The time between Christmas and New Year’s Day has a different pace to it. We can’t remember the date or even what day of the week it is sometimes. While we’re all confused and full of cheese, as the joke goes, I’ve come across a lot of posts about how this is the time to map out the next year. That’s tough enough already but we’re absolutely sunk if we don’t take a minute and use the time we have right now to reflect on what got us to where we are.
So fighting through the haze, I put together a short collection of some books and podcasts that stuck with me this year. Transparency alert, these aren’t reviews or “must reads.” What I’m sharing today all contributed to get me where I am right now. They either gave me clarity, steadiness, or even a nudge back toward myself.
This isn’t a list of what to read next. It’s a reflection of what stayed with me.
With that caveat and presented in a bit of order…my list:
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport
Let’s start off with this one. It was really this book that kick started my entire journey this year. Cal Newport’s book is a look at the world of the knowledge worker in a modern post Covid society.
What knowledge workers need, Newport writes, is a new understanding of “cognitive work” and importantly, how we measure that work. There is a misalignment between actual desired outcomes of the work and how the work itself is organized and measured. Seeing this as a leading cause of the dreaded burnout, Newport doesn’t give us a “reactionary response,” or quick fix. He slow walks us through a viable plan. (See what I did right there.)
He labels a lot of what is considered exemplar effort around work these days, “Pseudo Productivity,” or looking busy to look busy. The more you do and add to your plate tends to be a yardstick of worth even if what you do is more or less busy work. So, the more you can churn out, the better you are at your job. Impact on the people you serve is harder to measure and so, in essence, becomes secondary in the current system.
But does looking busy and overworked make you great, though?
Hard no.
Newport says this view of success misses the point entirely. Knowledge workers, and those who “manage” them are asked to reflect on and revise how we organize our efforts as well as how we measure the impact of those efforts. As a direct result of the difficulty creating a common understanding of just what effective impact really means, the “frenzied activity of the daily grind” has become the primary stand in for measuring effectiveness. In most cases we’re still using an industrial measure for work that is anything but factory work.
When I read this, it was a total lightbulb moment for me because I was feeling this in my bones but hadn’t found the words. And then he just dropped this on me:
“This is what ultimately matters, where you end up, not the speed in which you get there or the number of people you impress with your jittery busyness along the way”
Preach
So what does he suggest?
- Do fewer things
- Work at a natural pace
- Obsess over quality
It’s a question we ask in education a lot: who is this decision best for, the kids or the adults? But now it becomes, Who is the current system for? Managers looking for easy indicators of effort? Or leaders who are focused on meaningful results?
This book caught me as a wave of ambivalence was starting to wash over me. I was feeling like I was in a hamster wheel of jittery business that was not my own making. I had lost focus on what I knew really matters, the kids in the districts I get to work with. Newport’s work gave me permission to reflect on what and why I’m driven to do what I do.
I’m in, Cal.
I’m in.
From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks
This was the year that I finally gave in and recognized that I am officially “Newly Old.” Things are different and I have to face facts. Enter the next book to impact me. From Strength to Strength walks readers through what the second half of life could be all about if we have a different perspective on things. Leaning in on the positive, Brooks asks us to reflect on successes and the journey we’ve taken to get where we are now. It’s not a requiem for that earlier life, there is no tough love here. We aren’t asked to bury it. Instead, we’re asked to look at what made it so great and how that has led us to a next step in life where we can use that success to build more, but different, success
This didn’t come across like a self-help book either. Not a sign of “Big aging hates this one thing” vibe. It never plays the “age and treachery defeats youth and ignorance any day” card. He also avoids toxic positivity. Seriously, I would have tossed this book if he had even come close to that.
What he does do is provide some deeper messages that are reassuring and enlightening through some simple metaphors and stories.
Here’s an example of simplicity of delivery but not simplicity of message. This one was the most impactful lesson for me personally.
First, think of your brain as a massive library with an impressive collection of materials from years of acquisitions. Next, this place also has a great librarian who has been helpful and quick during his tenure. But, just like our bodies he doesn’t respond like he used to or move as fast grabbing things off the shelf when we ask for it. Lately it seems that when all we want is to look at a specific book it takes forever for him to find it, if he can find it at all. That’s frustrating.
Clearly we’re talking about our memories here and if quick access of information was a strength for you in the past, this new (non) work flow can be devastating. Brooks talks us through how that previous strength can actually lead to a new strength. Let’s go back to the library.
