Required Reading for Inspiration at Work

Sometimes you feel inspired, energetic and crush your day or your week.

But it’s also common to have days or weeks when you don’t feel inspired or energetic and things become a bit more monotonous.

Breaking out of this funk is critical if you want to do great work and feel inspired by that work.

And one of the best ways to break out of a lull in inspiration is through reading.

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Picking up a book can rapidly change your mood from bored, fearful, or worried to inspired, alive, and passionate.

What do I mean?

For example, if you’re feeling fearful or uncertain, you might want to check out “Feel the Fear…Do It Anyway,” which shows and gives you tactics to confront common fears ranging from asking your boss for a raise to leaving a relationship. It’s also funny which disarms your fears and allows you to move forward.

Alternatively, if you’re feeling fearful and worrying about a lot of different things in your life, there is a great book with a subtle title called “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F#%k” which will teach you how to let most things go and focus on the few key things that matter.

But what if you’re more concerned about the way the world is going. Maybe you’re concerned that people and companies are degrading the environment and creating social injustices.

Well, there are books for that too.

Grab a book like “Conscious Capitalism” which was written by the founder of Whole Foods, John Mackey, and explores how capitalism can be good.

The book takes a deep dive into how certain companies like Whole Foods, Google, Amazon, Costco, and more are creating a world that is better for all stakeholders, not just shareholders. These companies are ensuring the communities they operate within are thriving.

Talk about a way to go from uninspired to inspired.

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But what if you’re thinking to small and are having a tough time seeing the bigger picture of where your life is going?

Again, there are many books that focus specifically on thinking bigger.

The most obvious one is aptly named “The Magic of Thinking Big” which explores how setting big, hairy, audacious goals and trying to complete them can often lead to incredible results. The book has already helped millions of people improve their lives and is almost guaranteed to break you out of your funk.

Or, you could check out a more biographical book about thinking big like “Hatching Twitter” which follow the birth of social media giant Twitter and the sometimes tumultuous events that allowed a small group of people to create one of the largest companies in the world. With 4.5 stars on Amazon, you’ll certainly walk away more knowledgeable and inspired to do something big.

Finally, maybe you just don’t know what you need to do to succeed and that’s why you’re in a funk.

Well, surprise, surprise, there is a book, actually scratch that, dozens of books on this topic specifically.

You could start by checking out a classic, Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers,” which explores why certain people are better at something than others. The book paints a fairly simple and easy to understand picture of just how to become the best at a certain activity, job, etc.

Or check out “Originals: How Nonconformists Change the World” which explores how to identify and champion a great idea. This book will teach you how to find that great idea and make it a reality which should leave you feeling excited and possibly even inspired to do great work.

In conclusion, if you’re feeling uninspired or in a funk, don’t stay there. You just have to pick one up!