🤘🏽Achieving Goals with a System Instead of Wishful Thinking 👻

Last year, while summarizing 2022, I discovered that between my full-time job, managing teams, and teaching six university groups, I read only 23 books and listened to a few more. This sparked a realization: I was missing out on reading — not just business or marketing books but literature as well. I wanted to read more in 2023, but I knew that mere wishful thinking wouldn’t cut it. It reminded me of the quote often misattributed to Albert Einstein: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Setting Goals and Systems for 2023

So, with a specific goal in mind (52 books, one per week), I created a system and took action. Reading became a priority in my calendar, with dedicated daily slots. Over the past ten years, I’ve tried various time management techniques, and I’ve found the most effective system to be meticulous calendar management. Everything goes into my calendar app — work meetings, doctor’s appointments, yoga, meditation, books, cinema. If it’s not there, it’s not happening. No more self-deception.

The Outcome: Surpassing Goals

The result of my annual reading challenge? I read 55 books, surpassing my goal. This wasn’t just wishful thinking but a combination of commitment and dedicated time.

The same principle applies to work, where meetings can overflow with ideas and discussions but often lack actionable outcomes, responsible owners, or deadlines. It’s as if ideas could materialize by themselves just because they were spoken aloud. We’ve all read those articles about having effective meetings, but where are the agendas, the wrap-ups, and the action points?

Recommendations and Invitations for Discussion

Reflecting on my 2023 reading journey, I encountered a diverse array of books. I’m excited to share the best ones from the realms of business, marketing, and leadership. I’ve made some insightful notes and comments on these and plan to dive deeper into these ideas in my newsletter throughout 2024. Some of my top reads include:

1. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz
2. The Art of Being Right: 38 Ways to Win an Argument by Arthur Schopenhauer (third read!)
3. Against White Feminism: Notes on Disruption by Rafia Zakaria
4. The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk by Al Ries and Jack Trout
5. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (second read)
6. Making Numbers Count: The Art and Science of Communicating Numbers by Chip Heath, Karla Starr
7. A Brief History of Equality by Thomas Piketty

Which of these piques your interest the most? Which would you like to learn more about? Or perhaps you have a stellar recommendation for me?

I would be thrilled to hear your thoughts.

🤘🏽 Let’s rock,

Klaudia