As January comes to an end, I notice that I managed to complete only some of the goals. I finished reading 6 books. I also managed to keep a good level of variety in the selection:

The Ignorant Maestro by Itay Talgam
Should We Eat Meat by Vaclav Smil
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
Elements of Journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel
This is Your Mind on Plants by Michael Pollan
On Writing Well by William Zinsser

Of all the six, I recommend The Ignorant Maestro the most. You can watch Itay Talgam’s popular TED talk on this topic to see how this book explains what works in leadership and what doesn’t. The book gave a refreshing way to think about leading people that I have not yet read in any other book.

I also recommend Caste. Isabel Wilkerson uses the established framework of Caste system in Indian society to explain the structure of racism in today’s American society. I am grateful to a new friend from the dog park who recommended this book.

On something I failed to do — I never recorded and published January’s podcast episode. I planned and planned but the timing was never right. I am trying to improvise into the mic, which is new for me. In the last few episodes, I read from a script that I painstakingly wrote. So, a new task and a new technique is doubly challenging. I haven’t given up yet. I may just have to record two episodes in February to make up.

I launched a Patreon page to fund my podcast habit. This is one way for me to know if you like hearing what I have to say. It is also a way to keep me from selling Magic Cereal and Magic Mattresses every 20 minutes.

I am excited to start reading a new set of books in February!

I’ve been eyeing a pair of noise cancelling headphones for a few months. They cost $350 and I really want them. My budget tells me there isn’t enough fun-money.

My budgeting system works well — it keeps me from spending on frivolous wants even though I can convince myself to buy: I like to read when I fly for business and the noise-cancelling feature will make my reading more pleasurable.

Friday night, the budget showed a surplus. If I waited a week or two, there would be enough fun-money to buy the headphones. Instead, I ordered three books and drained most of that surplus.

No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler — February’s book for the Growth EQ Bookclub
The Power of Regret by Daniel H. Pink for April’s Bookclub meeting
Frank Batten biography by Connie M. Sage — I heard about it from this video by Howard H. Stevenson

The past me would have bought the headphones already. The present me can’t wait to start reading those books.