Figuring out your next steps

• "What To Do When It's Your Turn" by Seth Godin — inspirational and empowering

• "Anything You Want" by Derek Sivers — plain-spoken advice from a successful business owner

• Ikigai — finding the intersection of what you do, what you love, what the world needs, and what people will pay for (here's an article to start)

• 40 Freelancing Secrets — a short book I wrote about what I learned during my first decade freelancing

Doing great work

• "Essentialism" by Greg McKeown — great advice for staying focused

• "Deep Work" by Cal Newport — the how-to manual for getting more done

• Productivity Planner — the best weekly planner I've ever used (and I've used a lot); read more about planners here

• Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule by Paul Graham — an excellent essay that helps you figure out how you like to work (and how to manage your schedule accordingly)

• Bose noise-cancelling headphones — it's like having your own cocoon. They're not cheap, but consider them a 5-year investment.

Writing a book

• "Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published" by Eckstut and Sterry — the manual I used for getting an agent, writing a book proposal and getting my first book published

• "Platform" by Michael Hyatt — essential reading for promoting your book (or anything else)

• "Your First 1000 Copies" by Tim Grahl — helpful if you're feeling overwhelmed about writing / publishing a book

Questions to ask yourself

• What type of organization do I want to work for?

  • What size?

  • What industry / field?

  • What type of culture?

• Who do I want to work for?

  • One boss

  • A group of people

  • Nobody

• What is most important to you?

  • Flexibility

  • Money

  • Stability

  • Prestige

• What type of work do you want to do?

  • Executional (write, design, photograph, etc.)

  • Strategic

  • Leadership / management

  • (Hint: read Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule by Paul Graham)