The pursuit of knowledge is noble and is surrounded by its own challenges. Something Jim Kwik enjoys saying is that knowledge is the potential for power. Potential power is what you know. However, I want to give you the push needed to jumpstart your future self, career, and life as a potential powerhouse.
Practice to Practice!
The first book on this wonderful list is by Seth Godin; The Practice. I chose this book because it’s what inspired me to approach my projects from a different perspective. It emphasizes the importance of being creative and how to handle mental blocks. We as creatives need to take our attention off the outcome and focus on the art of practice.
Principles of UX Design Benefit Everyone!
No, this book is not about using UX tools & wireframes. This book helps facilitate the connection between a product and a customer. I recommend Practical UX Design, a textbook that outlines several foundations for designing a user experience. Taking you through the principles of exemplary design, the philosophy of creativity, and more. This book is a must and not just for UX designers, but for any student in the creative industry.
Quality, Quantity, or Luck?
One Million Followers by Brendan Kane is a wonderful read that takes you on a guided journey through his media strategies. How to learn your own process, and to make pivotal movements in this media driven society. Brendan has made appearances on channels such as The Futur by Chris Do. He talked in detail about how to be successful and finding the cracks in your online presence.
Less is more?
Essentialism by Greg McKeown and Effortless by Greg McKeown! Two for one deal, right here, right now! Yeah, I’m giving you two books for one spot. Homing in on the premise of working smarter, not harder. By reducing distractions so you can work effortlessly. These are not just minimalism mantras or phrases. Instead, they are how we can develop critical decision-making skills. Through digging into the principles of your daily activities, so you can understand where you can leverage automation daily.
I want to reiterate this. These two books are vastly different in their approach. Implementing these teachings into your work process will help you be clear with your intentions and to be more specific in your words.
Sometimes things just pile up.
On to our final book, Deep Work by Cal Newport. In this book, you will learn how to develop habits for better cognitive and personal fulfillment. This book will help you understand how to define what is “Deep Work” and “Shallow Work”, which will further your skills in a forever distracting world. Cal Newport describes how meaning can be achieved through work. What it takes to learn self-discipline to drive a career and, in return, to gain freedom. I take the teachings of this book seriously as it’s helped build my work ethics.
Quick Read?
The conclusion to everything I have said is that reading is extremely valuable. Even when books appear similar, they provide synapses for deeper and more profound information. Provoking our minds with stimulating ideas. Books can help us redefine what we know about ourselves, help us see different perspectives, and open our eyes to the unknown. Whether you pick up one or all of these books, your mind is a powerhouse of potential. Use it!
I'm not paid by anyone for this article, nor am I receiving any form of payment, or using affiliate links of any kind. I wrote this because I wanted too.
Books Listed in this Article.