JAMES CLEAR

His book Atomic Habits is great but the 3-2-1 Newsletter from James Clear might be even better. Reading 3-2-1 has reinforced my long-held belief that white space on slides is a good thing and less can be more. James is a master of the concise message.

busy, busy, busy

I love this reminder that busy is not the point from Seth Godin. I’ve also bookmarked this article on the “Busy Trap”, which I’ll re-read from time to time. If we are always “soooo busy” we are doing something wrong.

cal newport

I think Cal Newport has it right: you need to quit social media. It is one of the few things I can definitely say has made me a measurably happier person. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for all of us to determine what is most important with the built in distractions we have in the workplace. If you are looking to find a reason not to work on what is most important, it’s easy to find.

money stuff from matt levine

To make all things Wall Street and finance simple you need to subscribe to Money Stuff from Matt Levine of Bloomberg. There’s no one who does a better job of simplifying terribly complicated subjects. He’s humorous, practical and you’ll learn something every day. Here’s a great article as background on Matt.

marginal revolution

While Marginal Revolution has the goal of teaching economics to as many people as possible, Tyler Cowen’s blog touches on subjects well beyond economics. It is an excellent resource to keep you up to date on a wide variety of topics - always interesting. I highly recommend it as a daily visit.

The ONE Thing

To influence my ability to focus on what is most important professionally I read The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller. In the midst of large, complex programs it is often difficult for team members to know what is most important to work on. I view my role as helping team members understand what their “one thing” is. I frame things in this way to help accelerate work and remove the noise that exists within any project.

my favorite personal finance books

There are so many great personal finance books. The book that got me hooked on personal finance was The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley. It helped me understand the difference between a high income and being rich. As I started to understand the concept of financial independence Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin changed my perspective. I’ve also enjoyed the simplicity of the Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins. I have recommended all of these books to the individuals I mentor. Once you’ve mastered these topics make sure to read Die with Zero.

financial independence blogs

As I started Googling questions like, “How do I achieve financial independence?” and “How much is enough?” I stumbled upon Mr. Money Mustache. It’s a bit extreme for me today but it provided a great foundational understanding of financial independence. Due to the fact that I’m a nerd I’ve also enjoyed the Mad Fientist as well as JL Collins – The Simple Path to Wealth.

books on thinking different and being independent

The books I was reading before I acted on my desire for a more independent career are The Art of Non-Conformity and The New Good Life. However, first my thinking needed to be grounded in the Magic of Thinking Big. All of these books, and others, helped me decide I needed to stop just reading articles and books about making changes and actually do something different.

minimalism for the home and office

An idea that shaped how I work and live is minimalism. While I wouldn’t describe myself as the strictest of followers, I do feel the concept has merit in the home and the office. I recommend checking out The Minimalists and watching their documentary on Netflix, “Less is Now”.

"SUPER TEMPS" AND CONSULTING DISRUPTION

In the "gig-economy" I am fascinated by the trend of temporary work moving from routine, back-office activity to strategic, leadership roles. The "Super Temp" concept introduces the simplest of business models to consulting and offers organizations what they really need for a surprisingly large number of challenges: a really talented leader, at the right time, with the right technical skills, to lead their people.

EY's view on the gig-economy

My former colleagues at EY have done an outstanding job compiling this survey and thought leadership related to the gig-economy. We not only get the employers view on the gig-economy but a very clear view from independent and contingent workers on what drives them. The key insight: the gig economy is not a fad and the organizations that understand how to best utilize this section of the workforce will have a leg up in attracting the best talent.

IS YOUR SOX APPROACH BASED ON RISK OR CAPACITY? ARE YOU SURE? 

Here’s an oldy but goody I authored that’s still relevant. I continue to see compliance programs and internal audit activity built around the capacity of team members versus risk. We’ve all experienced Parkinson’s Law that work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion. Well, it still happens with the way many large, multi-nationals approach Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) compliance.