Elevate Letter #34: 20 books everyone should read at least once in their life

Read time: 9 minutes 

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3 Must-Know Strategies for Sustainable Productivity - Article from The Imperfectionist ⏳️

Last week, I asked what you wanted more of in this newsletter.

The overwhelming response?

Productivity tips.

Well, you’re in for a treat.

I came across an article from Oliver Burkeman (Four Thousand Weeks), and it introduced three refreshingly simple productivity strategies that don’t rely on superhuman willpower. These ideas make discipline effortless and sustainable.

1. The "Dailyish" Habit

Consistency beats perfection. Committing to a habit dailyish keeps you on track without the guilt of missing a day. This flexible approach removes the all-or-nothing mindset that often leads to burnout.

2. The "No-Later-Than" Rule

Rigid deadlines create unnecessary stress. Instead, give yourself a buffer. Rather than forcing a strict 6:00 AM wake-up, commit to waking up no later than 7:00 AM. Anything earlier becomes a win—not a failure.

3. MTO Goals (Minimum, Target, Outrageous)

Set three levels of success for any goal:

• Minimum → The bare minimum you can confidently achieve (e.g., writing 100 words).

• Target → A realistic yet challenging goal (e.g., 750 words).

• Outrageous → A stretch goal that makes you say, “Wow, I did that” (e.g., 2,000 words).

This method removes the pressure of perfection and turns every step forward into a win.

Try these out and let me know how they work for you! 🚀

20 books everyone should read at least once in their life 📚

Ok, let's keep things rolling.

The second most common response I got was that you wanted more book recommendations.

So here it is:

In no particular order, 20 books I think everyone should read at least once in their life:

1. East of Eden by John Steinbeck

2. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson

3. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

4. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss

5. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

6. Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

7. Atomic Habits by James Clear

8. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

9. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

10. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

11. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

12. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

13. The Stranger by Albert Camus

14. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

15. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini

16. 1984 by George Orwell

17. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

18. $100M Offers by Alex Hormozi

19. Watchmen by Alan Moore

20. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

There are a lot of “classics” on this list, but hey, they’re classics for a reason.

As Naval Ravikant says:
​"I would rather read the best 100 books over and over again until I absorb them, rather than read all the books."

By the way, I’ve set a personal goal to read 50 books in 2025.

How to avoid the 5 Time Assassins stealing your productivity 🥷

Dan Martell is the bestselling author of Buy Back Your Time. It’s a helpful guide for founders (or really, anyone) to reclaim time.

The most powerful chapter for me? The 5 Time Assassins. 🔥 

At any given moment, your time is being wasted by 1 (or many) of these 5.

Let’s go through each one…

1. The Staller 

   This is when you sabotage your own success by hesitating on big decisions (often because of imposter syndrome).

   Example: You get invited to speak on a podcast, but imposter syndrome starts to creep in. So you don’t respond to it for weeks, until it’s too late.

2. The Speed Demon 

   You make rapid decisions (often choosing the first/ quickest/ easiest/ cheapest option). Then you find yourself in a worse position a few months later.

   Example: You hire the first candidate that meets some of your requirements. They don’t work out, and you need to spend even more time replacing them.

3. The Supervisor 

   You have trouble giving up control (usually because you don’t think anyone can do as good of a job as you).

   Example: You hire an executive assistant, but micromanage all of their tasks and end up spending the same (or more) time than if you did it yourself in the first place.

4. The Saver 

   You’re not comfortable spending money (even if it will make you more money).

   Example: You can afford to advertise your business online (and attract new customers— which will quickly recoup the cost of the ads). But instead, you leave your money in savings.

5. The Self-Medicator 

   You work really hard (and then “play” equally hard, often by binge-drinking).

   This one’s tough to spot, because it’s usually in the form of celebration.

   Example: You close a big deal, eat and drink excessively, wake up hungover, and then need to push back the entire next day’s meetings.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

Review the last 10 big decisions you made. Try to spot the patterns. Which of these 5 assassins held you back the most?

Here’s how I personally deal with them:

• Create “guard-rails” for the maximum (and minimum) amount of time I can spend on a decision (so I never procrastinate or rush into it).

• Offload lower-risk tasks, and simply accept that someone else completing it 80% as well as I would… is still 100% awesome. .

Don't underestimate the power of 5 good minutes ⏰️

Something I remind myself of on tough days:

You're always 5 good minutes away from feeling better.

5 minutes of exercise—your energy shifts.
5 minutes of writing—your mind clears.
5 minutes of reading—your perspective changes.
5 minutes of breathwork—your body resets.
5 minutes of conversation—your mood improves.

Whenever the day feels overwhelming, I try to ask myself:
What’s the best way I can spend my next 5 minutes?

Previous Elevate Letters👇

P.S. : If you haven’t read our previous Elevate Letter editions here they are 😀 

»Elevate Letter #33: 10 Mental Models That Will Sharpen Your Thinking

»Elevate Letter #32: 19 incredible books to read in 2025

»Elevate Letter #31: 7 Hacks to Crush Your To-Do List Every Day