Session 3 Telephone Checklist: Fill & Download for Free

Hi. Pleased to meet you.Come inside and have a seat. Allow me to take you on a Grand tour of 26 years being a manager at a major hardware store .Our day starts off at 7.50am. As part of management, I usually arrive before the rest of the staff and workforce team. Naturally I have my personal keyset, so I proceed to open 3 padlocks on the external gate. Then the padlock on the doorchain. Then the 2 springbolt locks on the door . If there are no helping hands, I take of the external gate by myself. Then I latch all the padlocks onto the gate with the chain around the burglar bars.Now comes the fun part. For say 15 years nearly, we had a window of 45 seconds (!)only to run up 3 steps, unbolt the office door then deactivate the store alarm. After a while the whole operation gets done smoothly . Immediately after this, I head out of the office to switch on the store lights. Then I grab the daily staff register to note down our yard staff. At the same time, I pass the outer yard and container locks to our senior yard co-ordinator. At this crucial time, my mind is alert to everything else happening at the store- the phones will ring, the cashier brings in his change requisition slip, while the rest of the present staff go about opening the various access doors inside the store. I remind the yard manager to grab his routine checklists. There is the daily cement count, and the yardstock checklist. The truck drivers arrive and I issue them their keys with repeat instructions to check their diesel and oil levels.Now we are in the building material supply and delivery business. So I start running the orders, checking them as per priority. By then our main operations manager arrives, so I start doing my multi-tasked store rounds. Making sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to do. Checking for possible intrusion of any kind in the backstores. Then I go up towards the yards, pushing the drivers to have everything ready for their first trip out. Spurring on the yardstaff to do their clothes change faster. Liasing with the yard manager to ensure everything was preloaded as per instruction.Back inside the store, I have a brief feedback session with my main manager. Then I go to the Store Orders box, noting down all the outstanding and awaited orders. Thereafter I use the inside office telephone to check on the listed companies and orders. I have 3 diaries at my disposal! One for my personal use, one for the boss and the other for general daily entry. After calling everyone, I proceed to log all the inside staff in the staff register. Then I call the boss for any additional instructions or notices.Here let me digress and say- all the above happened in a space of 1 hour or less! Our day used to finish off at 5.15am. Saturdays were from 7.30am till 2pm.Sundays from 9am to 12.30 noon. I'm telling you now, there was never a dull moment working at the hardware store. We were like one big family, serving God and Country. And remember, I started at this Company since age 18! No suffocation happened to me. Over the years my experience level increased tenfold.I made many lifetime friends as well.Thank you for your enquiry and Good luck!

User-9902358067329070481 has a decent reading list on this: http://sivers.org/bookHere's the excerpt if you don't want to jump to the site.The Personal MBA - by Josh KaufmanISBN: 1591843529 READ: 2011-02-16 RATING: 10/10Wow. A masterpiece. This is now the one “START HERE” book I'll be recommending to everybody interested in business. An amazing overview of everything you need to know. Covers all the basics, minus buzz-words and fluff. Look at my notes for an example, but read the whole book. One of the most inspiring things I've read in years. Want proof? I asked the author to be my coach/mentor afterwards. It's that good.The War of Art - by Steven PressfieldISBN: 0446691437 READ: 2012-01-05 RATING: 9/10Have you experienced a vision of the person you might become, the work you could accomplish, the realized being you were meant to be? Are you a writer who doesn’t write, a painter who doesn’t paint, an entrepreneur who never starts a venture? Then you know what “Resistance” is. This book is about that. Read it.Thinking, Fast and Slow - by Daniel KahnemanISBN: 0374275637 READ: 2011-12-08 RATING: 9/10If you liked “Predictably Irrational” or “Stumbling on Happiness” or any of those pop-psychology books, well, this is the Godfather of all of their work. Huge thorough book gives a great overview of much of his work. Read the other quotes on Amazon about it.The Lean Startup - by Eric RiesISBN: 0307887898 READ: 2011-10-23 RATING: 9/10EVERY entrepreneur should read this book! Its methodology is the one I recommend the most. The stuff I preach is like a cute casual intro to the real deal: the Lean Startup methodology. (As an aside: this book is the one that pushed my book out of the #1 slot on Amazon's Entrepreneur charts. Quite an honor.)Power of Full Engagement - by Jim Loehr and Tony SchwartzISBN: 0743226755 READ: 2011-09-03 RATING: 9/10The authors worked with the best athletes and executives for years, and found that the best ones knew how to push themselves, then recuperate, push, recuperate. Take this same approach to your emotional, mental, physical, and even spiritual life, and it's a powerful metaphor. Think of sprints, not marathons. Be fully in whatever you're in, then give time to recuperate. But push futher each time, past your comfort zone, like a good exercise plan.What Got You Here Won't Get You There - by Marshall GoldsmithISBN: 1401301304 READ: 2011-08-22 RATING: 9/10Aimed at already-successful people. The personality traits