Everyone needs good resources for finding and doing work worth doing. Here are some that I use and recommend. Hopefully they’ll help you as much as they’ve helped me!
Note: Some of these are free, others are not. Of the ones that are for sale, some are referral links. This means the seller, at no cost to you, would pay me something if you purchased through the link. Know that I wouldn’t recommend them if I didn’t use and love them.
There’s a lot on this page. To make it a bit easier to navigate I've added a Table of Contents. Feel free to jump around!
Books
On Finding Your Work and Knowing Your Story
The Calling Process by Dan Cumberland – I wrote this book to be a quick and accessible resource to help reframe your thinking on the topic and offer the best takeaways I’ve found in my work (20 years of research, a master’s degree, and hands on coaching).
Unlike most of the books here, it’s written first and foremost to be highly actionable. I’m not interested in leading you in any thought experiments or endless reflection. I want you to have the tools you need to analyze and act. At the time of this writing, it’s also FREE on Amazon. Grab it while you can!
Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer – This book is my favorite on the topic of work and meaning. Palmer brings together his journey and his faith to create a brilliant little piece. Everyone needs to read this book.
Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity by David Whyte — Whyte tells his story as a way to wrestle with themes of work and meaning. Whyte has a unique perspective as a poet and business person.
To Be Told: Know Your Story, Shape Your Future by Dan Allender – Allender is a master of story. His life’s work is around helping people heal. Knowing and telling your personal story is a big part of that process. Though this book has a strong faith bias, it’s helpful no matter your worldview.
Crossing the Unknown Sea: Work as a Pilgrimage of Identity by David Whyte — Whyte tells his story as a way to wrestle with themes of work and meaning. Whyte has a unique perspective as a poet and business person.
The Full List
On Work and Creativity
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield — This short little book gives language to the battle that you face every time you make something meaningful and significant. Pressfield helps you understand more about your fear, resistance, and self-sabotage.
The Artist Way by Julia Cameron — This book is about increasing your capacity for creativity. Since I first went through it, her concept of “morning pages” (writing three pages every day, preferably in the morning) has continued to be a part of my creative and writing process.
The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life by Twyla Tharp — I love this book because Tharp gives great insight, as a creative, to the interplay of work, commitment, inspiration, and routine.
On Writing
Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert Mckee — The geek in me loves this book. It reads like a text book, but it’s the textbook for anyone and everyone who wants to know the ins and outs of crafting a compelling story. I come back to it often and have a long ways to go before I master this material.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott – This is my favorite on writing. It’s mostly inspiration and encouragement, as told in her funny and personable way. I love it.
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven Pressfield — This book is on the list twice, because it’s that good!
On Blogging and Social Media
Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk — This is a great primer in how to use social media effectively.
Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt — Hyatt is a well-known blogger. This book is all about building a blog that people will (hopefully) actually read. It’s shaped what I do here.
Tools
For Websites, Blogging, & Writing
Kit – I love Kit (formally Convertkit). It’s an essential tool for growing a list and staying in touch with readers, listeners, clients, and prospects. It’s easy to use, but also has lots of automation abilities if you need them. I wish it had been available when I first started. I’m a huge fan!
WordPress — WordPress is a free blogging platform that I use to run this blog. It takes a bit to learn, but it’s the most robust and versatile platform available.
Dream Host – An important part of doing work worth doing for many of us is building and maintaining a website so people can find you and know what your work is about. I use DreamHost for all of my sites. They’re affordable and have great customer service. They have a one click install to get WordPress up and running. It’s super simple!
