Book Review: Today Matters by John C. Maxwell

Once in a while I like to read self help books. Today Matters by John C. Maxwell was highly recommended book by many. The full name of the book actually adds to the Today Matters a second title, 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow's Success, which actually tells quite much about the book.

Book explains a simple way to succeed tomorrow - make every day count. The whole idea of the book is to understand to concentrate to today. Make the right decisions every day to support your growth to whatever you wish to be in your life.

John C. Maxwell is author of many books, priest and teacher of leadership. He has been given many rewards about leadership and management. He seems to be interesting character, who gives quite easy and straightforward advice.

I've read some self help books about success and in a way there wasn't that much new in the book for me. Still the idea, which is so simple, concentrate to today, is something that easily gets lost in the busy world we live in. Every day counts. You shouldn't care too much about the past and definitely not think too much about future. You need to make the right decisions every day to help you to become who you want to be.

The idea in the book is to concentrate to the 12 Daily Practices. These are basically values or point of views that should be taken in to account every day. I did write my own Mission Statement after reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and I think the ideology behind is similar. That's the reason I'm not taking this in to daily use for now. For many people those 12 practices definitely will be valuable.

Once a year it is good to read a classic like this about personal development. If you haven't ever read one or haven't read one for a while, I recommend this book. It's a good book and it did change my behavior a bit already. I enjoyed it and it was quite easy to read. So go ahead and read it.

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen

Book Review: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind

I've wanted to know about Zen for a while now. I selected my first contact with Zen to be a book Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. It's a collection of stories from Zen master who taught in US for many years.

It might be the first book ever which is hard for me to review. It's hard to say anything about Zen teaching, because of I'm totally new to Zen myself. Also saying something about Zen book somehow insults the way I understand Zen. And then also the idea in Zen is to keep always learning with clear mind.

Book was really interesting to read. Almost every story told in the book got me thinking. It takes time to read the book and fully have the time to think on the teaching taught in the book. Good thing is that these stories are just short enough to read in ten minutes and then stop to think a bit more on what was actually said.

All I can say about the actual content is that it at least got me much more interested on Zen than before the book. I guess it has done it's job on that sense.

If you have any interest on Zen, I definitely recommend to read the book.

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen

Learning from others

There's something to learn from everyone. Everyone have some skill or practice that they are good at and also some habit or practice that they could do much better. There's learnings in good and bad.

Learning is often in the beginning mimicking others. We first do as others do in same situations. Then some get to the next level on understanding why things are done as they are. For most of the things learning is always mimicking the behavior of others.

It's important not to be stuck with learning only from those who you admire. There's something in every person that should be learned. It's important to keep your senses open. Otherwise you lose many potential learnings.  

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen

Book review: You're Not So Smart by David McRaney

"This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes."  This famous Matrix quote could have been the starting lines of this wonderful book You're Not So Smart by David McRaney. After reading this, there really is no turning back. You will see the world differently. And you will see yourself differently.

If it wasn't clear already, this book is about psychology. It tells 48 things about behavior and people, that changes the way you see the world. There's so many great things in the book, that it's impossible to raise any one out from there. There are articles about how our behavior can and is manipulated, how we incorrectly believe the world to be, how our memory works and lots and lots of more. I'm sure I'm going to write many things related to this book for months ahead.

The book is like a Mythbusters of human behavior. Every article even starts by telling misconception and truth, bit similarly to mythbusters. The only thing in this book is that all the myths are busted. These are not made up by David McRaney, but all of these are from psychological studies from all over the world. David has just made it easy and joyful to read.

I have to warn that it's not easy to read. You have to really be open to yourself when reading this. There will be moments, that you say to yourself, I'm not like that. It's the other people who are like that, not me. But no, you and I, and most of us suit exactly to these statements presented in this book. That is exactly the point, most of us think that they are smarter than most of us. So wanted or not, this book is about you. How you are tricked and affected by the things you don't believe that affects you. You think you are smart and on top of your thoughts and actions, but you are not. You are more fragile than you think.