that brought you to success (personal discipline, saying yes to everything, over-confidence) are the same traits that hold you back from going further! (Where you need to listen to lead, and don't let over-confidence make you over-commit.) Stinging counter-intuitive insights that hit very close to home for me. Great specific suggestions for how to improve.Switch - by Chip Heath and Dan HeathISBN: 0385528752 READ: 2010-05-10 RATING: 9/10Great great great great GREAT psychology book about real ways to make change last - both personal and organizational. So many powerful insights, based on fact not theory. Inspiring counterintuitive stories of huge organizational change against all odds. Highly recommended for everyone.The Investor's Manifesto - by William J. BernsteinISBN: 0470505141 READ: 2009-11-12 RATING: 9/10Absolutely my favorite author and advisor on the subject of investing. Anyone with any money to invest (or already invested) please read this book. Such clear thinking, using only facts, and using numbers not guesses. Modern portfolio theory: use passive indexes of the entire market, no speculation, no stock picking, and avoid the entire fee-sucking financial industry.How We Decide - by Jonah LehrerISBN: 0618620117 READ: 2009-11-10 RATING: 9/10Brilliant book with one clear message: our emotional brain is faster and usually smarter than our logical brain. Our emotions are trained by years of logic and experience, retaining it all for real wisdom. Many decisions are better made by going with the gut feeling. Gets a little too technical with deep brain/neuro/cortex talk, but brings it back to usable points.Influence - by Robert CialdiniISBN: 006124189X READ: 2009-08-15 RATING: 9/10Classic book on the psychology of persuasion. I read it 15 years ago, thought about it ever since, and re-read it now. How to get a 700% improvement in volunteers. How to sell more by doubling your prices. How to make people feel they made a choice, when really you made it for them.The Time Paradox - by Philip Zimbardo and John BoydISBN: 1416541993 READ: 2009-04-03 RATING: 9/10See my in-depth article about this book at sivers.org/timePersonal Development for Smart People - by Steve PavlinaISBN: 1401922759 READ: 2008-12-27 RATING: 9/10A surprisingly great broad and unflourished look at all different aspects of self-improvement. Really great insights from someone who's read them all.Predictably Irrational - by Dan ArielyISBN: 006135323X READ: 2008-08-11 RATING: 9/10My favorite type of book: pointing out and understanding all of the counter-intuitive things people do.The 4-Hour Work Week - by Tim FerrissISBN: 0307353133 READ: 2008-05-15 RATING: 9/10Brilliant reversal of all of the “how to manage all your crap” books. This one tells you how to say “no” to the crap, set expectations on your terms, and be just as effective in a fraction of the time. This is perfect for musicians with other responsibilities (day jobs) that need more free time to actually make music!The Wisdom of Crowds - by James SurowieckiISBN: 0385721706 READ: 2008-04-16 RATING: 9/10Mind-blowing examples of how groups of diverse people acting independently are smarter than any one person in the group. Has huge implications for management, markets, decision-making, and more.The Paradox of Choice - Why More is Less - by Barry SchwartzISBN: 0060005688 READ: 2007-07-11 RATING: 9/10Faced with many options or decisions in your life? This will change the way you look at them. We feel worse when we have too many options.Made to Stick - by Chip Heath and Dan HeathISBN: 1400064287 READ: 2007-03-12 RATING: 9/10Actually analyzing what makes certain ideas or stories more memorable than others! Fascinating. Apply this wisdom to your songs, bio/story, communication with fans, etc.The Innovator's Solution - by Clayton ChristensenISBN: 1578518520 READ: 2006-09-21 RATING: 9/10Required reading for business-owners and investors. Shows how technology improves faster than people's ability to use it, so when someone says a technology is “not good enough”, add “yet” and prepare for disruption.Small is the New Big - by Seth GodinISBN: 1591841267 READ: 2006-09-08 RATING: 9/10My favorite author, by far. I’m a massive fan and disciple. A collection of his short insightful posts from his blog, all thought-provoking and inspiring for anybody marketing anything, even music. (Seth was a CD Baby client and fan.)The Art of Profitability - by Adrian SlywotzkyISBN: 0446692271 READ: 2005-12-02 RATING: 9/1025 different models of profitability presented in examples you can relate to your own business, making you realize profit-sources you’d never thought of before.E-Myth Revisited - by Michael GerberISBN: 0887307280 READ: 2004-02-26 RATING: 9/10Everything needs to be a system. Think of your business as a franchise prototype. You should be able to hand the “how-to” manual to just anyone, to do it as good as you.The Passionate Programmer - by Chad FowlerISBN: 1934356344 READ: 2012-01-15 RATING: 8/10Wonderful book about the art, craft, and passion of being a great computer programmer. Loved the analogies to being a musician: sight-reading, being the worst member of the band, understanding new styles of music, practicing just for improvement, etc.Willpower - by Roy Baumeister and John TierneyISBN: 1594203075 READ: 2011-09-09 RATING: 8/10You have a finite amount of willpower that becomes depleted as you use it. Two traits that consistently predict “positive outcomes” in life: intelligence and self-control. Most major problems, personal and social, center on failure of self-control. When people were asked about their failings, a lack of self-control was at the top of the list. So let's talk about self-control....Poke