Thanks for checking out the Weekly Learning Roundup. These bite-sized, weekly posts are designed to give you a quick hit of interesting learnings and articles I came across this week.

It’s a motley assortment of tips, resources, and links that will hopefully give you a bit of inspiration for the upcoming week. Enjoy!

What I’m reading —

Taming the Mammoth: Why You Should Stop Caring What Other People Think by Tim Urban (via WaitButWhy)

Whether we like it or not many of us are influenced by the voices of our parents, friends, role models, and the “norms” of the society that we live in. While being accepted and fitting in were prerequisites to surviving in a tribal society in 50,000 B.C., the caring of what other people think in today’s world is hurting our ability to listen to our own voices. This articles take you through why “the Mammoth” (i.e. the voice that tells you to fit in) is preventing you from listening to your Authentic Voice and what you can do about it. Personally, I wish I had something like this to read in high school as I think it should be mandatory reading for all students in this country.

Books, documentaries, or podcast episodes I’m enjoying —

Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide To Thriving In The Age of Accelerations by Thomas Friedman

This is my first “official” read of the year and it’s a fantastic one. If you want to learn about how the world is rapidly changing today, this is the book that explains it all. We’re living in an interesting time today where the forces of technology, market, and mother nature are all colliding at once. It’s a book that’ll help you look at how far we’ve come over the past 10 years and what the future may look like.

A quote that’s inspiring me —

If you wish to be loved, love!

— Seneca

Productivity tip of the week —

Create a daily reading habit.

Last year, I had the pleasure of reading 27 new books. The books covered topics from health, marketing, personal growth, and a handful of fiction books as well. It was a fantastic experience absorbing knowledge from this variety of books as each one – whether they were great books or just “meh” – had a nugget that I could ponder or even apply to my life.

Developing a reading habit is one of the most beneficial things you can do in your life. It’ll help you see things in a new way often leading to greater satisfaction and improvements in your life. It’s no wonder that some of the most influential people today are the biggest readers.

So start with a daily reading habit – and just start really small – for 5-10 minutes everyday. Time yourself so you’re not reading over your prescribed limit. When you leave something just to the point where you feel like you can go a little further, you’ll be excited to come back to it later.

Product or service I’m loving —

Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge

If you’re looking for a way to add more reading to your life in 2017, I recommend signing up for the Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge. It’s a fun way to keep track of the progress you’re making throughout the year. You can even share your goal for the year with friends on Facebook so they can see what books you’ve been reading during the year.

Last year, I set my goal to read 20 books and surpassed it by 7 books. It’s nice to be able to look back on the various journeys that the books you read in the past year took you on. It’s a free service so try it out. If it’s your first time setting a “reading goal”, aim low. Start with 3 or 5 books then work your way up in the future.

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Featured image via Unsplash.

As always, thanks for checking out this Weekly Learnings Roundup. Follow me on Twitter @peternakamura to see the full list of articles that I share on a daily basis.