Yes, it might take our librarian longer to access the resources we requested, but when he does find it, this guy has brought all kinds of other resources with him. Even better, he’s highlighted ways that this extra stuff is connected to your original search. Whether you acknowledge it or not, you’ve accumulated material that can add context and nuance to your original resource. And these are things that might not be obvious connections to other people. They are unique to you and your library.
True, you might not be able to recall that fact, quote, or author as quickly as you used to in the past. But, when you do track it down you can use what you find so much better than you could in the past because meaning making, connection, and context get better with more resources to access even if we access them more slowly. Speedy recall blends into deep context and connections. This reads like an update on that cliche, with age comes wisdom. Brooks is reassuring us that it actually happens.
Here is the magic I found in Brooks’ book: Old strengths turn to new strengths…if we learn to develop and not get stuck in a frustration loop and a deficit mindset.
I’m much closer to retirement than entry level these days. I was feeling a little off about that, to be honest. What would I want to do for my next act when the time comes. And more stressfully, what could I still do at this stage of my work life?
From Strength to Strength gave me clarity, and frankly, some reassurance about my worry of still contributing. I was carrying around unease, hesitation, and even some physical tension. After finishing, though, all that was replaced with some serious reassurance, if not downright excitement.
I realized I was finding some new strengths but I wasn’t acknowledging them. I was too hung up on what I felt I wasn’t as good at anymore. This book set me up with excitement and passion about all the ways I can continue to find happiness in pursuing my passion that’s kept me moving all these years.
Check it out, even if you’re not quite newly old like me.
Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl
For whatever reason, I just had never gotten around to reading this. And I was absolutely missing out but also, I don’t think it would have landed like it did if I had read it earlier in my life.
Yes, this is the story of how one man survived the horror of the Holocaust and came through with a profound understanding about the power of finding purpose and meaning has for all of us.
If you’re like me and you know of the book but haven’t read it yet, here’s a high level summary. It’s in two distinct parts. The book opens with Frankl’s experiences in concentration camps. Through his recounting of his daily survival, he provides deep insights into life and the power hope and meaning have in our lives even in the worst possible situations. In the second half of the book, Frankl shares framework he developed as a direct result of his survival. He shares that even when we can’t control what’s happening to us, we still have power and control in how we respond. And, that meaning comes from purpose and how we carry ourselves through suffering. His big theory of Life, the Universe, and Everything revolves around the idea that humans are motivated by the search for meaning and not from pleasure or power.
Almost none of us, especially me, are likely to live through anything like Frankl. His core belief about motivation helped me stay focused in my day job and my side gig here. The book was a gentle reminder to keep the main thing the main thing. And it fit perfectly as a kind of centering glue from what I was feeling with Slow Productivity and Strength to Strength.
Read a classic this year and give this one a spin.
The Creative Act – Rick Rubin
This one was an audio book and I would HIGHLY recommend that as the way to take this one in.
Look, it’s Rick Rubin. Talking about creativity. Himself. I completely get how he got the best out of every one he’s worked with in the studio.
This book is a meditation on creativity and how to get the most out of yourself without stress or judgement. He stays far away from any Self Help cliche. And there’s no overt woo woo stuff either. The book is literally an incredibly cool dude helping the listener (reader) take a look at what creativity is and how it can look and be in anyone.
And earlier when I said it’s a meditation, the audio book literally has him ringing a bell as a signal that an important idea was shared or it’s about to be a new chapter.
It’s different and it worked for me.
The Inward Trilogy (inward, clarity & connection, the way forward) – yung pueblo
This trilogy is all about slowing down and experiencing what is simply happening without any sort of strategies or leadership tips on how to be more productive or effective. Maybe because of that, these books broke into my pattern this year of getting things done so I could feel accomplished. With these, I wasn’t pushed to do anything but slow down and listen. I was experiencing language as art, not as a means to an end. And true story, each of the books in the trilogy made me physically relax as I read.
I’m not going to climb into the author’s mind here but the trilogy works like a journey of self awareness. The first book, inward, pulls us toward our center through all the layers we’ve created to get closer to who we really are. The second book, clarity and connection, asks us to use the new perspective from the inward journey to consider our connections to others and the world at large. The last book, the way forward, is just that. After pulling us in and asking us to reexamine how we both perceive ourselves and operate in the world with each other, he now gently pushes us back into the world at large to interact with it and each other with our new context.