the Box - by Seth GodinISBN: 1936719002 READ: 2011-03-15 RATING: 8/10Awesome short manifesto about getting into the habit of starting things. Inspiring as hell. Go go go!Hackers & Painters - by Paul GrahamISBN: 1449389554 READ: 2010-08-20 RATING: 8/10A collection of essays from one of the best. Loosely about intelligence, entrepreneurship, programming, and questioning norms. Many brilliant ideas and insights.Confessions of a Public Speaker - by Scott BerkunISBN: 0596801998 READ: 2010-06-28 RATING: 8/10Best book on public speaking. A must-read if you do this at all. Great concrete advice and personal tales.The Talent Code - by Daniel CoyleISBN: 055380684X READ: 2009-08-22 RATING: 8/10A great book showing that deep practice - (struggling in certain targeted ways - operating at the edges of your ability, where you make mistakes - experiences where you're forced to slow down, make errors, and correct them) - is what really makes you improve at anything.Ignore Everybody - by Hugh MacLeodISBN: 159184259X READ: 2009-06-28 RATING: 8/10Brilliant succinct wisdom on creativity from an artist. Seth Godin says, "Hugh harangues and encourages and pushes and won't sit still until you, like him, are unwilling to settle." I highly recommend this to all musicians, artists, and entrepreneurs. Even those that prefer not to read much. :-)What Would Google Do? - by Jeff JarvisISBN: 0061709719 READ: 2009-03-05 RATING: 8/10Great think-piece about lessons learned from Google's approach to things, and how they might approach different industries like airlines, real estate, education, etc.CrowdSourcing - by Jeff HoweISBN: 0307396207 READ: 2008-08-27 RATING: 8/10Great look at a different way of getting a project done: not outsourcing it to a person, but developing a system where thousands of people can contribute a little bit.Meatball Sundae - by Seth GodinISBN: 1591841747 READ: 2007-12-30 RATING: 8/10Instead of asking how to use the new internet tools to support your existing business, ask how you can change your business to take best advantage of the new tools.Execution - by Larry Bossidy and Ram CharanISBN: 0609610570 READ: 2007-02-12 RATING: 8/10Great in-depth look at the dirty discipline of getting things done in a large organization.Getting Things Done - by David AllenISBN: 0142000280 READ: 2005-04-30 RATING: 8/10Classic book with near-cult following. How to manage every last itty bitty tiny thing in your life. Keep your inbox empty.The 48 Laws of Power - by Robert Greene and Joost ElffersISBN: 0140280197 READ: 2003-05-06 RATING: 8/10Warning: some think this book is pure evil. But power exists, so it can only help to understand it better, even if you choose not to wield it.The Power of Habit - by Charles DuhiggISBN: 1400069289 READ: 2012-03-01 RATING: 7/10Great dissection and analysis of what creates habits, and the power of changing just one of three steps in the habit loop.You Are Not So Smart - by David McRaneyISBN: 1592406599 READ: 2011-11-15 RATING: 7/10Great summary of 46 cognitive biases. Much of it covered in other books like Predictably Irrational, but if you haven't read those, this is a great starting book. Otherwise, just a good reminder, and worth reading.Practicing Mind - by Thomas SternerISBN: 0977657205 READ: 2011-05-27 RATING: 7/10Great simple philosophy: Life itself is one long practice session. Everything in life worth achieving requires practice. Practice is not just for artistic or athletic skill, but practicing patience, practicing communication, practicing anything you do in life. The process/practice itself is the real goal, not the outcome.Mindset - by Carol DweckISBN: 0345472322 READ: 2010-11-27 RATING: 7/10Crucial distinction: People in a “fixed” mindset believe that you *are* great or flawed. People in a “growth” mindset believe your greatness (or flaws) are because of your actions. The fixed mindset is very harmful in every area of life (work, art, relationships, business, etc.) We get our initial mindset from our environment. When parents say, “You are great,” instead of ”You did great work,” they accidently create the “fixed” mindset.Start Small, Stay Small - by Rob Walling and Mike TaberISBN: 0615373968 READ: 2010-11-16 RATING: 7/10Great how-to guide about being a micropreneur: an entrepreneur running many small but profitable businesses.Making a Good Brain Great - by Daniel G. AmenISBN: 1400082099 READ: 2010-07-28 RATING: 7/10About the care of the physical brain - the goo in your skull - from a doctor who scans brains and has linked specific behavior to brain chemistry.I Will Teach You To Be Rich - by Ramit SethiISBN: 0761147489 READ: 2010-03-23 RATING: 7/10An amazing book about consumer finance and a healthy approach to managing your money. If you are age 18-35, this is a must-read! My notes are scarce, so get the book. Even if over 35, you might find some good tips on lowering your fees on various services, and a good reminder of good savings practices.Business Stripped Bare - by Richard BransonISBN: 1905264429 READ: 2010-02-17 RATING: 7/10A real and specific description of the inner workings of the Virgin companies. Every entrepreneur, investor, and manager should appreciate this detailed account of practices, philosophies and stories from the core.Talent Is Overrated - by Geoff ColvinISBN: 1591842247 READ: 2009-11-16 RATING: 7/10Talent is not innate - it comes from thousands of hours of deliberate practice: focused improving of your shortcomings. That's it. If you can get past the first 20% of the book that just asks questions, the next 60% is quite good.Never Eat Alone - by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl RazISBN: 0385512058 READ: 2009-07-26 RATING: 7/10A good book that's