Best Reads of 2019

Here we go again. It’s that time of year when we all look back over the good, the bad and the ugly of the previous twelve months.

I’m not going to pretend that I’ve read dozens of life-affirming books that have made me a better person. Nope.

I wish I had made the time. I wish I’d been more focused.

The thing is I get too easily distracted these days to work my way through hundreds of pages. It’s harder for me these days to be content with one focal point. That’s the paradox of choice.

What I can say is that I’ve read through dozens upon dozens of blog posts and articles this year. I’m all about bite-sized insights. Some pieces were to do with careers, often to do with personal development, and occasionally to do with money. Essentially, my favorite subjects.

It’s hard to remember all the great stuff I’ve read over the year. I simply decided to go back through those I bookmarked. They clearly resonated and that’s as good a filter process as any.

So, in no particular order, here are some of the top posts I read that could be useful going into the new year.

The Missing Investment from The Graying Saver

The thing about many personal finance blogs is many go over the same ground. Important ground, but the same.

Spend less than you earn, pay yourself first, invest for the long term. And so on. They all have their spin on it. But fundamentally they speak the same conversation.

This post takes a different approach.  It talks about emotions. It talks about emotions and money on a personal level. It’s an important read.

Your Professional Decline Is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think from The Atlantic

This excellent piece reinforces an important principle behind this blog – namely, you can’t be at your peak forever and you have to take control.

And taking control is not only about making yourself relevant to your market, but it’s also about taking responsibility for the emotional impact of changes in your career.

Wherever you are in your career, this article is a big wake up call.

Learning to Embrace the Chaos and the End of History Illusion from A Wealth of Common Sense

This is a go-to investing blog for me and this is one I’m highlighting in this list. In fact, I referenced this site when talking about the job market for CFAs.

This particular piece resonated because of its simplicity. Essentially, “people consistently underestimate how much they will change in the future.”

So, be ready for the changes in your career path and trajectory. Don’t be thinking it’s just down to external factors. Internal shifts impact as well.

Stay in the Game from Albert Bridge Capital

This site is usually investment thinking at its sophisticated best. If I could think like the writer consistently does, I’d have got much further in my banking career.

But this particular article takes a different direction. It’s about work and life and people. It’s not directly career-related.

It is, though, a cautionary tale. No matter how much success you have in your career, there are some things that are more important that you can’t control. It’s worth a read.

There are No Secrets from Dollars and Data

There are no secrets in job hunting. There are tried and trusted processes. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don’t. While there may not be any secrets, people want to believe that there are.

That’s where gurus / experts / shaman step in where a bit of hard work might suffice instead.

This is a very good piece, initially talking about investing but ultimately relevant to many parts of life.

Three Big Things: The Most Important Forces Shaping the World from Morgan Housel

I could read Morgan Housel all day. His writing is so insightful, it’s untrue. He’s one of the great financial writers. 

His The Psychology of Money from 2018 is a tour de force. I highly recommend you read his work if you’re looking for a career in the banking industry, particularly if you’re seeking an investment role.

This year, I really liked this piece because of how well it highlights three major trends shaping our world today.   

Procrastination is an Emotional Problem in Fast Company

This piece really got me thinking.

If you’re struggling to understand why you aren’t applying for those jobs, building a side hustle or not clearing your desk when you know you should, read this.

Procrastination isn’t about time management. It’s more than that.

I Tested the Savings Technique That Promises Retirement at 40 in Vice

True, this article does have a few holes in providing a counterargument for the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement.

But it did make me think about how to reevaluate money, career and relationships.

Take a read of them. You never know what you might learn.

Happy New Year. More to come in 2020.