If you need someone to move you away from all the busy work to remind yourself of what really matters right now, don’t skip this trilogy.
Local Practitioners
Strong systems and strong culture are still the fastest way to support teachers and kids. A couple of local authors I read this year have some great examples of this. (There’s one more I haven’t finished yet so that one will get its own space later.)
The Blueprint – Todd Bloomer
Straight up life lessons from a long time practitioner. Todd provides a literal blueprint for success to aspiring and sitting school administrators.
There’s a great balance of strategies and real world examples of them in action for readers to be able to run with this regardless of years of experience.
This one kept me grounded in my roots as a school leader and a practitioner, and that reminded me of the perspective I bring in my new roles.
Sustaining Excellence: How Culture Drives Teacher Retention – Martin Silverman
Another long time administrator with leadership and life tips that resonate. Marty’s focus here is all about the culture of a campus and how getting that right leads to keeping teachers which leads directly to positive impacts for kids.
Marty’s focus is culture, plain and simple. He makes a clear case that when culture is right, teachers stay, and kids benefit. It pulled me back to lessons I learned early on and reminded me to keep those ideas front and center in my current work.
Podcasts
All of these appeal to me for different reasons, but they share one thing in common: they ground me and push my thinking. The hosts are engaging, but it’s the guests and conversations that keep pulling me back and leaving me a little more centered than when I started.
10% Happier with Dan Harris
A former ABC news reporter and national anchor means his interview skills are through the roof. His whole premise is based on the idea that striving for “happiness” is a road to frustration. But, if we change our perception to trying to be just 10% happier, we’re always on the hook for improving. And yes, happiness is more than sunshine and unicorns. It speaks to a deeper meaning. We share a similar Gen X sensibility too so there’s that. This one and The Daily Stoic are sort of my pillars these days.
Alive with Steve Burns
Yes, he’s that guy from Blue’s Clues. And he’s still just as calm, inviting and the right kind of offbeat. The whole vibe of this show is anti-grind and hustle culture. Great guests here and it’s so good to have this guy back. FYI, his Instagram is also a fun follow. It’s a newer show and I’m loving it so far.
Fail Better with David Duchovny
Duchovny is so much more than that X Files guy. I love that he takes some risks with the show and tries things out. And sometimes it just doesn’t work. And, his guests are surprising and his interactions with them keeps me engaged. Bonus, he comes from a family of educators and is basically an ABD in English.
Soul Boom – Rainn Wilson
Soul Boom snuck up on me. I found it because he was a guest on another podcast and talked about it. I love Wilson’s comedic work with some characters he’s used on some other podcasts. This one though is the real Rainn Wilson. After his dad passed away, Wilson started thinking a lot about spirituality and where it had gone off to in modern society. The podcast (and book and YouTube work) all center on finding a deeper meaning beyond the simple here and now. Great guests and some grounding conversations.
Re:Thinking with Adam Grant
A psychology professor and author, this is the fun side of academic conversations that aren’t academic. Ok, sometimes I feel like he’s being contrarian to be contrarian and that’s a little off putting to me. And, I still go back to this show every episode.
Daily Stoic – Ryan Holiday
I laugh when I think about my initial reaction to this show. I was stand offish to say the least. I saw him speak at a conference a few years ago and was drawn to his message of Stoicism. Until I heard him talk, I had always assumed Stoicism was about being emotionless and unfeeling. It’s really not. Nor is it an excuse to be a jerk. It’s just the opposite
I gave him the benefit of the doubt and I’m glad I did. This podcast is my daily start, literally. I listen to it as I’m making coffee and feeding the cats. Yes, there can be a few too many plugs for merch and courses. And the guests he has on continue to impress. He is able to have some candid conversations with just about everyone who joins him.
This is the show that gives me some context and grounding.
And the rest…
Just in case you’re thinking I’m super boring and all about work…I read a lot non academic stuff too. I have some mystery authors for you if you like. Some science fiction. And some pretty nerdy non fiction too (literally reading a book by the guy who does the Nerdwriter YouTube channel) And don’t get me started on podcasts. Let me know if you want to talk about UFOs, ghosts, Big Foot, Cults, or college football. I’ve got a podcast or two for you.
The point is, all the things I talked about here have grounded me. And there’s a balance too. I find ways to take mental breaks and have fun. I think that’s an important note to end on.
I would love to know what you read or listened to that got you to where you are now. What’s your grounded reading list?
Learning to Leading Bridge 
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