mostly about networking, but also some general business smarts. Definitely read if you need more work being social.Reality Check - by Guy KawasakiISBN: 1591842239 READ: 2009-03-08 RATING: 7/10Great collection of essays about entrepreneurship from his blog at blog.guykawasaki.comYou, Inc - The Art of Selling Yourself - by Harry BeckwithISBN: 0446578215 READ: 2008-07-26 RATING: 7/10One of my favorite authors, and a massive inspiration for my e-book. This is his newest, but read anything he’s done. It’s all top-notch insights on making life easier by being more considerate, whether you call that marketing or just life.The Ultimate Sales Machine - by Chet HolmesISBN: 1591842158 READ: 2008-06-12 RATING: 7/10After reading E-Myth Revisited, this is the best book I’ve seen on how to turn it into real results, step-by-step. Not ambiguous. Very “do it like this”.The Art of Learning - by Josh WaitzkinISBN: 0743277457 READ: 2008-05-30 RATING: 7/10Chess master becomes Tai Chi master, realizes his real genius is learning, and shares his insights and stories.Here Comes Everybody - by Clay ShirkyISBN: 1594201536 READ: 2008-04-06 RATING: 7/10Like Wikinomics and Crowdsourcing, required reading if interested in harnessing the collective power of people online.Maximum Achievement - by Brian TracyISBN: 0684803313 READ: 2006-11-12 RATING: 7/10A classic self-help book. Exactly what you'd expect. But very good.Linchpin - by Seth GodinISBN: 1591843162 READ: 2010-12-11 RATING: 6/10For someone who has a job at a company, I would call this essential reading with my highest recommendation. Since I haven't had a job since 1992, I couldn't apply many of his great points to my life. Still I loved his reminder of the value of the brilliant workers instead of systemized workers. The opposite of E-Myth (another book reviewed here).Cognitive Surplus - by Clay ShirkyISBN: 1594202532 READ: 2010-12-10 RATING: 6/10I always love Clay Shirky's insights into the internet culture. This is about how all the spare time people are using to add to Wikipedia, create YouTube videos or LOLCats, is previously time they were passively watching TV. Perhaps passive watching was a temporary habit that lasted 80 years, and now we're going back to a more participatory culture?Art and Fear - by David Bayles and Ted OrlandISBN: 0961454733 READ: 2010-11-23 RATING: 6/10For artists and musicians only: beautiful insights into the creative process.Nudge - by Richard Thaler and Cass SunsteinISBN: 014311526X READ: 2010-08-15 RATING: 6/10Introducing the idea of Libertarian Paternalism: influencing people's behavior for their own benefit, without forbidding any options or significantly changing their economic incentives.Being Logical: A Guide to Good Thinking - by D.Q. McInernyISBN: 0812971159 READ: 2010-03-15 RATING: 6/10World getting too fuzzy an unreasonable? Watching too much TV? A good book on logic is a great antidote. I'd never read one before, so I don't know how to compare it to others, but I really loved the clear thinking and deep insights here.Pomodoro Technique Illustrated - by Staffan NötebergISBN: 1934356506 READ: 2010-01-11 RATING: 6/10Pretty cool technique of working in 25-minute chunks. Better to start with a simple article about it, then read the book after if you love it. I do, so far.Pragmatic Thinking and Learning - by Andy HuntISBN: 1934356050 READ: 2009-11-03 RATING: 6/10A great curated collection of facts about how to learn effectively and think clearly. Since it's written by a programmer, it makes many computer analogies that fellow programmers will appreciate. Non-programmers might feel a little left out.Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes - Gilovich and BelskyISBN: 0684859386 READ: 2009-10-19 RATING: 6/10My favorite genre of book lately: clear examples of bugs in our brain: where our intuition is wrong. But this one focuses just on money issues. Loss aversion. Sunk cost fallacy. Confirmation bias. Anchoring. Etc. I love this stuff.Outliers: The Story of Success - by Malcolm GladwellISBN: 0316017922 READ: 2009-04-23 RATING: 6/10Deep study of why some people are so much more successful. Often due to circumstances and early opportunities, but really comes down to the fact that it takes about 10,000 hours of hard work to master something.Lucky Or Smart? - by Bo PeabodyISBN: 1439210101 READ: 2009-04-23 RATING: 6/10Tiny book by an incredibly successful serial entrepreneur telling his tales and lessons learned.The Power of Less - by Leo BabutaISBN: 1401309704 READ: 2009-01-21 RATING: 6/10Identify the essential. Eliminate the rest. Set limitations. Become incredibly effective. Written by someone who's been successfully living this way for years.Tribes - by Seth GodinISBN: 1591842336 READ: 2008-11-17 RATING: 6/10Inspiring look at what it takes to organize and mobilize groups of people.How to Talk to Anyone - by Leil LowndesISBN: 007141858X READ: 2008-09-12 RATING: 6/10Wonderful considerate book about conversational people skills.Brain Rules - by John MedinaISBN: 0979777704 READ: 2008-08-26 RATING: 6/10New scientific insights into why our brains work this way, and how to use what we now know to learn or work better.Cut to the Chase - by Stuart LevineISBN: 0385516207 READ: 2008-07-26 RATING: 6/10Tips on more effective communication.The Magic of Thinking Big - by David SchwartzISBN: 0671646788 READ: 2008-07-26 RATING: 6/10A classic self-help book. Exactly what you'd expect. But very good.How to Get Rich - by Felix DennisISBN: 1591842050 READ: 2008-06-18 RATING: 6/10Shockingly honest thoughts from a filthy rich bastard.The Culting of Brands - by Douglas AtkinISBN: 1591840961 READ: 2008-02-08 RATING: 6/10Unique fascinating dissection of cults and