I tracked reading differently this year: fewer highlights, more application. These are the books that stuck — and the one idea I kept from each.

Grit & mindset

Can’t Hurt Me — David Goggins
The “accountability mirror” and daily “callus the mind” reps translated into a weekly cadence: pick one hard thing, do it, write the outcome. It kept discipline from being abstract.

Never Finished — David Goggins
“Take souls” became a frame for stressful weeks: turn friction into fuel and look for one extra rep when things feel stuck. I used it for long incidents and late-stage projects.

Ownership & leadership

Extreme Ownership — Jocko Willink & Leif Babin
Defaulting to “it’s on me” made incident reviews sharper. The brief–execute–debrief loop cut blame and increased clarity on what to fix next.

Parenting

The Montessori Baby — Simone Davies, Junnifa Uzodike
“Follow the child” and prepared environments led to fewer toys and more floor time. I set up low shelves and rotated materials weekly; engagement went up and overstimulation dropped.

Wealth, leverage, and focus

Rich Dad Poor Dad — Robert Kiyosaki
The simple assets-vs-liabilities lens made me audit spending and treat skills as assets. I redirected “maybe” purchases into a small investing autopilot.

The Almanack of Naval Ravikant — Eric Jorgenson
Specific knowledge + leverage + ownership stayed on my desk. I applied it by picking one leverage point per quarter (automation, writing, or teaching) instead of chasing every idea.

What changed because of these books

• Weekly “accountability mirror” notes turned into a reliable discipline loop.
• Incident reviews now start with ownership, then actions; they finish faster and with clearer fixes.
• Montessori setup at home reduced clutter and made play time calmer and more focused.
• Spending and time both get the assets/liabilities test; more energy goes to leverage, less to noise.