There is no shortage of business books and lists recommending such books. A friend recently asked me if I could only recommend one which one would that be? I failed to narrow it down to one but could narrow it down to three. These usually don’t make it to some of the most popular lists, but I feel are the most practical ones.
DEEP WORK
Start Finishing
The Messy Middle
Deep Work by Cal Newport is an eye-opening read. Cal makes a compelling case for how our ability to focus uninterrupted on one cognitively demanding task is dwindling fast. The biggest distractors are the ones most of us are very familiar with: emails, social media, and news. He further argues that If we want to do our best work, we must reclaim that ability. The best way to do that is by creating systems and being extra diligent with our time.
Scott Belsky's book, The Messy Middle, discusses an issue many founders and creative people experience – the lack of motivation to continue working on projects or ideas after the initial enthusiasm has worn off. This is often because many creative endeavors, such as starting a business, require sustained effort for months or even years before any tangible results appear. Scott provides strategies for getting out of the 'messy middle' by highlighting common mistakes and by providing advice on creating effective plans and processes.
Start Finishing by Charlie Gilkey is a book I keep on my desk, along with Deep Work. Even if I am not opening the books regularly, it reminds me of the importance of finishing projects. Like Scott’s book, Start Finishing provides tools and templates to design our projects in a way that sets us up for finishing.
If you have thoughts about these books or have your own one(or three) books you recommend to every founder or a creative type, please share them in the comments below.