why they work. Then how to apply those lessons to marketing your business.Don't Make Me Think - by Steve KrugISBN: 0321344758 READ: 2007-08-08 RATING: 6/10The classic book of web usability. Required reading for anyone who makes websites.Know-How - by Ram Charan with Geri WilliganISBN: 0307341518 READ: 2007-02-12 RATING: 6/10Acquired expertise in big business. Subtitle: 8 Skills That Separate People Who Perform from Those Who Don't.The Art of Project Management - Scott BerkunISBN: 0596007868 READ: 2006-11-19 RATING: 6/10The best book on how to oversee projects to completion.Little Bets - by Peter SimsISBN: 1439170428 READ: 2011-05-10 RATING: 5/10Examples of the fact that much success or creativity comes from trying many things, failing fast, getting feedback, trying more things, and deliberate practice. Stories from Pixar, Chris Rock, Silicon Valley, Frank Gehry.Focus - by Leo BabautaISBN: 1434103072 READ: 2011-01-17 RATING: 5/10Nice short reminder of the importance of solitude and focus. Single-tasking. Only doing your most important things, and let the rest go.The Upside of Irrationality - by Dan ArielyISBN: 0061995037 READ: 2010-07-05 RATING: 5/10First read his amazing book “Predictably Irrational.” But if you read and loved it, then this is a continuation with some more examples - mostly organizational. He also catharticly details his own painful injuries in every chapter.The Profit Zone - by Adrian SlywotzkyISBN: 0812933044 READ: 2009-10-14 RATING: 5/10Dryer but deeper prequel to the great “Art of Profitability” book, also recommended here. Start with that one. Only read this if that one fascinated you.Overachievement - by John EliotISBN: 1591841313 READ: 2009-07-04 RATING: 5/10Performance coach, with a bent towards sports, surgery, and executive performance, gives his thoughts on being a top performer. The key is the "Trusting Mindset": like a squirrel runs across a telephone wire. Just doing it, without thought, because you've trained yourself plenty until that point.The Culture Code - by Clotaire RapailleISBN: 0767920570 READ: 2008-11-01 RATING: 5/10Weird look at how different cultures (mostly Europe versus U.S. in this book) see things differently. Example: British luxury is about detachment whereas U.S. luxury is about rank.Richard Branson - Losing My VirginityISBN: 0812932293 READ: 2008-06-01 RATING: 5/10Autobiography of his life from childhood through 2004. Interesting how he was always over-leveraged and how that drove him forward. Amazing how he negotiated Necker Island from £3 million down to £180k.The Checklist Manifesto - by Atul GawandeISBN: 0312430000 READ: 2011-12-25 RATING: 4/10Like Malcom Gladwell, a book that could and should have been an article, but puffed up with 200 pages of supporting stories, mostly great detailed tales of his surgeon experiences where a checklist would have come in handy. Here's the book in one sentence: You should make checklists for any complex procedures or decisions.Hiring Smart - by Pierre MornellISBN: 1580085148 READ: 2011-08-07 RATING: 4/10Good advice on hiring. No big surprises, but some useful tips.Discover Your Inner Economist - by Tyler CowenISBN: 0452289637 READ: 2009-10-19 RATING: 4/10The book title is misleading. It ends up being mostly the author's recommendations for the transactions of life. When to give to charity, what restaurants to choose, what insurance to buy, etc. He makes a rational case for these, that is often very interesting, but still feels like just his opinion.Causing a Scene - by Charlie ToddISBN: 006170363X READ: 2009-08-18 RATING: 4/10Fun tales from the guy that invented Improv Everywhere. Not really educational as much as just fun, and I'm a huge fan of their “missions”.Enough - by John BogleISBN: 0470398515 READ: 2009-04-23 RATING: 4/10Legendary investor, now 80, looks back with long-view wisdom on investing, living, and giving.How to be a Billionaire - by Martin FridsonISBN: 0471416177 READ: 2009-04-23 RATING: 4/10Biographical look at billionaires from the last 200 years, and lessons learned from how they did it. Some lessons aren't really applicable to the rest of us, like changing government laws to protect your monopoly. But some are.Management of the Absurd - by Richard FarsonISBN: 0684830442 READ: 2009-04-14 RATING: 4/10Counter-intuitive lessons about management. Highly recommended for managers and leaders, but also teachers and parents.The Obsolete Employee - by Michael RusserISBN: 0966248465 READ: 2007-10-01 RATING: 4/10How to run a company without employees, but with a loose network of work-from-home freelance agents. Very instructive, but also good perspective like how until the industrial revolution, there were no employees: everyone was freelance.Secrets of the Millionaire Mind - by T. Harv EckerISBN: 0060763280 READ: 2007-06-12 RATING: 4/10If you suspect that your mindset is holding you back from making more money, read this. Identifies and dissolves the mental baggage we've built up that believes money is evil and those who have it are greedy.One Simple Idea - by Stephen KeyISBN: 0071756159 READ: 2011-04-29 RATING: 3/10Good introduction into the world of licensing your ideas to companies that manufacture products.Hire With Your Head - by Lou AdlerISBN: 0470128356 READ: 2010-12-15 RATING: 3/10Great advice on hiring, but insanely repetitive. Maybe this was an editing mistake - that the exact same points are made over and over and over and over - often with the exact same words, sentences, even paragraphs. But those key points are great.What the Dog Saw - by Malcolm GladwellISBN: 0316075841 READ: 2009-12-05 RATING: 3/10A pretty-good collection of his articles from the past few years. While most are somewhat interesting, it