Niklas Goeke is a 23 year old German student, aspiring marketing entrepreneur and author of the book How to google – the Ultimate Guide to finding everything! Every day he tries to take a step out of his comfort zone which in his eyes is always a step towards happiness. He uses this mentality to help others in his work as a personal coach These are his good things.
Good things to read
Managing Oneself. Peter F. Drucker is often called the founder of modern management. I’m not surprised. I don’t think I have ever learned more about myself from 60 tiny pages than when reading this book. Drucker suggests you ask yourself a few simple questions, in order to determine how you perform best. He also encourages you to share the insight you gain with anyone whom you choose to cooperate with. Some people, for example, might be readers, not listeners, thus rendering it useless talking to them for 2 hours, when all they really need to understand you, is a piece of paper with 10 bullet points. This book changed the way I learn and work dramatically. I highly recommend the audiobook (if you happen to be a listener). It is just 45 minutes long and I have listened to it multiple times on longer drives in the car.
Rich Dad Poor Dad. I got this book as a gift. I didn’t know the author, Robert T. Kiyosaki, before, but someone very successful recommended this book to me, so I thought I’d give it a try. I didn’t read this book, I ate it. I read it cover to cover within less than 5 days. This is the best book to get you started on personal finance. It uses storytelling to show the difference between having an investor mentality of acquiring assets and having a consumer mentality of spending all your income. Robert uses simple graphics to explain income statements and balance sheets and shows you the beginnings of having your money work for you instead of working for money yourself.
On the shortness of life. Whenever I read a page in this book, I marvel at Seneca. It takes a lot to write something that is just as relevant in 2000 years, as it was at the time you wrote it. He argues that life is actually quite long and a substantial amount has been given to all of us – we just waste most of it. Why are you stingy with money you can always make back, but let everyone take up your time most willingly? Often so little of life is truly lived, the rest is merely time. A clear lesson: Don’t keep yourself busy with things you will not remember, but make the most of each day!
Good things to watch
Fed Up. A great movie about the food industry from 2014. I like how it doesn’t promote any singular lifestyle, such as veganism or paleo, but focuses more on the root of a lot of problems: processed sugar. It shows you how you have been manipulated and how hard it is to escape a lot of the common misconceptions about what food is healthy and what isn’t. In the end you are also proposed with a simple solution that you can start implementing today.
How to get things done and stop sucking your thumb. A great video by one of my favorite guys online, Tai Lopez. Take the challenge of not procrastinating on small things for a week. Look at all outside requests like small bullets shot at you, which you must deflect instantly, either by getting things done right away, or delegating/not doing them at all.
Ocean’s Eleven. I can watch this movie 100 times over and still love it. I always learn something about the balance between being a gentleman and a badass, how to talk more eloquently and I sure as hell always laugh my ass off.
Good things to use
Dropbox. Originally I was going to put my macbook here. But after thinking about it, it’s really more Dropbox, that holds my entire life in a folder. Of course I use my macbook for web, writing and recreation, but if it broke today, I could just get any other laptop, and be set up again within minutes. I have it fairly neatly organized and save all my writing and projects there, so I can access them from anywhere. Bump up your space by doing some of the things suggested here.
My feet. I really like to walk. I don’t own a bicycle. I take the car or public transport for long distances, but everything that’s within 30 minutes of walking, I walk to. Every step counts. I also often choose to stand while working, because my shoulders and arms start to hurt if I sit down typing for too long.
Cold showers. It’s amazing how hardwired comfort has become into our brains. It’s time to toughen up! Not only do cold showers come with great health benefits (testosterone for guys, it closes your pores after cleaning and makes your skin less vulnerable, makes you more resistant, boosts your immune functions, and can even be used to accelerate weight loss), but also do they boost confidence beyond anything else I have seen. Go in as a wimp, come out as a winner. This transforms my entire day. Forget coffee, this will wake you up. After you’ve done this, no matter what the day brings, you’ll feel confident, prepared and already have a small win in the bank, which no one can take away from you. If I can do it, so can you!
Connect with Niklas on Twitter, @niklasgoeke, if you want to talk about learning and self-improvement, marketing, or just say hello!
Three things to read, watch, and use 