I do now, that studied from science is not the absolute truth. Those keep on evolving all the time. So I've read it with some precautions in mind. Still there's so much good proof for many these cases that I do believe in those. Keep open, but careful mind when reading this.

It's hard to say to whom this would be for. I would like to say for all, but I know some are not even smart enough to want to read this. So I hope anyone who are willing to know more about human behavior would read this. It is one of the best books I've ever read.

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen

Experience can't be counted in years

People always talk about experience with years. In job adverts the requirement for a job might be x years doing something specific. The same goes with articles and resumes, everyone is always talking about years of experience. Funny thing is, that years of experience, doesn't really tell anything about experience or expertise.

dictionary.reference.com

Experience is actually learning. Experience means, that someone have learned from what she has experienced doing something. So experience as such includes the actual learning. So it can't be counted in years.

I've seen many people who have history of working years in some area, but still they seem to lack some basic understanding on their area. Experience requires that when you encounter something, one learns from it. So one needs to know how to adapt previously learned experience to the new situation. One needs to know how that situation suits the overall environment in their experience area. This will help them for a better outcome from the situation.

What experience should not mean is that someone will do the things in the same way as they did the last time. That's actually the worst kind of experience there is. This is what I call stubborn experience. People who have used to do the things in, once a good way, does the things all the time the same way. That's not learning at all. That's an experience that should be avoided.

I know years is the only easily measurable unit of experience. It's easy to say that 5 years of experience is better than 1 year. That one most people can agree. But what if there is 3 years compared to 5 years. You can't really tell the difference in which is more competent, can you? Experience in years is not a good measure and no one should ever count on that only.

Don't be fooled or afraid of experience. If you are a recruiter, make sure that one has actually learned something from those years of working in area. If you are someone trying to get a job, make sure the other end understands that you have a learned knowledge in year working in that area. Maybe it would be better to say in CV that " I have x years of continuous learning in the area", instead of just stating that "I have x years of experience in that area".

Today is the best day to learn something new.

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen

Seth Godin talks about leadership strategy

One of my favorite bloggers and authors Seth Godin talks about leadership and much more. One thing I always admire on Seth, is the way he is always short, but informative, he is inspiring, but doesn't waste your time with unnecessary jargon and there's always something new to think about. Check the video out.



Exclusive interview with Seth Godin from GiANT Impact on Vimeo.  

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen

Book I read: 7 Habits of highly effective people

I got some recommendations that I should read Stephen R. Covey's, 7 habits of highly effective people. It's an old book, I guess you could call it classic on self management and evolving yourself. For appreciation for these people who recommended this one, I decided to give it a go, even the title wasn't really attempting for me.

I honestly thought by the title and sells speeches, that book would give easy answers to be more effective. And I do hate easy answers, because I don't believe those to work. If something seems too good to be true, it often is. For that reason, I wasn't really expecting much out of this book, but how wrong was I.

Book really digs deep in behavior of a person and tries to change the way you think of life and your way to response to it. It gives some really good ideas and also practical tips how you can get more out of your life, not only about work or personal life, but everything as whole. No wonder it has sold over 15 million pieces. Even though it is an old book and lot have changed with internet and mobile nowadays, it is absolutely valid still today. It could be even more valid now than it used to be in the time it was released.

Only thing I found bit annoying was that towards the end the message started to be bit of a preaching. Some things related to religion and behavior started to be presented as facts of life, not as opinions of a writer. In 21th century, I think many people don't have such a strict points of view for those things.

Have to say it was pleasure to read it. I definitely learned from it and I'm already trying out some of the things presented there. Also I notices that I'm already following some parts of the habits, so this was a good boost to continue on that way.

This one goes once again to my recommended reading list.

Written by +Henri Hämäläinen