Tag Archives: read

One Book, Two Questions and Three Words for 2010

With a new year, comes a lot of reflecting. Whether this describes you as an individual or as an organization, I’ve got one book, two questions and three words you need to read in 2010. These will help you identify your core values, focus your motivation and goals, and help translate all the above in your day-to-day activities. Let’s get reading.

1. One Book

I’m willing to bet you’ve never heard of this book. If you have, please comment. The book is titled five, and is across the board, a five-star book. So many books tell you what to do and think about your life. Stop reading those books. They take valuable time, and they often don’t provide any answers. Why? Because you have to provide the answers. The reason I like the book five is not because it’s simple, design-based and interactive, but because it forces you to reflect on your own life, your own goals and your thoughts. This is often the hardest part–but most rewarding. It provides prompts and questions, along with lines to pencil in your ideas. It’s a work book–but it’s not work. It uses creative design and textography throughout to draw you in and inspire. So, stop doing the easy part by reading what others think you should do, and focus on you.

2. Two Questions

These two simple questions could change your life. They are provided by author Daniel H. Pink, author of the book Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us, which looks at human motivation. These two questions are:

  • What is my sentence?
  • Was I better today, than I was yesterday?

Two questions that can change your life from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.

3. Three Words

If you’ve quickly skimmed down here to read the three words, I’m sorry to say, it’s not that easy. You see: It’s not my three words you need to read. It’s your own. Beth Kanter clued me on to this as she was inspired by Chris Brogan. Kanter’s three words were: Networked, Generosity and Full of Life. For Brogan, his were Ecosystems, Owners and Kings. According to Brogan, your three words should:

“…help you the way a lighthouse helps a ship in a storm. Give yourself a word that guides you towards a powerful new opportunity, and that keeps you focused on what comes of this year. Use these words as starting points for tangible goals, SMART goals that can be measured and have dates to accomplish tasks by. These words sit above the actual goals, and set your guiding principles in place.”

What I like about the three words, is that they are your words. So, do what works for you. For me, my three words are: Simplify and Focus. I don’t have a third, because, well, re-read my first word. 😉

Conclusion

They say people who write down their goals are more successful. You can define success any way you want–as long as you define it for yourself. So, even if you aren’t sure what your goal is, start writing down something and logging your ideas. Eventually, something will come, and when it does, it’ll be powerful because it’ll be born from within.

Just in–Causewired’s Tom Watson Will Join Us and #read4change

Image of Tom Watson's book CausewiredThe other week, I announced a new way for us book lovers to connect in a fun and meaningful way–through an online social change book club named #read4change.

After a week of collecting votes, and a battle between Allison Fine’s Momentum and Tom Watson’s Causewired, Causewired came out on top and will be the first book we discuss.

Bonus

What’s better than friends, social media and books? Imagine getting to go to your book club–and the author shows up. That’s right. Tom Watson has agreed to join us and be available for our comments, feedback and our questions!

To Participate

  1. Grab your copy of Causewired.
  2. Read and reflect.
  3. Join us November 10 at 8pm EST on Twitter
  4. Follow @read4change and track the conversation with the hashtag #read4change.

About the Book Club

Each month, lovers of books, people and making this world a better place will gather online to discuss a social change-related book–its story, its info and how it can be applied towards our work. Ideas for featured books are always welcome. Email me at socialbutterfly4change[at]gmail.com with suggestions. Until November 10, happy reading!


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Love Social Change? Join us and #read4change.

We know there are multiple ways to connect. Offline, on Facebook, within an email, etc. Many of these are quick 140-headlines and/or aren’t necessarily in real-time. So, I’m proposing a new way, a less “it’s-for-work” or “I-want-to-network” way for our community to interact.

I have an idea.

But it slightly depends on you.

So one question: Like books?

The Big Idea: An Online Social Change Book Club

I just had one of those freakish “ah-ha” moments. Bare with me while I explain…

The idea started forming when my mom told me I should add a page to my blog that talks about the books I read and recommend.

Then, my mom emailed me saying her book club wanted to get a package of books for my fiance and I as a wedding present. Ever since, I’ve spotted more books I’d like to read.

And better yet, many of you SB readers have been recommending some fascinating titles.

So, Here’s how it works:

  1. We meet online (monthly or bi-monthly–you choose) on Twitter using the hashtag: #read4change.
  2. We all throw out suggestions for us to consider. I’ll keep a running tab. Each month, together, we’ll choose a book using Twitpoll.
  3. Because this is new, we will start, with our first #read4change chat on November 7 from 11am-12pm EST.
  4. After each round, we vote on the next book based on everyone’s recommendations. A week later, the book is chosen.
  5. Good news–you can recommend a book for the group to read at any time to have it added to the list.
  6. I’m also hoping to create eventbrite invites, just so we all know who’s reading along should we want to chat prior to the livechat. If you want added to the list, shoot me an email.
  7. Maybe, down the road, we could even get the authors to join us…
  8. Quarterly, we can get off our bums and do a community service project around reading.
  9. Around the holidays, help donate books….the possibilities are endless!

Let’s Start

Here’s the list of books for us to consider for the first pow-wow, based on some recent recommendations I’ve received myself:

  1. The Social Atom by Mark Buchana (recommended by Susannah Fox)
  2. Causewired by Tom Watson (recommended Tim Brauhn)
  3. Up and Out of Poverty by Nancy Lee and Philip Kotler (recommended by Alex Rampy)
  4. Momentum by Allison Fine (recommended by Beth Kanter)
  5. Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff (recommend by Geoff Livingston)
  6. The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz (recommended by Andre Blackman)
  7. Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky (recommended by Nancy Shute)
  8. The Help, By Kathryn Stockett (recommended by Alex Rampy)
  9. Hope Dies Last by Studs Terkel (recommended by Mike Brooks)
  10. Rules for Revolutionaries by Guy Kawasaki (recommended by Amy Jussel)

Now what? Vote!

Vote on which book we’ll discuss first and I’ll announce it in a about a week what YOU chose for us all to read and chat about. In the meantime, feel free to also email me book suggestions: socialbutterfly4change@gmail.com. I’ll work on getting that page up that my mom told me about. Thanks mom. (I know she’s reading.)

 

flickr credit: Chocolate Geek
Book Images: Courtesy of Amazon