Anything You Want by Derek Sivers (founder of CD Baby) is the kind of book that fits perfectly with my life these days. You can read it in one sitting, and it will probably take you an hour tops.
But don’t let the small size fool you. It’s packed with powerful wisdom and advice that you can apply to both personal and professional aspects of your life. This sentence from the back of the book sums it up nicely:
Must reading for every person who is an entrepreneur, wants to be one, wants to understand one or cares even a little about what it means to be human.
Anything You Want is part of Seth Godin’s The Domino Project, which Godin recently announced is ending. Luckily, if you decide after reading this post that you want to buy it, the book will still be available on Amazon.So, even though it’s a quick read, why should you spend your valuable time reading this book? Here are five lessons from the book that I feel are important enough to warrant you reading the entire piece:
- Business is not about money. It’s about making dreams come true for others and for yourself.
- Don’t waste years fighting uphill battles against locked doors. Improve or invent until you get that huge response. No “yes.” Either “HELL YEAH!” or “no.” (I’ve been really focusing on adopting this and applying it to my life.)
- When you’re thinking of how to make your business bigger, it’s tempting to try to think all the big thoughts and come up with world-changing massive-action plans. But please know that it’s often the tiny details that really thrill people enough to make them tell all their friends about you.
- To have something (a finished recording, a business, or millions of dollars) is the means, not the end. To be something (a good singer, a skilled entrepreneur, or just plain happy) is the real point.
- Whatever you make, it’s your creation, so make it your personal dream come true.
I’m planning to re-read this book when I have some down time during the holidays. I feel like it’s one of those books that you will whip out in the future when you need a reality check and reminder on what business (and really, life in general) should be all about.
So what do ya think? Are you convinced that this is a book worth reading? If you’ve already read it or are planning to (or if you think I’m full of it and this book sounds horrible), share your feedback in the comments.