felt a little like surfing the net or TV. Lots of “huh”, but no lasting insights. More entertainment than education.The Great Formula - by Mark JoynerISBN: 0471778230 READ: 2009-06-06 RATING: 3/10Create an irresistable offer. Present it to people who need it. Sell them more afterwards. Lots of examples of this.Program or Be Programmed - by Douglas Rushkoff and Leland PurvisISBN: 1935928155 READ: 2011-07-20 RATING: 2/10Maybe I'm just too immersed in this, but everything said here seems to be the most conventional wisdom - nothing I haven't heard. Shame, because I thought it was going to be about teaching the lay-person the importance of programming.The Four Filters Invention of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger - by Bud LabitanISBN: 0615241298 READ: 2011-01-21 RATING: 2/10Another overview of the investment approach of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger.Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur - by Stuart SkormanISBN: 0787987328 READ: 2010-12-24 RATING: 2/10Personal tales, almost an autobiography, of someone who created a wide range of businesses, both successful and not. Some insights along the way, but not many surprising ones. I'd recommend “How to Get Rich” by Felix Dennis instead, also reviewed on this website.Life Without Lawyers - by Philip K. HowardISBN: 0393065669 READ: 2010-04-24 RATING: 2/10I really liked his TED talk (search ted.com), and this book elaborates on the idea. Makes a good point, but should just be a long article - not a whole book.The Productive Programmer - by Neal FordISBN: 0596519788 READ: 2009-11-01 RATING: 2/10I thought it was going to be more general or philosophical tips, but seemed to be more about IDE-specific tips instead. Then it crashed my Kindle (and stillFounders at Work - by Jessica LivingstonISBN: 1430210788 READ: 2008-02-12 RATING: 2/10Long in-depth interviews with company founders, telling their tales of how they started. Lots of stories with a few usable gems.Conspiracy of the Rich - Robert KiyosakiISBN: 0446559806 READ: 2009-11-24 RATING: 0/10Yet another Rich Dad book shat out for the usual audience of those who don't read. Often so bad it hurts, but with the occasional useful sentence. He always seems to go out of his way to avoid giving any usable info - only generalities. Does he care? Is he trying to write great books? Are these things just machine-generated or something?The Think Big Manifesto - by Michael Port and Mina SamuelsISBN: 0470432373 READ: 2009-05-12 RATING: 0/10One of the few books I've actively disliked. Ever read the introduction to a book? Where they say “what you hold in your hands here is something that could change the world”, and blah blah blah? I kept reading, wondering when the introduction was going to be over. Over halfway through the book, I realized this was it: just broad general encouraging unuseful nothings for the entire book.

General Trading Mistakes1. Changing your trading strategy after 5 losing trades in a rowLosing is unavoidable and even the best traders will regularly realize losses. Changing your approach after a few losing trades sets you back on the learning curve. Stick to your approach, every losing streak will end.2. Not expecting the unexpectedA sudden market collapse, an unexpected news release or the loss of your internet connection can happen at any minute. Be prepared by having a fixed stop loss in place. If a single trade could wipe out your trading account, you have not done your homework as a trader.3. Not keeping track of relevant news releases – denying the importance of newsEven if you are a purely technical trader, you do not have to trade the news, but you have to be aware of them at any point in time.4. Not being preparedDo you just fire up your computer, start your trading software and dive into the charts? Just like a plane pilot doesn’t just ask his co-pilot after the take-off where they are heading, a trader needs to have a detailed trading plan for the upcoming trading session.5. Not doing a post-trading analysisWhat you do after your trading session is over determines your future success as a trader. The professional traders analyze their trades, crunch data and plan for the next day.6. Not using a trading journalOne of the surest signs that you do not have a future as a trader is when you do not have a trading journal and claim that you do not need one.7. Not fully learning one methodThe consistent losing retail trader jumps from one method to the next, hoping to stumble over the Holy Grail. You have to accept that there is no superior trading method and that it comes down to your abilities to make a trading strategy work.8. Failing to adapt to changing marketsOnce you find a way to consistently make money trading, the work does not end. Financial markets are ever changing and evolving organisms. If you fail to adapt to changing market conditions, you will be out of business shortly after.9. Letting hindsight influence your tradingAmateur traders watch a trade after they have exited it and beat themselves up if they have entered too early. Other times they try to find reasons why a trade was a loser to change their whole trading approach on the spot. The professional trader collects data and makes educated trading decisions based on a large enough sample size.10. Not understanding the difference between long term and short term perspectiveOver the short term, anything can happen. You cannot control the outcome of your trades and you can certainly not predict the outcome of your next two, three or even ten trades. But over the long term, that does not even matter. If you have a trading strategy that has a positive expectancy and follow it