Feb 18, 2018
A Millennial’s Consumption List
Last year I wrote a post called A Millennial’s End of Summer reading list and a lot of people expressed that they liked seeing what I was reading. This year, I’m back, but with more than just books. This ‘Consumption’ List includes podcasts I’m listening to, my fave newsletter subscriptions and useful apps. Hope you enjoy getting an insight into why I think the way I do.
Do reach out to me on and let me know what you think!
……………………………………………………………………………………….
‘Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardour and attended to with diligence.’ ― Abigail Adams, second First Lady of the United States
I used to be really conscious about how much I consumed.
Whether it was news, magazines, music or anything else.
I stopped reading the Metro (free newspaper in the UK) on the way into work as most of the stories are too depressing or really irrelevant stories about celebrities.
And then I realised although quantity is important, quality is even more important.
I now make a conscious decision to consume good things — what I buy, books I read or food I eat, that make me a better person, help me learn something new or give me positive energy. Whether that is to do with the things I buy, books I read or food I eat. As a result, I have seen a vast improvement in my mood and my self-development.
Lifelong learning is something we should all aim to be doing — learning about yourself, the world and the perspectives of others.
Learning doesn’t end when you leave school or university (if anything it starts then).
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Podcasts
I love podcasts. There are some really incredible podcasts out there that can entertain or educate you or even both. At the moment here are a few that I’m listening to:
- The After Work Drinks Club: a podcast about lessons we can learn from successful entrepreneurs. Vanessa interviews up and coming entrepreneurs about their journey so far and asking them for practical tips for those wishing to follow suit. At the start of every podcast, Vanessa and the guest cheers to something they are grateful for that week — I particularly love this segment as it is so nice to hear what people are grateful for. This one is a must-listen.
In Good Company with Otegha Uwagba: although Otegha is in the creative industry, there is so much I learn from her podcasts. Her voice is really soothing (lol) so I feel like I am in the room when she invites successful founders to talk about their experiences. Her agony aunt section — Ask Otegha where she answers questions from people starting their careers is great and very insightful!
- Optimal Living Daily: I love the Optimal podcasts (I also listen to optimal finance and health, too). They release daily podcasts — circa 10 minutes long, reading from some of the best blogs on a particular topic, e.g. personal development. Every Monday is Minimalism Mondays which I love! It is a great podcast to listen to during your commute.
- FT Banking Weekly: This is a podcast for those of you interested in/working in financial services. I love this weekly podcast from the FT covering the top banking stories of the week. Patrick Jenkins always invites knowledgeable and sometimes controversial guests. The podcast is both informative and entertaining and also much much less expensive than a monthly FT subscription…
Books
I really really love reading. Honestly, I could never be bored talking about books. In any given week I am probably reading about 3 books at once. Here are some books I have read, I am currently reading or plan to read in the next few weeks.
- Companion by Bell Hooks — Gloria Jean Watkins, better known by her pen name Bell Hooks, is an American author, feminist, and social activist. Honestly my life has changed after reading a Bell Hooks book which sounds like such a trite ‘woke’ thing to say but honestly, she is incredible. I think her books should be compulsory reading for every woman in the world. I feel triggered by absolutely every sentence, that sometimes I have to put the book down to deep the chapter I have just read. She writes about self-love, finding your worth and generational trauma. INCREDIBLE.
Diversify by June Sarpong — I was fortunate enough to meet & have dinner with June Sarpong in January with the Black Girls Book club and got a signed copy of her new book Diversify. She is honestly so down-to-earth and inspiring. Looking forward to diving into this book.
-Dream Big, Hustle Hard— Calling all undergrads and recent graduates you need to buy Abadesi’s book, Dream Big Hustle Hard. This book will come as a shock to those who think that millennials are lazy and entitled .It is honestly incredible and in it she shares honest stories about how she has navigated the job market post graduation and re-defined what success looks to her. It includes clear actions points at the end of every chapter on topics such as finding the right grad job for you and negotiating your salary. Please if you have friends/daughters/sons/mentees just leaving uni or changing career this books is a must! You can find out more about it here.
- Colourless Tshukuru and Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami — one of my new year’s resolutions is to read more fiction. I am hoping to read one fiction book a month and to start the year I am keeping it safe reading one of my favourite authors, Murakami. Honestly, his work is just incredible. Surrealist but so realistic at the same time. Weird but weird in a very good way. You’re going to have to read one of his books to know what I mean.
Newsletters
I have a lot of newsletter subscriptions. My personal inbox is constantly flooded but I like to think it is full of good content. Here are some of my favourite newsletter subscriptions.
- Aeon — I just love Aeon content. Most of the content is written by academics at top institutions and the articles are always looking at things from a new angle, not just backed with opinions but hard evidence and research. Although the articles are long (circa 1200 words), you can listen to the articles as well. To give you a taste here is one of my favourite posts, titled: Before you can be with others, you must first learn to be alone.
- Medium — shameless plug for the platform I am writing on. If you don’t have a Medium account, you need to get one today. The day I found Medium I was truly gobsmacked because the content is amazing and I felt like I had access to hundreds of amazing writers thoughts and opinions all in one place. Some of my fave writers include Thomas Oppong, Benjamin P. Hardy and Chris Marchie. Seriously don’t miss out, get an account and join the community!
- Vestpod — if you are interested in personal finance, how to save your coin especially if you are a woman, you NEED to subscribe to Vestpod. They produce simple to understand, interesting and thought-provoking personal finance content, sharing from the real-life experiences and money lessons from everyday women. Check out the site here and subscribe to their newsletter!
- Wired Magazine — if you love Black Mirror, you will love reading Wired. It is honestly a fantastic magazine covering how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Read this interesting post on bad tech habits.
- Flipboard — Flipboard is a cool news aggregator that finds interesting news articles from across the internet on topics you choose. The articles are always unique and interesting reads and not too long either. Perfect for my evening commutes. I have only been using it for a few months so probably haven’t tapped into all its glory so let me know if you have any tips.
Apps
- iBooks: I don’t know how I have only just started using the iBooks app. I am currently reading Simon Sinek’s Start with Why and Nikesh Shukla’s The Good immigrant on there and I love it. The app is great especially when I cba to get my book from my bag during my commute home #lazy. I love highlighting sentences that resonate with me and how the background switches to a black background on white writing when I read at night.
- Fitbit: So I got a FitBit Blaze last year and I love it. There is something fun about competing with yourself (and others — my Mum and I have weekly challenges) on the number of steps you have walked that day. I also love the ‘Exercises’ feature that gives me exercise ideas in the gym, the countdown timer for when I’m cooking and the breathing exercises for when I am trying to fall asleep.
- Linkedin Learning: I have raved about LinkedIn Learning before, but essentially it is an online learning app connected to LinkedIn. I have completed courses in writing articles, public speaking and improving your memory. At least use your free trial here.
- Eventbrite: if you want to meet new people in your city whether in your sector or not, you need to get an Eventbrite account. Through the app, you can see loads of events happening around you covering a variety of topics. Either that or join my networking group.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and finding out how I try and keep my thoughts fresh and alive. (Does that even make sense Mary…?) Let me know what stands out to you below, or on Twitter or Instagram.
Finally remember the very wise words of Tim Saunders ‘Education without application is just entertainment.’
Once you have consumed the content, what do you do with this knowledge? I try and share interesting things I have learnt online or with my colleagues and friends that day or soon after.
Let’s get into the habit of application and not just mindless consumption. — Tweet this
Have a great week.
