5 Lessons my 2020 Reading List taught me going into 2021

There are so many books out there. It is easy to get distracted and just keep randomly jumping from reading one book to the next. It is also one thing to read a book, another thing to recall what you have read and another to think about how the key learnings or lessons will change your life.

Do you agree? It is easy to pile up so many recommendations and read so many random books but not actually implement anything differently in your life.

About my reading strategy: I prefer to read intentionally by picking themes that I want to learn more about and then searching and finding the best books in these areas. I also read multiple books at a time to get the crossover effect of my combined thoughts on the different subject areas or perspectives from different authors.

I also believe an effective reading strategy needs an effective note-taking strategy. I make notes whilst I read (in the margins if the book is physical or in my iPhone notes if on Audible) to share my reflections, thoughts and opposing arguments.

So here are the 5 lessons my 2020 reading list taught me, that I am taking into this new year.

What did you learn from your 2020 reading list?

Lesson 1: Appreciate the Present

I enjoyed re-reading a few Eckart Tolle novels (Power of Now, Practising the Power of Now, A New Earth) as he really emphasises the importance of being present in the now, letting go of material items and disassociating from the world’s labels. Tolle emphasises that to do this, awareness is the first step, awareness that your number of likes on your latest Instagram post affects how you feel or awareness of that feeling you get inside when someone says they like your outfit. Similar concepts are mirrored in Awareness by Anthony de Mello, one of my favourites from 2020.

I also loved reading Untamed by Glennon Doyle which asked the big question ‘What is the biggest most beautiful life you could live?’ — and why aren’t you living it?. Filled to the brim with interesting…