Well, it is now 2019! It is time to jump into a new year of reading. I wonder where this year will take me. As I noted in my message about the 2019 reading challenge, I will be pursuing two goals: read 60 books and complete Modern Mrs. Darcy reading challenge. I am eager to get started.  Come and check out my reading list for January and read along with me.

For January, I will be working on some books that I did not finish in 2018 such as Huckleberry Finn and The Federalist Papers. They are in addition to what I am listing below. The books I am setting aside for January are some new ones centering around productivity. There is also one I have had on the shelf for a while focusing on Emotional Intelligence. I realize that I need some work in this area.

Here is what is on my reading list for January 2019:

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

Listening to podcasts over the years, I have heard this book mentioned on a number of occasions. While strolling through Barnes & Noble, I saw it sitting on a shelf and thought it would be a great way to start off the new year.

Via Amazon:

The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, based on the principle that little, everyday decisions will either take you to the life you desire or to disaster by default.

No gimmicks. No Hyperbole. No Magic Bullet. The Compound Effect is a distillation of the fundamental principles that have guided the most phenomenal achievements in business, relationships, and beyond. This easy-to-use, step-by-step operating system allows you to multiply your success, chart your progress, and achieve any desire. If you’re serious about living an extraordinary life, use the power of The Compound Effect to create the success you want.

You will find strategies including:

• How to win–every time! The No. 1 strategy to achieve any goal and triumph over any competitor, even if they’re smarter, more talented or more experienced.
• Eradicating your bad habits (some you might be unaware of!) that are derailing your progress.
• The real, lasting keys to motivation–how to get yourself to do things you don’t feel like doing.
• Capturing the elusive, awesome force of momentum. Catch this, and you’ll be unstoppable.
• The acceleration secrets of superachievers. Do they have an unfair advantage? Yes they do, and now you can too!

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

Atomic Habits is a new book that has been making the podcasting circuits. While I have become more disciplined over the years, it is always good to improve upon these skills.

Via Amazon:

No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving–every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.

If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don’t want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you’ll get a proven system that can take you to new heights.

Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily applied to daily life and work. Here, he draws on the most proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible. Along the way, readers will be inspired and entertained with true stories from Olympic gold medalists, award-winning artists, business leaders, life-saving physicians, and star comedians who have used the science of small habits to master their craft and vault to the top of their field.

Learn how to:
* make time for new habits (even when life gets crazy);
* overcome a lack of motivation and willpower;
* design your environment to make success easier;
* get back on track when you fall off course;
…and much more.

Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits–whether you are a team looking to win a championship, an organization hoping to redefine an industry, or simply an individual who wishes to quit smoking, lose weight, reduce stress, or achieve any other goal.

Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself by Mike Michalowicz

I had previously read Michalowicz’s book, Profit First and it was life-changing. When I picked up this book, I was eager to learn what he could further do to help my business—Tubarks Consulting.

Via Amazon:

Do you worry that your business will collapse without your constant presence? Are you sacrificing your family, friendships, and freedom to keep your business alive? What if instead your business could run itself, freeing you to do what you love when you want, while it continues to grow and turn a profit?

It’s possible. And it’s easier than you think.

If you’re like most entrepreneurs, you started your business so you could be your own boss, make the money you deserve, and live life on your own terms. In reality, you’re bogged down in the daily grind, constantly putting out fires, answering an endless stream of questions, and continually hunting for cash.

Now, Mike Michalowicz, the author of Profit First and other small-business bestsellers, offers a straightforward step-by-step path out of this dilemma. In Clockwork, he draws on more than six years of research and real life examples to explain his simple approach to making your business ultra-efficient.
Among other powerful strategies, you will discover how to:

* Make your employees act like owners: Free yourself from micromanaging by using a simple technique to empower your people to make smart decisions without you.

* Pinpoint your business’s most important function: Unleash incredible efficiency by identifying and focusing everyone on the one function that is most crucial to your business.

* Know what to fix next: Most entrepreneurs try to fix every inefficiency at once and end up fixing nothing. Use the “weakest link in the chain” method to find the one fix that will add the most value now.

Whether you have a staff of one, one hundred, or somewhere in between, whether you’re a new entrepreneur or have been overworked and overstressed for years, Clockwork is your path to finally making your business work for you.

Put Emotional Intelligence toWork: Equip Yourself for Success by Jeff Feldman and Karl Mulle

Emotional intelligence is an area where I need some help. I believe my lack of EQ has been holding me back in different areas.

That’s it for this month — I want to hear what good books YOU’VE read lately! Please share in the comments below.

My Reviews for This Reading List

• Book Review: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
• Book Review: Put Emotional Intelligence to Work: Equip Yourself for Success
• Book Review: The Compound Effect
• Book Review: Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself
• Book Review: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
• Book Review: On Reading, Writing and Living With Books

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