REV YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL ENGINES
Typical Day…You wake up and there she is, your personal coach, in the corner of your room. “You’ve got this!” she yells, “Seize the day! ”, combined with a myriad of other highly motivational prompting to get your day started. Ok, now you actually wake up. Because nobody is there in your corner ready to rev your engines, most of the time you have to do this for yourself. Elon Musk once said that starting a business is like staring into the abyss while eating glass. Although quite an image, he was not far off from his analogy, so we must find our greatest motivation and strength within, a priceless commodity needing to be restocked from time to time. Here are a few motivational books that when consumed, will keep your entrepreneurial spirit nourished, alive and kicking.
The The Motivation Manifesto.
9 Declarations to Claim Your Personal Power
–Written by Brendon Burchard
“A hallmark of those who achieve greatness is the discovery that they can control the level of motivation they feel by better directing their own minds.”
This is a bold book, meant for a reader who is willing to take responsibility for their life; incredibly serious about being honest with themselves and able to believe in the ability of bending their own reality regardless of current circumstances. At times, it may feel like the author is pointing his finger at you, then at your mom, your best friend, even your dog, but what Burchard is doing, is making us realize that ultimately, we are responsible for our own life and keeping ourselves in check is the bottom line. If you start dog-earing every page that resonated on a deep level, you would have a book full of folded pages. Every word is powerful, every page resonates, each sentence holds a meaningful lesson. A definite repeat read, this manifesto does not get old, feel your motivation levels rise in two pages or less, making it ideal for the busy professional who needs to go from 0-90 in no time. It is the Bible for entrepreneurs, even kind of looks like one.
Spoiler Alert: Watch for italic print, where the real-life bombs lie
Main Message: Clarity, direction and progress breed success; you alone are responsible for your own reality, and baby, reality is bendable.
The Compound Effect
– Written by Darren Hardy
“We all come into this world the same: naked, scared and ignorant. After that grand entrance, the life we end up with is simply an accumulation of the choices we make.”
Hardy believes it is possible to guarantee success through small, consistent, daily improvements, gradually inclining until all the small things compound into one big thing, reaching your goal. Because small changes are easier to implement, they have a higher success rate than making large life altering changes which are difficult to keep up with. Heavily impacted by the love-hate relationship he has with his father, Hardy uses analogies from his own experiences. He argues that by “tracking”; tracking money, time, anything that we may not be paying close attention to, it is possible to change bad habits that are directly affecting progress. “Trackers are winners,” Hardy says, attributing tracking as a vital component of success, a necessary action to become aware of one’s choices and how they affect life, the data shedding light on what areas to improve and how. Just the idea alone that your business, health and relationships can be improved by taking even the smallest actions every day should be enough to read this book. If you need more convincing, there is also the fact that Hardy has interviewed thousands of the most successful people on the planet as Founder of “SUCCESS Magazine.”
Main Message: The small choices you make every day add up to big rewards or big failure down the line.
The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster
-Written by Darren Hardy
“If you’re going to get better, you have to push yourself. If you push yourself, you’re going to fall. If you’re not falling, you’re not pushing. Falling is part of getting better.”
Hardy makes a few references to “The Compound Effect,” enforcing that small changes lead to big results, however, “TERC” focuses more on overcoming the constant fear faced by entrepreneurs. Hardy calls out exactly what you will experience, have experienced and will definitely experience again; specific obstacles so you can see what’s coming before it comes, know that although uncomfortable, it is to be expected and nothing is permanent. He gives easily translated tips on how
to ride the roller coaster without getting off. Because being an entrepreneur can at times be a lonely and misunderstood gig, this book is like a united kumbaya for entrepreneurs, letting us know that we’re not alone.
Main Message: Being an entrepreneur is going to be scary, find ways to overcome your fear because the magic happens outside of your comfort zone.
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness & Start Living an Awesome Life
– Written by Jen Sincero
“You’re on a journey with no defined beginning, middle or end. There are no wrong twists and turns. There is just being. And your job is to be as you as you can be. This is why you’re here. To shy away from who you truly are would leave the world you-less.”
Written by renowned life coach and communicated in a no-nonsense but humorous manner, Jen re-affirms our self-confidence, citing that embracing our own individual uniqueness is the backbone of success. Sincero’s experience as a life coach has allowed her the gift of a velvet tongue that is soothing in its offer of advice. Sitting down with a glass of wine to read this book will feel familiar, like having an intimate conversation with a friend, a friend with REALLY good life advice. Definitely a read that focuses more on the journey than the destination, it is a great reminder to appreciate the present while striving for the future.
Main Message: Go with the flow and the flow will take you there.
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
– Written by Malcolm Gladwell
“There can be as much value in the blink of an eye as in months of rational analysis.”
Blink explores how humans think without thinking, and the impact of decision making. Gladwell states that the overall success of decisions is about stripping down the situation to the very basic and most important points and deciding on a course of action within the blink of an eye, a useful skill when looked at as a leader needing to make constant quick judgement calls.
Main Message: As a leader, skilled in your field, you will need to make quick decisions on the daily that greatly impact yourself and others. Make the decision quickly and with confidence, because if given more time you will probably come to the same (often correct) conclusion.
The Power of Positive Thinking
– Written by Norman Vincent Peale
“Stand up to an obstacle. Just stand up to it, that’s all, and don’t give way under it, and it will finally break. You will break it. Something has to break, and it won’t be you, it will be the obstacle.”
A visionary, Dr. Peale wrote The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952, recently reprinted, it proves that great advice remains timeless, even more reason to take heed to his words. Believing that true success and happiness, regardless of circumstance is possible and relies solely on the power over our own thoughts, Dr. Peale will have you strolling home from work with a smile of gratitude splashed across your face, regardless of what the day threw at you, always necessary in the unpredictable world of business.
Main Message: Change your thoughts, change your life.
Written By Felicia Ryan