Hiya!

As the year end inches closer I’m starting to reflect on the year that’s been.

Here are a couple of things I’ve noticed…

– The world is changing more quickly by the day.
– Life is short and time seems to be speeding up.
– Having routines/habits can help ground and support life.
– Reading 50 books isn’t “that” hard.

Technology is rapidly changing how we live.  Already a whole generation won’t know how to use an “old” telephone and will grow up thinking it’s completely normal to walk around with the total knowledge of mankind in their pocket on their smartphone.  As amazing as this is, it also comes with challenges we’re yet to fully understand, like the impact of social media on kids and teenagers. I can report from my personal experience that since deleting Facebook and Instagram I tend to talk to more people when I’m queuing (lol) and probably save 1 hour a day!? Check this out from the NY Times on how to breakup with FB and Insta.

This year I think I’ve become more aware of the fragility and timeline of life.  This is probably partly to do with being in a long distance relationship and having a different experience of time with a loved one.  I’ve spent many hours (usually on a train) contemplating what I truly value, find joy in and invest my time and energy in.  Planning for the future is obviously wise and essential but making time for what’s most important to you on daily basis is just as important. Siddhartha is a wonderful story by Hermann Hesse that reminded me of this.

Habits and routines can be a blessing and a curse.  So called “good habits” can help move us forward in our endeavours, build better health and often solve ongoing challenges.  Good habits are often a bit uncomfortable at the time but the long term result feels good. For example, going to the gym can hurt at the time but the long term benefit is greater fitness.  The flip side is that often “bad habits” may feel good at the time but not so good in the future – junk food tastes sweet now, but long term it can damage our health.  This great book, Atomic Habits, and this interview are a great start to understanding how to get the habits you want.

And….

As I completed my goal of 50 books for the year I noticed a few things about the “self help” and personal development books I was reading.  I realised that most of them were mentioned on my regular podcasts (not in itself a surprise) and that the ones that interviewed the authors always covered the main points in the book!  In retrospect, I generally enjoyed the interviews more than the books as the conversations tended to be more revealing and relatable.

So, if you have a bunch of books you’ve been meaning to read but haven’t found the time, perhaps check out some interviews with the writers and hear them discuss their favourite points instead…

Have a great week, tell your loved ones you love them, do something fun and hold the door open for strangers. It all helps.

Luke
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PS – I thought this was quite good:  “Relax. Nothing is under control.” – Adi Da

PPS – Here’s my list of the 51 books I’ve read in 2018 

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