Using Books as Tools for Better Living: A Practical Guide

You’re not the only one who’s read an entire self-help book, nodded along the whole way, then set it down and never did a single thing differently. It’s a common cycle—especially for two groups: avid self-help readers and young adults just starting to figure out how to live life on their own terms. You read one book after another looking for answers, inspiration, or some kind of plan. But instead of change, you end up with a bookshelf full of advice and a life that continues to look the same. Reading is easy. Applying is hard. The truth is, books …

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Atomic Habits Implementation Resources

The book Atomic Habits from James Clear is a great book for those looking to improve their life/work/whatever outcomes. Looking to increase your good habits or decrease your bad ones? Both here.

These Curious Pursuit implementation resources can help you put the ideas in the book into practice.

Atomic Habits Summary & Resources

Atomic Habits by James Clear is a practical guide to building better habits and breaking bad ones by focusing on small, consistent changes. Clear argues that success is the result of systems, not goals, and that identity-based habits—changing who you believe you are—create lasting transformation. The book introduces the Four Laws of Behavior Change: make it obvious, make it attractive, make it easy, and make it satisfying. Through compelling stories and research-backed insights, Clear shows how tiny habits compound over time, leading to remarkable results. The core message: small daily improvements lead to massive long-term growth. Effort – Benefit Analysis …

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Getting More Summary & Resources

Willpower, by Roy Baumeister and John Tierney, is a guide to understanding and boosting your self-control. The book seeks to debunk myths about willpower being a fixed trait and instead reveals it as a resource that gets depleted with use. It also shows how to replenish it through strategies like prioritizing sleep, mindful eating, and building healthy habits. By understanding how willpower works and implementing the book’s tips, you can better prepare yourself to achieve goals, make better decisions, and live a more fulfilling life. Effort – Benefit Analysis of the Power of Full Engagement Book … Scope: Personal Level …

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Power of Full Engagement Summary & Resources

“The Power of Full Engagement” by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz argues that the key to high performance and personal fulfillment lies in managing your energy, not just your time. Effort – Benefit Analysis of the Power of Full Engagement Book … Scope: Personal Level of Effort: Daily/Weekly/Monthly Habits Areas of Effect: Personal Effectiveness, Fitness Instead of focusing on putting in long hours, the book teaches readers how to cultivate four essential dimensions of energy: By optimizing these four energy dimensions, individuals can achieve “full engagement,” a state of being where they are physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused, and …

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Summary & Resources

Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” isn’t simply a self-help book; it’s a full-bodied philosophy for living a principle-centered, character-driven life. Each habit builds upon the previous one, creating a framework for personal and professional success. It claims to be the distillation of anciently proven ideas on how to find success worth finding. It may be that but it’s also a modern way to frame both a more reliably product life. Effort – Benefit Analysis of the 7 Habits Book … Scope: Personal, Family, Friendships, Organization Level of Effort: Daily/Weekly/Monthly Habits Areas of Effect: Personal Effectiveness, Relationships, …

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Becoming a Better Technical Leader

If you are interested in some tools to help you implement the ideas in this article and associated book by joining our mailing list. I once left a high paying job merely to escape from my direct boss. It was a good job and I was leading a team I loved, but none of that was worth working for this person. Others on the team joined me out the door over the next few months. That’s the impact of poor leadership and my experience is that the impact is heightened when leading technical teams. I enjoy leading teams of smart, capable …

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