9 Actionable Ideas From Books That Had a Lasting Impact on My Life

“My life is better when I simplify it.”

In the 1980s, my grandpa left his home country and came to Austria as a construction worker. He had to endure tough conditions throughout his life and constantly told me to study hard so one day I could get a safe job and have better conditions than him.

Luckily, I loved learning, reading, and going to school since day one, so I thrived following his advice for more than a decade.

But 1.5 years after starting my business studies, my love for formal education faded away and I never graduated from university.

Instead, I discovered the world of personal development and realized that formal education didn’t teach me much that’d help me in real life.

I realized that I lacked social skills, confidence, and a sense of purpose in my life. And I was angry that all the things I did learn didn’t really matter. I spent hundreds of hours studying Latin, biology, chemistry, and history — all topics I absolutely don’t care about.

Fortunately, I turned that frustration into my purpose.

First, I spent the majority of my time on my personal growth.

Second, I organized free workshops to teach young people what I had learned.

Third, I wrote a book, became a certified coach, and turned my passion into a 6-figure business at the age of 23.

If my grandpa would be alive, he’d probably tell me to finish my studies. The reality, however, is that the following books taught me more than 15 years of formal education.

My life is better when I simplify it, cut down on the noise, and enjoy the things I love.

The Power of Less by Leo Babauta taught me that I could be and have more by doing less.

For most of my life, I believed that I need to do more than my competition, constantly battle myself, and say yes to every opportunity that comes my way.

Over time, I learned that a fulfilling life is about focusing on the essentials and allowing everything else to drop away.

“Doing more things means you’re likely to do a lot of unimportant things, and you’ll be overworked and stressed at the same time.”

Instead of doing more things, focus on doing things that make your boat go faster and help you achieve the goals that truly matter.

Every day is like a blank page: When you’re finished filling it, you can save it, you can crumple it up, or you can slide it into the recycling bin and let it be.

Did you ever feel miserable because you couldn’t let go of the past and move on?

Well, you’re not alone.

Let go of the past is easier said than done, but there’s a simple way to practice it: Letting go of each day.

In Keep Going, Austin Kleon shares dozens of tips on moving forward when you actually don’t feel like moving anywhere.

Viewing each day as a blank page and ending every day by closing the entire book helped me feel much more relaxed and calm.

In the past, I often struggled to fall asleep because of the mistakes I made or the tasks I didn’t finish yet. Now, I end each day with a smile on my face and allow myself to be imperfect. Sometimes, I’m proud, sometimes, I feel like I wasted my entire day, and sometimes, I just want to forget everything.

But no matter how I feel, I make sure to close that chapter and start the next day with a blank page.

Nobody needs willpower.

How to Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens transformed my life in two ways:

• It convinced me to start using the Zettelkasten method to organize and manage my knowledge, ideas, and resources.
• And it taught me that self-discipline is directly related to our environment, not to our willpower.

As Ahrens writes:

“Nobody needs willpower not to eat a chocolate bar when there isn’t one around. And nobody needs willpower to do something they wanted to do anyway.”

If something is truly meaningful and easy to handle, you’ll get it done without conflicts.

If you don’t know why you’re doing something and face lots of hurdles during the process, you’ll give up easily.

So stop relying on your willpower or discipline and create an environment and rules that allow you to be your best self with ease.

You are a mashup of what you choose to let into your life.

Another lesson I learned from Austin Kleon, this time from his book Steal Like An Artist, is that there’s nothing new under the sun.

Whenever we think that we created something new or unique, we mostly just mixed a few things that already existed.

Kleon states that we are the sum of our influences. That’s why it’s so important to consciously choose the information you consume, the people you meet, and the projects you work on.

You are shaped by the things you’re surrounded by, so don’t allow anything or anyone to take a major spot in your life if it’s not representing your ideal future.

I can co-create the world I want to see by aligning with good-feeling emotions and directing them toward my desires.

As a teenager, I thought that life needs to be hard.

I’ve mostly been surrounded by people who constantly complained about the status quo without ever trying to change it. So I embraced a similar mindset and thought that I couldn’t do much to change my destiny.

Today, I‘m convinced of the contrary. I shape my experiences and emotions by showing up as my best version.

Instead of being a victim to my environment, I co-create my reality by focusing my energy on the things I want to build.

And most importantly, I allow myself to have fun while doing all of that. As Gaby Bernstein preaches in her book Super Attractor:

“When you lean toward joy, you are led.”

Be grateful for what has caused you discomfort because it reveals to you what you still need to heal.

Another lesson Super Attractor taught me is to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Most of us grow up in fight-or-flight mode. As soon as we get uncomfortable or face a problem, we try to avoid the situation.

This might first seem effective, but the reality is that it’s holding us back from healing and growing.

The path to lasting fulfillment includes feeling uncomfortable and confronting your fears.

Society, professional degrees, and high-paying jobs often require us to seem as if we have all our shit together all the time. The truth, however, is that we only grow if we dare to face our dark side and confront the things that make us feel uncomfortable.

Stop holding back your emotions and allow yourself to feel all the feelings — including the negative ones.

Only if you can trust your system and really know that everything will be taken care of will your brain let go and let you focus on the task at hand.

Getting Things Done is not only a bestselling book but a global productivity movement.

It’s all about setting up systems that allow you to think more clearly and get your job done efficiently. As author David Allen preaches:

“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”

If you want your mind to generate great ideas and relax without feeling guilty, you need to set up a productivity system that works in your favor.

Even though I don’t apply all rules that are part of the GTD system, the book empowered me to come up with my own process to save time and mental power.

Your happiness boosts the happiness of those around you.

In The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin introduces 12 practical and simple ways to boost your happiness through small changes.

While I enjoyed each of the tips, the lesson that helped me most is that working on your happiness isn’t selfish or ignorant.

You were not born to live a miserable life. You deserve happiness. But more importantly, the reality is that working on your own satisfaction can make those around you happier too.

If I can choose between being around positive and cheerful or negative and frustrating people, I’d always choose the first group.

I’m not interested in wasting my time around negative people and neither should you.

Good sleep is the key to a good life.

Good sleep = good life. That’s the key message Shawn Stevenson shares in his book Sleep Smarter.

According to Stevenson, there’s no aspect of your mental, emotional, or physical performance that’s not affected by the quality of your sleep.

Sometimes, the key to being productive, happy, and healthy is nothing more than a good night’s sleep.

“The research is in and it’s 100 percent conclusive: when you don’t sleep well, you get slower, less creative, more stressed, and underperform.”

If you don’t get enough high-quality sleep, you’ll only use a fraction of your full potential. So stop killing yourself by replying to a few more emails and go to bed earlier.

Final thoughts

Whenever I read a book, I think of it as borrowing someone's brain.

Admittedly, not all books are good and many aren’t worth reading. But if chosen and read carefully, a great book might make a lasting change in your life and turn you into a better version of yourself.

In the worst case, it might distract you from our noisy world and help you relax at the end of a busy day. Either way, you won’t ever regret the time you spend reading.

And eventually, books might help you become your happiest, most fulfilled, and most helpful self.

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