miles on it as it’s literally traveled with me mostly wherever I’ve gone since.

All cliches aside, this book has made me a better version of myself.

More patient.

More accepting.

Less anxious.

A better listener.

I can honestly say this year’s reading was by far the most impactful.

Yes, maybe some of that was due to the year that was 2020.

However...

Looking back, I simply wasn’t ready for many of the passages my first few times through.

“When the student is ready the teacher will appear.” - Tao Te Ching

Also, with multiple readings, I’ve benefited from the “compound effect” of absorbing, putting into action, and building upon that which I’ve read before.

So...

Here’s to distilling your list of books/ideas/goals down to what is essential this year.

Go deep.

Absorb.

Make those “words become works” in 2021.