religiously, the only possible outcome is making money.What Traders Say11. A smaller stop loss means less riskThe distance of your stop loss has no relation to the potential risk of your trade. Risk is measured in a potential loss of your trading account. You have to set the stop distance in relation to the take profit distance and the trade size to get an idea of potential risk.12. You measure performance in pipsA sure sign that traders don’t know what they are talking about is when they start comparing profits in terms of pips. Pip measurements are totally random and have no value of expressing performance. Pips are relative!13. Claiming that winrate and risk:reward ratio are uselessWhereas by themselves a winrate or a risk:reward ratio has no value, together they are all a trader needs in order to determine his future trading performance. The combination of risk:reward ratio and winrate is one of the most powerful concepts in trading.14. Making claims such as: “Make up to $2000 per day daytrading”Talking about absolute numbers in trading is an easy sign that someone is trying to scam you. A possible return can only be stated in percentages. However, without talking about the risk involved, stating potential profits is a pointless and dangerous thing.15. Blaming HFT and algorithm trading for your inability to make moneyHFT and algorithms are not the reason why you cannot make money. High Frequency Trading and trading algorithms are nothing but new technologies that change the way the game is being played. Traders were scared that the telephone, computers and the internet are going to destroy trading opportunities. Go back to #8 and read it again.16. Believing in price forecasts“If someone knew that the price will go to $40 tomorrow, it would go to $40 today.” It is impossible to predict where price is going to go in the future. Because of the numbers of traders, economists or so-called ‘trading gurus’ and the amount of forecasts, you will always find a handful of people that guessed right. Don’t blindly follow someone who was plain lucky.17. You use the words casino, boring, firework, killing it to describe your trading dayMarkets go up and they go down, sometimes they move fast and sometimes a little bit slower, but it is the nature of how financial markets behave. However, if you are trading because of a thrill and excitement, you won’t last long in this business. Adopt a professional mindset and use appropriate language to avoid emotional trading.18. You use absolute words like never and always to talk about what is going to happenUsing absolute terms in trading is a very dangerous thing to do, always! If you have seen that a certain setup has worked 100% out of the last 20 times, it can very easily fail when it occurs the next time. And just because you have never seen prices going sharply against you, it is still not an excuse to not use a stop loss order or take a bigger position.19. Using the words ‘hope”, “wish” or ‘feel’ when talking about a tradeIf you hear yourself saying or thinking that you hope or wish that price is behaving in a certain way, exit your trade immediately and do not trade any further. Traders have to rely on hard facts and trade based on actual statistics of proven methods. Trading based on emotions is a major reason why retail traders fail consistently.Risk & Money Management20. You watch your floating P&LWhile being in a trade, do not watch your account go up and down with every tick. It will result in emotional trading decisions.21. Thinking about what you can do with the current profit or what you could have done with the loss you could takeOnly risk what you are can lose comfortably. Trading too big results in trading decisions that are based on fear and greed, the two biggest enemies of traders. On the other hand, trading too small makes you sloppy and more likely to abandon trading rules and risk management.22. Not paying attention to correlations and how they increase your riskFinancial markets are highly correlated. Traders often believe that by taking several trades in different instruments they are diversifying and lowering their risk. What these traders don’t realize is that, especially if your trading instruments are somehow related, they often move in sync and instead of decreasing your risk, you are actually increasing it.23. Using a fixed stop loss with the same pip amount on different instrumentsTraders who use a fixed stop loss with the same pip amount on different instruments and/or different timeframes haven’t understood the rules of the game. There are no shortcuts to trading success and developing a sophisticated and tested stop loss strategy is just as important as knowing when to enter a trade.24. Underestimating the significance of drawdowns and their statistical likelihoodMost traders believe that if a trading strategy has 5, 6 or 7 losers in a row, it cannot be a good trading strategy. What if we told you that a trading strategy is still valid after 10 losing trades in a row?25. Adding to losing positionsThis is a big no-go! Learn to take losses because they are normal. Trying to delay the realization of losses is the death sentence for your trading account.26. Risking an arbitrary number of 2% on each single tradeSetups vary in quality and your position size should account for that. Learn to distinguish between different qualities of setups and entries and use a professional position sizing approach.27. Ignoring the importance of spreadResearch discovered that only about 1% of all day traders are able to predictably profit net of fees. Spread is the cost of doing business as a trader and, therefore, finding ways to minimize your costs should be high on your