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reading Inspiration page

The most difficult part of doing my THING used to be finding motivation on days when I just wasn't feeling it. On those days, I tried to find a video, a podcast, a book, or something (ANYTHING) to inspire me. Too often though, I struggled to find anything good and ended up never doing my THING that day. I often thought, "It would be so nice to know exactly where to go to instantly find inspiration."

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Well, my wish came true. That place is right here.  

 

Welcome to The Inspiration Page.

On days where you're not feeling motivated to do your THING, this is the place you can turn for motivation.

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I've put together the best free resources that you can use for inspiration while you're doing your THING. Not everything I found made the final cut. In other words, this is only the good stuff.

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You can (and should) visit this page any time you do your THING. But I especially recommend visiting The Inspiration Page when...

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1. You know all you need is one quick motivation boost to get yourself to do your THING.

2. Your free time for the day is just starting.

3. You are looking for ways to branch out of your usual routine.

4. You want to learn how others have done this same THING.

VIDEOS

This is one of the best YouTube videos I've ever seen.  It happens to be about reading.  This video will give you so much reading FOMO that you won't be able to help but open a book.

Struggling to reach your page goal each day?  This video explains how consistency is the key to reading more books than you ever thought possible.

How do you avoid the bad or mediocre books that just waste your time?  You're not alone if you're asking that question.

Reclaiming your attention from your phone, social media, and all of the other apps that are carefully designed to consume your time is difficult, but possible.  This video explains how you can do it.

If you have a hard time focusing when you sit down to read, this video will help you read more and realize that you actually like reading more than you thought.

Storm Reyes started working as a migrant laborer at 8 years old.  When she was 12, a bookmobile arrived at the fields and the librarian introduced her to knowledge, hope, and the world beyond her camp through books.

podcasts

Slate’s Audio Book Club

Don't have a book club (yet) but want to hear other people talk about the books that you

are reading?  Slate has you covered.  The hosts of this podcast consistently make me think

deeper about the books I've read while not taking themselves too seriously.

 

LeVar Burton Reads

37 years after he started hosting Reading Rainbow, LeVar Burton is still sharing books with the

world.  This following statement is meant to be a compliment - this is one of my favorite podcasts

to fall asleep to.  Burton is a masterful storyteller and has the best reading voice I've ever heard. 

His passion for books is contagious, too.

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The Book Review

First things first, the production quality of any New York Times podcast is through the roof. 

On this pod, they tackle the news and real-world problems through the lens of books, both

fiction and non-fiction.  In my opinion, this podcast is a really refreshing take on current events.

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Book Riot Podcast

This podcast convinced me that there is legitimately interesting, cool, and breaking news in the

world of books and reading.  Some of my favorite episodes are the bonus episodes where the

hosts discuss a book and its movie adaptation.

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The Book Drop

This podcast has two things going for it that make it worth a listen.  It's produced by staff

members of a local library (in Omaha, NE) and it was started during the coronavirus pandemic.

That means they offer tips, resources, and recommendations for developing or keeping a

reading habit at a time when you might have more time on your hands than usual but can't

visit a library in-person.  

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All The Books!​

This podcast feels like one of those podcasts that has fostered a close and loyal relationship

between the hosts and their fans.  If you want to stay up to date with new book releases,

this is a great podcast to start listening to.

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websites

The CEO Library - Curious which books Barack Obama recommends?  How about Brene Brown?  Elon Musk? This is the go-to site for picking the brain of your favorite author, celebrity, entrepreneur, athletes, or content creator.  See which books inspire the people who inspire you.

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Book Riot - Book recommendations and reviews.  It’s basically a website that makes reading look cool (because it is).

  • Recommended resources: 

    • ​Daily Book Deals - They scour the internet.  You save on books.

    • Newsletters - Find a newsletter to send inspiration directly to your inbox

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Goodreads - The go-to book recommendation and curation website.  Chances are your “book nerd” friends are discussing their favorite books on Goodreads.

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Antiracism Reading Resources - Education is a critical first step for a commitment to anti-racism, equity, and inclusion. That being said, it is not the only requirement. Speaking as a white male, I must adopt a stance of humility and acknowledge that no amount of education will allow me to fully understand the lived experiences of the individuals whom I am learning about or advocating for. I must examine how I learned about race and how that shaped my worldview. And I must question my actions, including reading books about antiracism and social change, to consider whether they are in service of others or are in serve of my desire to feel helpful.

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Everyday Reading - This blog has a lot of resources about children's books for parents, but the "adult section" has plenty of resources and book lists that I've utilized.  I like reading Janssen's book lists with titles like "If you liked (or didn't like) 168 Hours, try these time management books."  

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Book Freak -  You could read a book a week and you still wouldn't have time to finish every book you want to read.  That's where a website like book freak comes in clutch.  This website and newsletter distills the advice and wisdom from books down into 1-5 minute reads.  If I see something on the Book Freak newsletter that looks really interesting, I'll add the book to my list.  Otherwise, I learn something interesting in a few minutes and move on with my day.

  • Recommended resource: Sign up for the newsletter

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