Knowing how I’m wired, training my mind, and getting the right things done. When I can, the day starts with an hour of Holosync at five in the morning.
Donna McGeorge · 2019
McGeorge’s argument is that the first two hours of the working day are your most valuable time. She splits the day into energy quadrants and matches each kind of work to the part of the day it suits.
What I took from itWhy I plan my days around my energy, with the important work between 9 and 12.
David Allen · 2001
Allen’s method for getting everything out of your head and into a system you trust: capture it, clarify what each thing means, organise it into lists, review them every week, then do. His point is that a clear mind comes from knowing every open loop is written down somewhere.
What I took from itMy Todoist runs on it: an inbox, next actions, projects and a weekly review.
Anthony de Mello · 1990
The talks of a Jesuit priest and psychotherapist, transcribed. His argument is that most unhappiness comes from attachments and the stories we tell ourselves, and that the way out is not more effort but watching yourself honestly until the illusions drop.
What I took from itThe book I go back to when I am taking something too seriously. Awareness first, fixing second.
Jim Rohn · 1994
Rohn’s philosophy in one place: work harder on yourself than on your job, keep a journal, read, set goals, and choose the disciplines that compound. It began as an audio programme and reads like one, plain, warm and quotable.
What I took from itThe daily disciplines on this site started with Rohn. Journal, read, review, repeat.
Alexis Kingsbury · 2026
Kingsbury’s account of building an accountancy practice run almost entirely by AI, and what it showed about where people still matter. Honest about the parts that worked and the parts that did not.
What I took from itA real experiment rather than a prediction. It changed how I think about what to hand to AI and what to keep.
Brian Tracy · 1993
Tracy’s complete system, built on the idea that your self-concept sets the ceiling on your results. Goals, time, relationships and money, and seven ingredients of a good life, the first of which is peace of mind.
What I took from itThe line I keep: “Set peace of mind as your highest goal, and organize your life around it.”
Bob Proctor · 2021
Proctor’s last book, on the idea that results are governed by paradigms: the habits and beliefs running underneath conscious thought. His method for changing them is repetition, because repetition is how they were installed in the first place.
What I took from itThe ceiling is usually a habit, not a fact.
An audio meditation programme from Centerpointe Research Institute. Headphones, a soundtrack with binaural beats under it, and levels that progress over years.
How I use it. I’m on Flowering 4, the last of the programme’s 13 levels. Usually five to six in the morning, though I’m less disciplined about it than I used to be. Whenever I have an hour free, I put it on. It’s often where my best solutions turn up.
Guided audio sessions from Learning Strategies, built by Paul Scheele. Two voices, one in each ear, on a single topic, twenty to thirty minutes each.
How I use it. I should listen more regularly. Usually when I need a pick-me-up.
Hypnosis audio downloads from a UK hypnotherapy training company, one session per topic, written by the people who train the practitioners.
How I use it. Great hypnosis tracks for a range of things, from dealing with conflict to public speaking.
Amazon’s audiobook service: one credit a month on the standard plan, and the library stays yours.
How I use it. Long runs and travel. Most of the books in my Library I listen to here first, then keep the print or Kindle edition for reading.
Long-form interviews with people at the top of their fields, taking apart the routines, tools and habits behind how they work.
How I use it. One of my podcast subscriptions, alongside his 5-Bullet Friday email in my Library.
The Minimalists on living a meaningful life with less: possessions, money, work and relationships.
How I use it. One of my podcast subscriptions, alongside their newsletter in my Library.
Teaching sessions from Michael Singer, author of The Untethered Soul, recorded at his Temple of the Universe meditation centre.
How I use it. One of my podcast subscriptions.
Talks by Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now, on meditation, awareness and love, from the Be Here Now Network.
How I use it. One of my podcast subscriptions.
A free online test that sorts you into one of sixteen types. Twelve minutes, and a good first look at your preferences.
How I use it. My result: Logistician. The first one I took.
Gallup’s assessment ranks 34 talent themes from your strongest to your weakest, so you can build on what you naturally do best.
How I use it. My top five: Achiever, Intellection, Consistency, Learner, Harmony. Full 34 taken in 2021.
Measures how you instinctively take action, across four modes, rather than what you prefer or what you are good at.
How I use it. My result: 7-7-1-7. The 1 in Quick Start changed how I plan my week.
A task manager that runs on every device. Mine is set up for Getting Things Done: an inbox, next actions, projects, and a weekly review.
How I use it. Everything lands here, work and home. The overdue list is my backlog, and the due date tells me how long something has been waiting.
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This is not medical advice. It is what I use and why. Consult your doctor before starting a supplement, device or new routine, especially if you have a health condition or take medication.