priority list.28. Holding losers while selling winnersResearch discovered the so-called disposition effect which states that on average, traders sell winning trades 50% faster than they hold losing traders.29. Trading an account that is not the right size for youWhether your trading account is too big or too small, both scenarios are less than optimal and have negative effects on trading performance because they are the cause of emotional trading decisions.30. Denying the importance of math and statistics in tradingMath and statistics are boring and hard, but it does not matter whether you like it or not, as a trader you have to understand the basic math concepts. In the end, trading is nothing but juggling with probabilities, calculating odds and trying to move them in your favor.Trade Management31. Not having a trade checklistEspecially for beginning traders, having a checklist that you go through before you enter a trade can significantly increase your performance. A checklist can keep you out of trades that do not match your criteria and increase your discipline easily.32. Widening your stop loss order when you see price going against youThis is another no-go. Your stop loss is the place where you accept that your trade idea is wrong. Widening a stop loss orders signals that your emotional responses have taken over and that you cannot make sound trading decisions anymore.33. Using mental stops because you think it gives you more flexibilityA mental stop loss has no advantages whatsoever. None!34. Pulling your stop loss order to breakevenUnless it is part of your trading strategy and you can statistically verify that moving a stop loss to breakeven is the optimal approach, don’t do it. Moving a stop loss to break even is a sign that you are afraid of taking a loss and giving back profits.35. Moving your stops too closePrice moves in waves and you have to give your trades room to ‘breathe’. Moving a stop loss too close to current price will often get you out of trades that would have gone to your take profit order. Learn to distinguish between minor retracements and reversals.36. Using the big round numbers or famous moving averages for your stop loss placementResearch showed that price behaves significantly different at round numbers and that the reversal frequency is higher in such places as well. The professional players are aware of the fact that retail traders are lazy and just pick what is obvious and easy and it is even more easy to use this knowledge to their own advantage.Common Sense37. Expecting to become rich any time soonThe trading industry created the illusion that with enough leverage, the right trading strategy and some luck you can make a lot of money easily. However, even after years of losing money month after month, ‘traders’ still believe that the only reason they have not become a millionaire is because they haven’t found the right strategy yet. Wake up!38. Not treating trading like a businessTrading is not necessarily hard or difficult, but the approach of the average trader makes it impossible to earn profits from trading. Testing different ideas, calculating and analyzing data, tweaking, continuous self-improvement, preparation, journaling and discipline are all the things the regular trader does not want to hear about and that is exactly why more than 99% of all traders will never make money.39. Buying a $10 EAAt one point, traders will give up trading themselves and start looking for trading robots or EAs to make them rich. They then buy a $10 trading robot from a random website or from an unknown guy in some trading forum without even understanding what the robot does and start trading their own money. If you still don’t know why this is a bad idea, you have to find out for yourself.40. Believing that price cannot move higher/lowerEven when price has been in a prolonged rally for several months, you will always find traders who week after week tell you that the turn is imminent and they are looking for short entries. Traders would do well to focus on what is obvious and join the trend as long as it is possible.41. Trading your own money and savings after 3 months of demo tradingEven people who have been to college or university and who spend years to prepare for a job and then worked their way up are among those traders that open a demo account, take some random trades and then after 3 months of mixed results start trading their own savings. The possibilities that trading offers are limitless and can blind people, but the pitfalls are just as big and the next margin-call is just one click away.42. Cursing Indicators while praising candlesticksWhether you are trading price action or are a follower of indicator-based trading strategies, it does not make a difference to your chance of success as a trader. Although people will tell you otherwise, the strategy you choose has no impact on your trading success. It comes down to how you apply the strategy, tweak the parameters and manage yourself as a trader.43. Analyzing your performance on a daily basisDo not try to be profitable every single day, week or month. Trading is a long term activity and you do not have any influence on the outcome of your trades. Your only responsibility as a trader is to find a method that has a positive expectancy, religiously apply it and constantly monitor every little aspect of your performance. Do not try to force winning trades, the markets will show you who the boss is.44. Following advice from random peopleNever ever take trades based on opinions, tweets or promises made by other people. “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”Courtesy: Tradeciety Trading Courses - Tradeciety Trading Academy