Feeling overwhelmed? Chances are that -- after looking everywhere else -- unclear or cluttered thinking is the root problem.
Have you defined your desired outcome and eliminated the extraneous? Removed all of the busy but non-mission-critical activities that consume attention? Business books and consultants often skip the fundamental shift we need most often: better mental software. Cut out the bugs and upgrade your machine with these three blueprints, listed in the order I recommend reading them:
Simple & Direct
by Jacques Barzun
(288 pages)
It is hard to improve thinking. It is near impossible to remember and review after-the-fact. Practicing writing -- thinking frozen in time -- is the best way to refine thinking and upgrade your present awareness. Barzun's stated goal in this book is "to resensitize the mind to words." His refrain, which applies as much to self-talk as it does to communicating with others, is: do not use a word unless you know both its meaning and its connotations. Great advice and a great book.
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
by William K. Zinsser
(336 pages)
I have read this book more than a dozen times, more often for thinking than for writing. It is a hysterical read and a great example of what it teaches: how to cut all clutter and keep your communication -- and thinking -- crystal clear. If you think you think and write well, read this book at least once. It's like going from a tricycle to a 10-speed.
The Elements of Style
by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
(128 pages)
This is the de facto nuts-and-bolts desk reference for all writers and thinkers alike. There is a refreshing artistry to its bluntness... and brevity. I also love that the New York Times can sum it up and violate its rules at the same time with "Buy it, study it, enjoy it. It's as timeless as a book can be in our age of volubility." Volubility? E.B. would have slapped them.
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Timothy Ferriss is the author of the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, The 4-Hour Workweek.